Almost everything in
Calgary, barring Stampede
locations and a few minor
diversions, is a comfortable
walk away - except in
winter, when temperatures
can make any excursion an
ordeal. The city's
much-vaunted
Plus 15
Walking System , a
labyrinthine network of
enclosed walkways 4.5m above
ground, is designed to beat
the freeze. It enables you
to walk through downtown
without setting foot
outside, but is too
confusing to bother with
when the weather's fine.
Calgary's public
transport system is
cheap, clean and efficient,
comprising an integrated
network of buses and the C-Train
(every 15 to 30min; no
late-night service) the
latter a cross between a bus
and a train, which is free
for its downtown stretch
along the length of 7th
Avenue SW between 10th
Street and City Hall at 3rd
Street SE. An on-board
announcement tells you when
the free section is coming
to an end. For route
information, call 276-7801.
Tickets , valid
for both buses and C-Train,
are available from machines
on C-Train stations, shops
with a Calgary Transit
sticker, and from the main
Information and Downtown
Sales Centre, also known as
the Calgary Transit
Customer Service Centre
, 240-7th Ave SW (Mon-Fri
8.30am-5pm), which also has
free schedules and route
planners. The one-way adult
fare is $1.60 (free for
under-6s, $1 for 6-14s),
day-pass $5 adults. You can
pay on the bus if you have
the exact change. Request a
transfer from the driver
(valid for 90min) if you're
changing buses. The sales
centre also provides
timetables and an invaluable
information line
(Mon-Fri 6am-11pm, Sat &
Sun 8am-9.30pm; tel
262-1000): tell them where
you are and where you want
to go, and they'll give you
the necessary details.
You can easily get a taxi
from outside the bus
terminal.
