Transportation to Banff

[mnlyn]

I will be doing part of the Great Divide route later this year and had planned on taking the Amtrak to Whitefish to begin but now am tempted to ad the new Canadian portion to my schedule.  Does anyone have any information on public transportation options to Banff (rail, bus, etc) that would be "bicycle friendly"?  I'll be coming from Portland, OR, by the way.

[alh]

I was considering a similiar trip earlier, and did a bit of research.

By air: fly into Calgary; there are airport shuttles that travel to Banff. You could also ride to Banff.
By bus: Greyhound has service in Great Falls MT to Greyhound Canada and Calgary, with connections to Banff.

I also thought about starting in Jasper, and adding the Ice Fields Parkway to the trip. There are bus shuttles from Banff to Jasper. Jasper is also served by VIA Rail, the Canadian National railway.

The Moon Travel guides for Western Canada and the Canadian Rockies are excellent resources.

Have a good trip, Al.

[jillmcin]

We took the Canadian Rail from Jasper back  almost to
Vancouver. They were very nice, whweeling our bikes to the
baggage car and then helping us get them out at our
destination. I recommend them highly.

[jabrash]

Hey to all you planning to do the icefields parkway:
     My advice is to do it. I guarantee you will see some of the most incredible scenery and wildlife that you have ever seen. One morning camping by a stream, my friend, with whom I was travelling, motioned me to come over and see something. Looking down in the stream, I saw a huge elk walking upstream, followed 15 feet behind by a young one hurrying to keep up.Another time, Paul and I stopped and looked up and saw two mountain goats on top of about a 20 foot cliff bordering the left side of the road. Now the face of this rock wall was pretty much vertical. We stood there and watched these mountain goats walk down the face of that cliff. It was great.
     It seems like it is about 600 or 700 miles from Jasper to Montana. You go through three national parks and by a real live glacier, the Athabasca glacier.
     The only problem is that, to eat, you are pretty much stuck to the restaurants along the road, which are expensive and not that great. If you do find a grocery, stock up and carry as much as you can.
     The parks aren't that wide there but I think the ride to civilization, which is east, takes you back down the mountain. Then, to return to the Icefields Parkway requires a big climb. So, if you feel strong, I'm sure you can restock on groceries along the way. (or find someone to drive the sag wagon for you.).  
      You won't regret a trip all the way down from Jasper. ---jason brashear