The assumption that you need a car to see Canada is half true, and the half that is false is worth knowing about. The big cities are among the easiest in North America to explore on transit and on foot. Two coasts run ferry systems that are attractions in their own right. Intercity buses and trains connect the major corridors, and in the North, where there are no roads at all, flying is simply how people get around. A car-free trip demands a different shape of itinerary: fewer places, more time in each, and a willingness to let the connections set the pace.
The three big cities
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver all have transit systems good enough that a rental car is a liability rather than an asset. In Toronto, the subway, streetcars and buses run on a single tap-on fare card or contactless bank card, with a two-hour transfer window. A rail link reaches the airport in about twenty-five minutes. Montreal’s metro is fast and frequent, with four lines covering the island, and the city is the most bikeable in the country, with a large public bike-share system and separated lanes. Vancouver’s driverless rapid transit reaches the airport in half an hour and the suburbs in less, the buses are extensive, and the small passenger ferries across False Creek are a pleasure in themselves. All three cities sell day and multi-day passes that are cheaper than paying per ride if you are moving around a lot.
Ottawa, Quebec City, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Halifax all have workable bus systems and, in some cases, light rail, and their central areas are walkable. Fares are a few dollars a ride, and most systems accept contactless payment.
Intercity buses and trains
The densely populated corridor from Quebec City through Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto to the Windsor border is well served by both the national rail carrier and several intercity bus companies, with frequent departures and journey times competitive with driving. Trains are more comfortable and more expensive; buses are cheaper, and the low-cost operators sell seats for very little if booked early. Book ahead for both in summer and around holidays.
Outside that corridor, the picture thins. Bus services across the Prairies and through the mountains exist but are less frequent than they were a decade ago, and the routes have been reshaped several times as operators come and go. A few smaller regional lines and shuttle services connect airports and mountain towns to the resort areas, and some of them are excellent, but they must be booked and they do not run everywhere. Check the current schedule for any specific link rather than assuming it exists, and treat a single daily departure as a fixed appointment.
The west coast ferries
The provincial ferry system on the west coast connects the mainland to the large island offshore and to dozens of smaller islands and coastal communities. The big vessels on the main routes carry hundreds of vehicles and walk-on passengers, with cafeterias, lounges and outer decks, and the crossings through the islands are as scenic as any tour. Walk-on passengers rarely need a reservation, pay a fraction of the vehicle fare, and can connect to public buses on both sides on the main routes.
The catch for the car-free traveller is what happens at the other end. Terminals are often well outside town, and while the main routes have bus connections, the smaller islands do not, or have only a limited community bus. If you are heading to a small island without a car, plan how you will get from the dock to your bed, and consider bringing a bicycle, which travels on the ferry for a small fee.
Atlantic crossings
The Atlantic provinces have their own ferries: the main link to the island of Newfoundland is a long crossing, overnight on one route and most of a day on the other, with cabins and reclining seats. Shorter crossings connect the smaller island provinces and cross the bay between two of the mainland provinces, and a seasonal service links Nova Scotia with the northeastern United States. Walk-on fares are inexpensive and reservations are wise in summer on the longer routes. As on the west coast, arriving on foot works well where there is a town at the terminal and less well where there is not.
- Book cabins on the overnight crossings weeks ahead in summer; they sell out before the vehicle deck does.
- Bring food on the smaller ferries, which may have only a vending machine.
- Check the weather; crossings on the open Atlantic are cancelled in storms, sometimes for a day or more.
- Arrive early even as a walk-on; foot passengers board first but boarding closes before departure.
- Ask about foot-passenger shuttles at the terminal; some are run by the ferry company, others by taxi operators.
Flying in the North
North of the road network, and that is most of the country by area, the plane is the bus. Regional airlines serve the territorial capitals from the southern cities, and smaller carriers link the communities to each other in aircraft that may seat a dozen people. Fares are high, luggage limits are tight, weather delays are routine and a cancelled flight may be the only flight that day, so book ahead and travel light. Once in a northern town, most places are walkable, taxis exist, and tour operators generally pick up guests. A car is neither available nor useful in most communities beyond the road.
Where a car is unavoidable
Honesty requires saying where the car-free plan breaks down. The mountain national parks can be reached by bus and shuttle, and the main townsites have local transit and trailhead shuttles in season, but the scenic drives between them and the quieter trailheads are hard to reach without wheels. Much of the Prairies, the northern parts of the provinces, the interior of the west coast province and the rural Atlantic coast have no practical transit at all. A one-way rental for those segments, dropped at the next city, combined with transit and trains elsewhere, is often the best compromise, and it costs less than keeping a car for the whole trip.
Our own habit is to think of a Canada trip as a string of car-free bases, the cities and the towns with good connections, joined by the occasional short rental where the country demands it. It is slower and it takes more planning. It is also cheaper, calmer, and it puts you on the ferry deck, the train platform and the city sidewalk, which is where the country actually happens.