International Travel:Getting There by AirThe province is served by
Air Canada (AC). Many other airlines also serve the province from worldwide destinations.
Main AirportsEdmonton (YEG) (tel: (780) 890 8900; website:
www.edmontonairports.com) is 28km (17 miles) from the city.
To/from the airport: A bus service to the city operates every 20 minutes (journey time – 40 minutes).
Calgary (YYC) (tel: (403) 735 1200; website:
www.calgaryairport.com) is 20km (12.5 miles) from the city.
To/from the airport: A bus service to the city operates every 30 minutes (journey time – 20 minutes).
Facilities: Both Edmonton and Calgary also receive domestic services and both have duty-free shops, banks, restaurants and car parking.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate travel times from
Edmonton (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in Alberta.
| Air | Road | Rail |
| Calgary | 0.45 | 3.00 | - |
| Banff | - | 5.00 | - |
| Jasper | - | 4.30 | 5.20 |
Getting There by RailVIA Rail (tel: 1 888 842 7245; website:
www.viarail.ca) serves Edmonton and Jasper a few times a week. The Western transcontinental train (
The Canadian), crosses the province thrice weekly originating from Toronto, Ontario in the east through Edmonton and Jasper, to Vancouver in the west and vice versa. This train connects with the
Skeena service at Jasper with a thrice-weekly service to Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
The seasonal
Rocky Mountain Railtours (tel: 604 606 7245; website:
www.rkymtnrail.com) is the only other rail service operating into the province. This is a two-day, all-daylight tour from either Calgary, Banff or Jasper to and from Vancouver, running between mid-April and mid-October.
Getting There by RoadThe Yellowhead Highway (Winnipeg-Edmonton-Prince Rupert-Vancouver) and Highway 2 (USA-Calgary-Red Deer-Edmonton-North Alberta) are the two main roads serving Alberta. Most of the roads in Edmonton are constructed into a grid system, making it easier to navigate.
Coach:
Greyhound Canada (tel: 800 661 8747) runs coach services into Alberta, thereby connecting Edmonton with all other major capitals. The main
Greyhound terminals are at Banff, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grand Prairie, Lethbridge and Red Deer. Coaches are also operated in Alberta by
Brewster Transportation and Tours (Banff) (website:
www.brewster.ca) and
Gray Line Sightseeing Tours (Calgary), which organize coach tours in the area. A coach is operated between the two city centers of Calgary and Edmonton by
Red Arrow (on behalf of VIA Rail) six times a day (tel: 800 232 1958; website:
www.redarrow.pwt.ca).
Car hire is available in all large towns and at Edmonton and Calgary airports. National driving licenses are accepted in Alberta.
Buses and the
light rail system in Calgary are operated on a flat-fare system. Exact fares are required if tickets are purchased upon boarding; pre-purchased single- and multi-journey tickets are available. Edmonton, where there is a similar fares system, has buses,
trolleybuses and a light rail route. Local buses operate in all other major towns.
NoteWhen visiting in late autumn, winter or spring, travelers are advised to either ensure that their vehicle has snow tires or to carry chains. It is also advisable to have an adequate supply of anti-freeze when crossing through mountain passes.
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