Roam Transit
Roam Transit
4.5
About
Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission The BVRTSC is a government agency, made up of the towns of Banff and Canmore and Improvement District #9, and is authorized to provide public passenger transportation services in the Bow Valley. We currently offer service between Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise with additional seasonal routes during the summer.
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- Robert WCorvallis, Oregon300 contributionsWith Roam you don't need a car.The Roam Public Transit is an effective for getting around Banff. The conveniently scheduled routes provide a means to reach all the key areas for a nominal cost. There are express runs to Lake Louise from Banff as well.Visited September 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 17 October 2023
- SeniorTravelerTF1,249 contributionsOutstanding. Ditch you car.Use it. There aren't enough positive appellations to describe this service. Ditch the car because Roam goes almost everywhere you want to go, and it circulates so often - and so on time, that you can count it for all you want to see in the area. Clean, modern buses. You can get a single pass, day pass or extended - and many local hotels provide free passes. This is the model everyone should copy. The visitor center on Banff Avenue (main street) has a Roam counter that will answer all your questions, provide maps and schedules, and sell tickets.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 31 October 2023
- ashleylynn722018Santa Clarita, California76 contributionsTake Advantage of this Service!Our hotel stay came with free Roam Transit tickets and boy did they come in handy. We didn't think we were going to use these near as much as we actually did! We downloaded the roam app so we could figure out what buses were going where and when. We ended up using the buses a lot, but our best experience was with our driver on the Cave and Basin route. He made sure to tell everyone what stop was best for where they wanted to go, pointed out the roam transit schedule posted near the Cave and Basin and told us where to meet him for pickup later and when we made the brief stop at Bow Falls to let people on and off he said we we could jump off for about 3 minutes if we wanted to snap a couple pictures and he would toot the horn when it was time to jump back on to continue to Cave and Basin. This was great because we wanted to see Bow Falls, but didn't want to stay long enough to have to wait for the next bus! Definitely recommend taking advantage of the Roam Transit while in Banff.Hi ashleylynn. We are so happy that you had an excellent experience with our Route 4 service to Cave & Basin and Bow Falls. It is always wonderful to hear about our drivers going above and beyond for our passengers. We are glad that you chose to take the bus with your free hotel transit tickets instead of a personal vehicle. Thank you for taking the time to write this review, we will share it with our team! We hope to welcome you back again in the future.Written 18 August 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 August 2024
- DavidTelford, United Kingdom467 contributionsExcellent serviceWhile i was based in Canmore i used several of the roam transit routes including the 1, 3, 8X and 12. All were very reliable and on time and it really made it easy to get around, especially linking Canmore to Banff. I would definitely use more of these routes next time i'm stopping here.Hi David, thank you for the 5-star review! We are happy that you found our services to be easy to use and reliable while you were in Canmore. We hope welcome you back again soon on our services.Written 12 September 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 11 September 2024
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4.5
636 reviews
Excellent
443
Very good
121
Average
31
Poor
14
Terrible
27
Robert E
Charlottesville, VA6 contributions
Dec 2019
Not the best service in the winter. Although, to be fair, Banff experienced their heaviest snow in almost ten years just prior to our arrival . However, there should have been some kind of contingency plan for extra snow fall, like more drivers and buses available to put on the road. We waited about an hour for a bus (walking was not an option) in 15 degree F. weather and when the bus finally came it was packed almost full with very few seats available. The next time we waited for a bus it did not arrive according to the electronic screen arrival time so we had to walk on a snow covered road with no sidewalk to get to our destination, which fortunately was not too far from the bus stop. So, not satisfied with the public transportation in Banff. Banff relies on tourism for their livelihood so the Roam Public Transit Service really needs to step it up and provide decent service no matter what time of year it happens to be.
Written 10 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
janice b
Calgary, Canada1 contribution
Aug 2021
A group of us did the parkway to pint ride from Banff to Lk Louise on Wednesday and 8/10 participants planned to take Roam back to Banff. First of all, the busses only accommodate 3 bikes on the front rack so that was problem for 8 of us but we decided we would wait and stagger the departures. We were told by a driver we had to register our bikes through the app when we bought our tickets but there was no way to do this. We bought tickets at $10 each which expired before the next bus came. Then two more people showed up with bikes at our stop so now there was 7 of us all trying to get back to Banff with bikes. We checked other options to no avail. Essentially we hitch hiked and found a good samaritan with a truck that helped us get ourselves and our bikes back to Banff.
Written 20 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily C
Redmond, WA51 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Everywhere in Banff, they encourage you to ride Roam Transit (vs. driving your own vehicle) by saying you won’t be able to find parking anywhere but everywhere we went, such as Lake Minnewanka, Johnson Lake and Bow Falls, the parking lots were all but empty!! Tons of spots for both cars and RVs. So if you have your own vehicle, I would recommend driving because the Roam buses are often late (we waited 45 minutes for one to Cave & Basin from downtown on Banff Avenue). Also, once you get on the bus, rides are long and cumbersome with several stops to pick up others and much difficulty getting through downtown Banff due to the number of pedestrians everywhere etc. - routes you could avoid if driving yourself. Long story short, skip the bus, drive your car!
Written 14 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Emily C,
Thank you for sharing your experience from your visit to Banff. Banff National Park is a very popular tourist destination with over 4 million people visiting the Park each year. Most of them visit the town of Banff itself, and summer is the busiest time of the year for us. While there are parking lots at some of the popular attractions in town, the number of sites is very limited, especially for RVs. A few small parking lots downtown offer paid parking. We typically recommend to park at the bigger and free Train Station parking lot, where we encourage to leave your vehicle behind for the day. You were quite lucky to have been able to park at the places you visited. Others, who might try to do the same, often end up driving around in circles in search of a spot and congest the roads in our small town, which is one of the factors causing delays in public transit.
Operating in the National Park, we also encourage to take public transit due to the lower environmental impact it has on our beautiful surroundings. Roam Transit operates 5 electric buses in the town of Banff and we are looking to expand the fleet to 10 electric buses early next year. We are hoping that this will convince you to consider taking public transit on your next visit to the Park. If you have more feedback that you’d like to share with us, please contact us directly at info@roamtransit.com
Written 22 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Akidd17
35 contributions
Aug 2022
ROAM is an excellent way to see the Banff area. We used to to get to and from our hotel which cost $2 which is excellent value! We also used it to get to Banff Gondola and Lake Minnewanka and the bus was free as we had tickets for those excursions. Sometimes it can get really busy but most people seem happy to just squash in. Would definitely recommend!!
Written 24 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Akidd17,
Thank you for taking your time to review Roam Transit! It is great to hear that you enjoyed commuting car free around the Banff National Park. It has been a very busy summer here in Banff, but we are happy to see more and more people choosing us as a sustainable and stress-free way of visiting. We hope to welcome you on our buses again soon!
Written 27 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Debbie M
Calgary, Canada10 contributions
Feb 2020
We parked our car at the hotel and didn't get in it again until it was time to go home. Banff is very easy to get around on foot. Bus fare is only $2 per ride or you can purchase an all day pass for $5. Definitely the best way to get to the gondola, Banff Springs hotel or Sulphur Mountain hot springs.
Written 14 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Geneviève P
1 contribution
Jul 2022
My visiting family wanted to visit Lake Louise and Moraine Lake this week and we book them Roam Bus Super Pass tickets.
After managing the reservation process and having a correction quickly taken care of by your office staff, they were on their way and SO GRATEFUL to have been booked in advance at their chosen time slot for their return trip!!!
They came home with big smiles and memories to fill a bucket! It was worth every dollar! The Super Pass allowed them to move from Lake Louise to Moraine Lake as they wished.
The drive and drivers were exceptional! Thank you to these VERY PATIENT drivers who had to deal with visitors who were not as well organized and in some cases not behaving in their most glorious ways... Let's be kind people and try a little advance planning! ;)
After managing the reservation process and having a correction quickly taken care of by your office staff, they were on their way and SO GRATEFUL to have been booked in advance at their chosen time slot for their return trip!!!
They came home with big smiles and memories to fill a bucket! It was worth every dollar! The Super Pass allowed them to move from Lake Louise to Moraine Lake as they wished.
The drive and drivers were exceptional! Thank you to these VERY PATIENT drivers who had to deal with visitors who were not as well organized and in some cases not behaving in their most glorious ways... Let's be kind people and try a little advance planning! ;)
Written 14 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello gpoulin77, Thank you so much for taking the time to write this gratifying review! It has been a busy summer and our team has been doing the best they possibly can to accommodate both those who plan in advance and those who prefer to leave things a bit more flexible. The Super Pass is definitely a great choice for those who would like to visit both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in one day and we always advise to book seats for a particular time, to avoid disappointment, however we also set aside a few seats for walk ups. Hopefully this way we can make everyone happy.
It is really great to hear that your family enjoyed their time and the service we offered them. We do hope they decide to visit again!
Written 20 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mark H
Penrith, UK67 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
We cannot emphasise how excellent this service is. We stayed at Tunnel Mountain campground for 8 days and used this service for all our travel needs, we didn’t move the RV that whole time. The system is cheap and punctual, the staff are really helpful and it’s easy to work out how it worked.
Banff are showing real leadership with this system, so many other destinations can learn from this operation. Thank you!
Banff are showing real leadership with this system, so many other destinations can learn from this operation. Thank you!
Written 23 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi smileymark! We highly appreciate your comments and the time you took to share them! Indeed, using public transportation is a great way to travel from and to the Tunnel Mountain campground. RV parking spots in town are very limited, so it is so much easier to just leave your camper behind and jump on the bus. Thank you for sharing your feedback with other visitors to our town!
Written 16 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Heather G
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Friends
This is a terrible system! It’s next to impossible to book a reservation because the system tells you that all the tickets are sold out. We tried and tried to book in advance but no luck. We got to Banff and bought the “standby” tickets. The ones they advertise for $8 actually cost $25, and the machine they make you buy tickets from is extremely confusing. We got our tickets and got in the long line of about 150 people, but we were close to the front (maybe 20th or so). We waited about an hour for the bus sitting there to start letting people on. They let about 10 people who somehow managed to get reservations on, then 5 or 6 standby people, and we were told to stay in line for the next bus….another hour wait. At this point, we had had enough! The young girl in charge informed us that we could get our money refunded if we went to the visitors centre. We did that, and the woman there took our email address and told us they would send our refund within two to three business days. It has been a week, still no refund, so I’ve called them. No answer. The whole system needs a complete overhaul! Stop with the reservations, and make it an actual shuttle service. More buses! Fix the ticket machine to make it user friendly. Answer the bloody phone when customers call you!!!! Be accountable!
Written 15 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello heathergH8389GX.
We are sorry to hear you had a negative experience with Roam.
Our System Wide Day Pass tickets for unlimited travel on all our services, including Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are $25 for adults. Parks Canada do have tickets at a lower price (around $8) so it seems there may have been some confusion when you were researching your tickets. Our website only states the tickets are $25 (or $12.50 for Youth / Seniors).
Our buses accommodate a little over 50 people, so I'm sorry if it appeared that our staff only let 15 people on the bus, but we do always fill the services to capacity when we have a line-up.
Unfortunately we cannot process refunds for tickets purchased at the vending machines on the spot, these do need to go to our accountant and the processing time for this is 10-15 working days. I do apologize if you were told it will take 2-3 days. Please reach out to info@roamtransit.com if you have yet to receive a follow-up about your refund and we can look into that immediately.
We thank you for your valuable feedback, and if you did have any additional comments or concerns please reach out to us at info@roamtransit.com.
Written 23 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Úrsula Bellot
4 contributions
Sept 2021 • Solo
I just wanted to highlight the employee Linda, she is a really very kind woman, she always has a smile on her face, she is at all times explaining the trip, when you leave the bus she greets you and says goodbye with an energy that I wish have more people in the world, she makes your day completely happier.
Linda enjoys doing her job and transmits that energy, it is very nice to travel with her as a driver, even if your trip lasts 10 minutes.
Thank you very much Linda, bless you ❣️☺️🙏🏽
Linda enjoys doing her job and transmits that energy, it is very nice to travel with her as a driver, even if your trip lasts 10 minutes.
Thank you very much Linda, bless you ❣️☺️🙏🏽
Written 22 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gagan
1 contribution
Sept 2021 • Solo
Honestly, the worst driver i have ever seen.
So, i was rushing to catch my bus because i was late. By the time i reached there i thought the gates were closed and there were 3-4 people standing outside. I just crossed all the people thinking that they were waiting for another bus, when i came in front the driver shouted at me saying something that i didn't like the way you cutted off that lady behind me and i was like i did not mean to cut off the lady i just wanted to ensure that i was on time and she was not even standing near the door then the driver was like i know people like you. This was very disgusting i could smell the rascism in him. After that i went back apologized the lady that i didnot mean to.
When i entered the bus and showed me ticked from my phone and i started waking back. And then he shouted saying hey hey youuuu where u going u need to tap your phone. I was like i never did that or nobady ever asked me to tap it but he was like but i said u have to tap. Then i just came and grabed my seat
This was the worse seen ever happened to me
So, i was rushing to catch my bus because i was late. By the time i reached there i thought the gates were closed and there were 3-4 people standing outside. I just crossed all the people thinking that they were waiting for another bus, when i came in front the driver shouted at me saying something that i didn't like the way you cutted off that lady behind me and i was like i did not mean to cut off the lady i just wanted to ensure that i was on time and she was not even standing near the door then the driver was like i know people like you. This was very disgusting i could smell the rascism in him. After that i went back apologized the lady that i didnot mean to.
When i entered the bus and showed me ticked from my phone and i started waking back. And then he shouted saying hey hey youuuu where u going u need to tap your phone. I was like i never did that or nobady ever asked me to tap it but he was like but i said u have to tap. Then i just came and grabed my seat
This was the worse seen ever happened to me
Written 29 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There’s room to place stroller. Connect with the driver or ambassador & they can help to stove stroller safely!!
Written 14 October 2024
Q1. I'd like to book a round-trip bus 8s (superpass) departing from Banff at 9:30 am and leaving Lake Louise at 2:35. Can I get on the 1:35pm bus if I want to get off at Johnston Canyon at 10:05 and then go to Lake Louise after looking around at Canyon? I'm wondering if I can board the bus at 1:35 at Johnston even though i dont book the bus that departed at 1:00 from Banff.
Q2. And when I book a return ticket, the return date is designated as the date after the departure date, is it normal to add 12.5 dollars if I change the return date to the day of the departure date?
Written 5 June 2023
We are travelling to banff on 1st July to 5th July in a group of 10 just wanted to know is it a good idea to book the gandola and cruise tickets now or can we wait closer to the month ?
Also can we do both the activities on the same day for eg gandola during the first half of the day and lake minnewanka after tht .
Is there a bus connection from gandola to lake minnewanka?
Written 12 May 2023
Ante C
Vancouver, Canada
Can you bring luggage with you on the 8x (Lake Louis to Banff )I have one suitcase as coming from Australia ?
Written 6 January 2023
YES, As I recall large luggage Was on the bus. You would need to load items yourself. This is a public transportation bus same as in large cities they cover larger areas so no assistance for loading or unloading
Written 9 January 2023
We’re travelling to Banff later this month and want to visit Lake Louise and Moraine Lake on June 1st, which is the day the Moraine Lake road is expected to re-open. We will not have a vehicle, so we plan to take Roam 8X to Lake Louise and we’re looking at buying the Roam Super Pass so we can take advantage of the Parks Canada Lake Connector shuttle to get to/from Moraine Lake. I’m a bit concerned that the Super Pass doesn’t allow us to reserve seats on the 8X bus. Can anyone offer insight on how full that bus might be … can we reasonably expect there will be walk-on seats for us even if we haven’t got an advance reservation? We plan to travel Banff- Lake Louise in the morning and back to Banff in the late afternoon. Thanks!
Written 5 May 2022
Hi. With the Route 3 service between Canmore and Banff and then to Sunshine Village, can you travel with your full ski gear ready to go skiing? Or is there another service provided for skiers transport between resorts/towns? Also, can you jump onto the Route 3 bus, when it’s returning from Banff in any stop in Canmore and then after it reaches final stop in Canmore, does it carry on to Banff without you needing to change the bus at the final stop in Canmore (vice versa for Banff side). Hope this make sense. Thank you
Written 11 February 2021
Nikol F
Calgary, Canada
Hello,
I live in Banff by Fox hotel and my husband takes Roam number 3 to Canmore Monday to Friday. On the way back bus doesn't drop off in Inns of Banff and Fox hotel first even thought its literally there, so as a passenger you just watch your home pass by because bus doesn't drop of there first. My question is why? Why my husband has to spent daily extra 10-15 minutes on the bus, if the drop of would literally take 10 seconds. It is just so frustrating and someone would think that with time you would just get used to it, but no. It just doesn't make sense any way I look at it. So please try to explain to me.
Written 15 November 2019
Hi there,
Thanks for your question. We are currently discussing this very topic and will have some communications on it soon. In future, please call 403-762-0606 if you require a timely response. You can also message us on Facebook or Twitter or email us.
Thanks,
Roam Team
Written 26 November 2019
Hello,
We are traveling in August to Banff. However we are staying in Calgary for our stay. I am hearing that most places in Banff will have parking issues. Can I drive from Calgary in my rented car and park somewhere? is there a Park and Ride?
Written 12 July 2019
Hello there - please go to the Town of Banff website for info on where you can park your car in public lots.
We would encourage you to park your car and then Roam around Banff and Banff National Park!
Written 22 July 2019
We are looking to traveling to Banff, Yoho and Lake Louise. If we stay in Lake Louise will there be bus service at the end of December?
Written 3 July 2019
Best to check on the website for the Roam buses. When we were there in March there was a bus that ran from Banff to Lake Louise. It is a good service but only runs once a day, bus leaves Banff in morning but there isn't a return bus till round about 5. But I would check on the website as they may change the timings/frequency of buses as it was very popular ?
Written 5 July 2019
We are visiting Banff May 13-16, 2019. Will the Lake Louise service be running then? Is that still considered the winter schedule (I believe the summer schedule starts later in May)?
Written 21 January 2019
Hello there, yes, the Banff-Lake Louise Regional Route 8 will be in service during your trip in May. Summer service will begin shortly after your trip and will include routes to Lake Louise as well. Hope this helps!
Written 31 January 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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