This post was updated on February 1st, 2019.
The situation
On October 31st, 2018, Greyhound Canada cancelled all of its Canadian routes located west of Ontario. The familiar white and blue buses have stopped all service in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Northwestern Ontario, ending service beyond Sudbury.
The lone surviving route is between Vancouver and Seattle, which will still be offered by Greyhound. According to an article by the CBC, Greyhound points to a 41% decline of ridership since 2010 to explain this decision.
Busbud helps you find the best bus options in Western Canada
Over the last few months, Busbud has worked to find and integrate alternative bus operators serving Western Canada so that customers will still have access to affordable and sustainable bus travel on our website and app. We were able to bring you new bus options on the most popular routes in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Take a closer look at all our partners’ locations in Western Canada:
Greyhound bus alternatives for Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan
Our users already had other options than Greyhound Canada in Northern Ontario with Ontario Northland and in Alberta with Red Arrow and Ebus coverage. We have also partnered up with Cold Shot, who will also be offering extensive coverage throughout the province, giving our users the most bus options possible. On top of this Alberta coverage, we have also added a new carrier on the routes Calgary to Banff and Calgary to Canmore called Banff Airporter. For the folks heading to Jasper from Edmonton or Calgary, we have partnered with SunDog Tours to offer this scenic route on our website and mobile apps.
Greyhound’s departure created a void in cross-province departures. However, the bus company Rider Express, based out of Saskatchewan, has an extensive network of routes on the cross-province corridor between Edmonton, Saskatoon and Regina, with multiple stops in between in cities such as North Battleford, Davidson, Lloydminster and Vegreville
Bus company to replace Greyhound in Saskatchewan, available on Busbud:
Alberta (AB) bus companies alternates available on Busbud:
Greyhound bus alternatives for British Columbia
For our travellers to beautiful British Columbia as well as local folks, we’ve successfully replaced coverage on Vancouver to Squamish with Squamish Connector, offering multiple departure and arrival points in both cities. We have also added YVR Skylynx, Snowbus and Epic Rides on the popular Vancouver to Whistler route. With a pick-up point at the Vancouver YVR airport and direct connection to Whistler, the (arguably) best slopes in Canada are much closer than you think!
More good news is coming from Ebus, who has expanded its coverage in the wake of Greyhound’s decision and is now serving routes in British Columbia. Although the bulk of its routes are located in Alberta, Ebus has added Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Merritt, Vernon, Surrey and Coquitlam as notable destinations.
If you wish to travel between British Colombia and Alberta, Rider Express has another cross-province bus on the very popular route between Vancouver and Calgary. It is important to note that this bus only runs from Calgary to Vancouver on Fridays and from Vancouver to Calgary on Saturdays, so plan accordingly!
British Columbia (BC) bus companies alternatives on Busbud:
When will these operators be available?
All routes from these bus companies are already available on busbud.com. Adding more Canadian inventory as well as working closely with local operators to expand coverage on the ground is always one of Busbud’s top priority.
Rider Express will also add buses between Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna. We will keep you posted on the release of these new routes!
Coming next with the Greyhound cancellations
One issue following Greyhound’s decision is the lack of other alternatives in Canada’s prairie provinces and rural areas. We are working hard with local carriers to help them develop their network of routes to support Canadian customers in these areas.
Bus carriers such as Wilson transportation (British Columbia), and Tofino Bus (British Columbia) are also available to Canadians and international travellers.
Main alternatives to top Greyhound routes 🚌
Did you really think we wouldn’t let you reach your favourite destinations!? Here are the top routes that Busbud users will still be able to compare, search and book bus tickets for:
Rider Express from Saskatoon to Regina
Calgary to Banff with Banff Airporter
Calgary to Vancouver bus (departures on Fridays only)
Calgary to Fort McMurray by bus
Vancouver to Whistler alternative with YVR Skylynx
Kelowna to Vancouver with Ebus
Continue to travel by bus in Western Canada
The challenge for Busbud
Following Greyhound’s decision, Busbud has been working hard to continue to offer the most options to our Canadian and international travellers. As a proudly Canadian company, we have been dedicated to building and offering the largest intercity bus coverage in Canada on our platform. We’ve found ways to keep offering multiple city-to-city bus routes in Western Canada so that our customers can continue to have access to affordable and sustainable bus travel on our website and app, in 11 languages, multiple payment options as well as 30 currencies.
Marin Vallée, Director of Partnerships, comments on the challenge:
“The core value of Busbud is to allow travellers to find and compare every bus options available. After decades of service, Greyhound’s departure is creating a temporary gap on some routes in the Canadian market. But as more and more players are looking to take on new routes in the region, we are collaborating with them to help users reach their destination.”
Book your bus tickets for Canada or any of our other 80 countries on our website or mobile apps.