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Roam Transit

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.
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Robert W
    Corvallis, Oregon300 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    With 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 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written October 17, 2023
  • SeniorTravelerTF
    1,249 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Outstanding. 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 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written October 31, 2023
  • ashleylynn722018
    Santa Clarita, California76 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Take 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 August 18, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written August 15, 2024
  • David
    Telford, United Kingdom467 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent service
    While 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 September 12, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written September 11, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles636 reviews
Excellent
443
Very good
121
Average
31
Poor
14
Terrible
27

Robert E
Charlottesville, VA6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
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 January 10, 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
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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 August 20, 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
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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 July 14, 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 August 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Akidd17
35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 August 24, 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 August 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Debbie M
Calgary, Canada10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 February 14, 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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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! ;)
Written July 14, 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 August 20, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mark H
Penrith, UK67 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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!
Written June 23, 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 August 16, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heather G
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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 August 15, 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 September 23, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Úrsula Bellot
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 ❣️☺️🙏🏽
Written September 22, 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
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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
Written September 29, 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.

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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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