Greyhound (403/265-9111 or 800/661-8747, www.greyhound.ca) bus routes radiate from Calgary and Edmonton to points throughout the province, although word in 2009 was that many smaller towns across Alberta were looking at reduced service in the future. The only downside to travel by Greyhound is that in larger centers, bus depots are often in seedy parts of town. Many depots have cafeterias, some have lockers, but none of them remain open all night.

Red Arrow (780/424-3339 or 800/232-1958, www.redarrow.ca) operates a more luxurious service that connects Calgary and Edmonton five to seven times daily, continuing twice daily to the oil-sands city of Fort McMurray. All Red Arrow buses are equipped with fold-down tables, a row of single seats on one side of the bus, laptop plug-ins, and a range of complimentary refreshments.

Brewster (403/221-8242, www.brewster.ca) provides coach service between Calgary and Banff and Jasper National Parks. Brewster’s advantage over Greyhound is that its service departs from Calgary International Airport and major Calgary hotels.