It’s surprisingly easy to get from the Calgary airport to downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Over the past few years the airport authority has allowed new transportation options to serve travelers, and the costs of existing transportation connections is lower than ever before.
Today, the options from getting from the Calgary airport to the city center include public city bus, taxi, ride-sharing app (like Uber) or your own car. The public bus, operated by Calgary Transit, is the most affordable option, while I think a taxi is the most convenient option (you rarely have to wait, you don’t have to worry about parking downtown and if you’re not used to winter driving you don’t have to worry about skidding off the road!).
Below, I’m going to explain all the different ways you get from the Calgary airport to downtown, along with photos showing the location of each within the airport. Hopefully this will help make your arrival in Calgary easy and stress-free!
When you land at the Calgary International Airport, you will be upstairs. To claim your baggage and leave the airport, follow the signs downstairs to the Arrivals level (shown above) where you will find the baggage claim area and transportation connections.
Need to stay overnight at the Calgary Airport? Check out my review of the only (truly!) in-terminal hotel at YYC!
How to Get to from Calgary Airport to Downtown by Bus
Good news! I was actually inspired to write this guide after my most recent trip to Calgary, where I noticed they had reduced the cost of taking the bus from Calgary Airport to the city center.
Previously, to take the bus from the Calgary Airport to downtown you had to purchase a special ticket for $8. However, in 2023 Calgary Transit cancelled that extra charge. Now, you just need to pay the regular fare to ride the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) #300 from the airport to the city center.
As of January 2025, a single ticket on Calgary Transit is $3.80, and a full-day pass is $11.95.
🚍 Day passes are valid until the end of bus and train service that day (not for 24 hours). Since it’s free to ride the light rail system in the city center, only purchase a full-day pass if you know you’ll be taking more rides outside of the center before you go to bed that night! 🚍
The instructions on the Calgary International Airport website are really confusing, so I don’t recommend following them. The bus stop is on the arrivals level, at the far right end of the hallway (if you’re inside the airport and looking out the doors to the outside).
You can walk inside the airport or on the wide sidewalk outside – head to Door 2. From there, cross at the crosswalk to bus bay #7. There, you’ll find two ticket machines where you can purchase a single ticket, or a one-day transit pass, to take the bus from the airport to downtown. Alternately, you can download the Calgary Transit app and buy your tickets in the app (instructions here).
If you don’t have a credit or debit card, you can also purchase a bus ticket inside the airport at one of the 7-11 convenience stores with Canadian cash.
To find the bus schedule, use the Calgary Transit website or Google Maps. Remember, you’re looking for Bus #300 and the direction is south (from the airport to the city center).
You’ll probably want to stay on the bus until the last stop, which is on 4th Avenue SW near 2nd Street SW. From here, it’s a five- to ten-minute walk to most of the hotels and attractions in downtown Calgary. The bus doesn’t get any closer to the Calgary Stampede, Calgary Tower or Calgary Olympic Plaza.
Calgary Transit buses from the airport to downtown run approximately every 30 minutes, from about 5:30 am to 11:30 pm.
Note: The photo above shows Bus #100 – this does not go downtown. Make sure you take #300!
How to Get from Calgary Airport to Downtown By Taxi
When the weather is cold (or you’re on a tight schedule) you might not want to wait for the bus from the Calgary Airport to downtown. In those situations, you might want to take a Calgary airport taxi.
There are three taxi queues on the arrivals level, at doors 1, 9 and 15. Most queues have someone there managing the lines of travelers and taxis. Just wait your turn and then get into the taxi that you’re assigned.
Calgary has strict rules for taxi drivers and you’re not likely to get ripped off. However, taxis can be fairly expensive. You can expect to pay at least $45 to take a taxi from the airport to the streets around the Calgary Tower.
Your driver will use the meter in the taxi, and Calgary bylaws require them to accept all advertised forms of payment (confirm that the card machine is working when you enter, but it’s not usually an issue), provide a receipt, and follow any specific route that is requested by the passenger.
Personally, I’ve never had a problem taking a taxi in Calgary, but when possible I choose Uber instead because it’s usually about $5-10 cheaper (as long as there’s no surge pricing).
How to Get from Calgary Airport to Downtown by Uber
The last time I compared taxi and Uber prices from the Calgary Airport I spent $41 on a taxi and $31 on an Uber (both prices including tax, before tip). So, if you’re an Uber user, you might want to choose ridesharing to get from the Calgary Airport to the city center.
In the past, Ubers picked up arriving passengers at the Calgary Airport’s departures level. That meant that after you arrived and had claimed your luggage, you had to take the stairs or elevator back up one level to departures and go to one of the designated doors upstairs.
However, on my most recent trip to Calgary, I noticed that the signage for Uber pickups had been moved downstairs to the arrivals floor. This was good news… except that most of the pick-up spots in the app were still listed as being upstairs! It was so confusing!
I have confirmed with the Calgary Airport Authority that as of 2024, Uber pick-up points have been moved to the downstairs arrival level (no matter what the app might show). The designated doors for ride-share pick-up are doors 3, 12 and 15 on the lower arrivals level. I recommend setting your pick-up point in the app as one of those doors, and then once a driver is selected, send them a quick message confirming where you are.
You can also use Lyft to get from the Calgary Airport to downtown. The pick-up points are the same as for Uber.
How to Get from Calgary Airport to Downtown by Car
There are lots of rental car services at the Calgary International Airport. I personally haven’t tried any, so I can’t make any recommendations on which company to use.
If you will be driving into town yourself, the trip will take 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic.
- As you leave the airport you’ll head west on Airport Trail NE, watching for signs to Deerfoot Trail South.
- Take Deerfoot Trail South to Memorial Drive West.
- Follow the signs to the 4th Avenue South ramp.
- Take 4th Avenue South into the city center.
- Most of the streets downtown are one-way, so use Google Maps or another GPS service to find the best route to your final destination.
If you’re driving, keep in mind that there is no vehicle traffic along 7th Avenue SW in the city center, as this street is for light rail trains only.
Also, most of 8th Avenue SW is closed to vehicles from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. This pedestrian area is called Stephen Avenue Walk.
Finally, the Canadian Pacific Railway passes through downtown Calgary, between 9th Avenue SW and 10th Avenue SW. There are limited north-south cross streets across the train tracks, and you may have to wait for a train to pass in order to get across.
Remember that Calgary winters can be very snowy, icy and cold. If you’re not an experienced winter driver, make sure your rental car has good snow tires and err on the side of caution as you drive. Keep right to let confident winter drivers pass you on the left.
Planning a trip to Calgary? Check out my guides to Calgary hotels and my new self-guided walking tour of downtown Calgary.
Stopping over at the Calgary International Airport? I also have full reviews of the two main airport lounges: the Maple Leaf Lounge by Air Canada and the Elevation Lounge by WestJet.
Planning a trip to Calgary? Pin this post for later!
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