Transportation in Manitoba

We get asked quite often whether it's possible to explore Manitoba without a car, and unfortunately, the answer is "NO" for the most part. Let us explain why.

In Winnipeg, there is a public transit system, but it only operates within the city and stops at the Perimeter Highway, which marks the city’s outer limit. Beyond that, public buses are not an option for traveling around the province.

However, there is Via Rail Canada, which operates trains to several Northern destinations. Via Rail travels to the following places in Manitoba:

• Dauphin

• Thompson

• Churchill (which is only accessible by train or flight, making Via Rail a crucial option for reaching this remote location)

While Via Rail can take you to some key Northern destinations, it doesn’t cover all the spots listed in the itineraries we provide in our Ultimate Guide to Northern Manitoba.

One travel hack we used when we had car issues was renting cars through the Uber app, which turned out to be super affordable. We managed to get rates of CAD $19-21 per day with unlimited mileage. So maybe give it a try next time!

Aside from traveling by car, flying is another viable option for exploring Northern Manitoba. Local airlines such as Calm Air and Frontiers North Adventures offer flights to several destinations in Northern Manitoba:

• Calm Air: Offers flights to places like Churchill, Gillam, Thompson, Flin Flon, The Pas and Winnipeg.

• Frontiers North Adventures: Primarily operates flights to Churchill, giving visitors easy access to the polar bear capital of the world.

In addition to Calm Air and Frontiers North Adventures, Bearskin Airlines also serves northern and central Manitoba, flying to destinations such as:

• Thompson

• The Pas

• Flin Flon

• Winnipeg

Just expect flights to be expensive if considering flying!

So, while public transit options are limited, you can get around Northern Manitoba via a combination of Via Rail, flights, and car rentals. Out of all of these options, our recommendation would be to rent a car!

Check out our Ultimate Guide to Northern Manitoba for tips on making the most of your road trip there!