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Getting a family of 5 from the airport to downtown


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What's the easiest, economical way to get a family of 5 from the airport to the Hampton downtown? My understanding is that cabs hold a max of 4. I trying to figure out if we go two cabs or some other option.

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OP, from your post history I'm guessing you mean in Vancouver for your upcoming Zaandam cruise, so it's YVR to the downtown Hampton Inn (airport Hampton has a free shuttle to/from YVR).

 

Most economical, and quite feasible if everyone can handle rolling/carrying their own bags, is SkyTrain. From the airport to City Centre station, then an easy, slightly-downhill walk to the Hampton Inn. Cost would be $6.75pp (Seniors/<14kids if you're arriving Offpeak - weekends or weekday evenings) to $9.75pp (regular adult peak fare) for a total of approx. $34-48.

 

Two cabs would be required - while minivan cabs all seat 5 or 6, all seats above 4 are in the trunk which means no room for luggage. Unless you all travel incredibly light - as in one small bag each - that's just not going to work. Cabs to HI downtown are fixed rate of $31+tip, so at least $62 even if you stiff the drivers. A limo that would fit 5 +bags would cost very slightly more than this - it's $61+5% tax for a 6pax SUV, and they'd expect the same tip as a cabbie of ~15%.

 

You can pay all of the above with a credit card so unless you're in-town for a few days, CAD cash won't be required.

Edited by martincath
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Another option..... one cab with at least one passenger to haul everything. Others can use subway.

 

Otherwise, I like the idea of two cabs for door to door service. Not pleasant doing a half mile luggage drag.... especially on a hot summer day.

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If you have one normal check-in luggage and a carry-on for each person, a mini-van taxi (e.g., Toyota Sienna) should be good enough for 5 persons. Our group of 6 can get in a Sienna taxi with all of our big luggage. Of course, one check-in luggage got to be placed in the second row middle. Just talk to the dispatcher at the airport and they will call the van taxi for you.

 

 

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^CL88, was this something you've actually done at YVR or are you talking from experience in Ottawa/elsewhere? I ask because while there may be a handful out there among the approx 120 minivan cabs in the area that have a bench seat and two swivel chairs among their 6pax vehicles I've never seen or heard of a 7pax cab which is what a two-bench-seats configuration would offer, so I'm 98% confident that there's no such animal around Vancouver.

 

While I can't claim to have seen every cab in the city, literally every minivan cab I've seen is configured for wheelchair transportation here. This was forced on them legislatively - to keep a minimum ~17% of wheelchair-accessible vehicles - and since they cost more to run than the Prius' used for virtually all 'regular' cabs but they cannot charge extra fare, all local cab firms maintain no more than they have to in their fleets to meet the accessibility laws.

 

Local minivan configuration is usually a single bench seat for 3 in back and a front passenger seat, plus 1 or 2 fold-down jumpseats in the rear luggage/wheelchair area. There's no second row of seating that I've ever seen - instead it's a very generous trunk area with lowered floor and ramps so that a full-size motorized chair can fit in without being taken apart. Legroom in the rear seats is also more generous than normal, but not so much you'd want to be stacking large suitcases in there. Hence the consistent recommendation from locals that with typical cruise luggage, even minivans can only handle 4 pax.

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Sorry about that.

Original poster here-

 

We are flying into YVR and need to get to the downtown Hampton. Two adults and three kids between 8-13.

 

For luggage, I'm thinking we will have two checked bag, one carry on and then everyone's personal item. Arriving in July with a two night stay before boarding the cruise.

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^Exactly. Limos have a mandatory $50 Meet & Greet fee and the flat fares technically only apply for walkups not prebooks so even Aerocar may charge you full rate of min $90. However, even if you did this, since your driver has to meet you inside then go get his car from the car park (not allowed to wait in the queue, that's for unreserved cars only) it's usually *slower* to make a reso than to just walk out and get in the next car.

 

Cabs - you can book for specific time but they also aren't allowed to wait at the terminal for you, so if your flight was delayed you'd be hooped. Not even sure a local cab company would accept a booking for pickup at YVR to be honest.

 

With 2 adults and the modest number of bags you describe, a wheelchair minivan may actually work for you all. Someone would have to sit in a jumpseat in the rear, but two large bags stacked on each other in the other half of the trunk and smaller bags on top and inside the rear seating area should all fit. NB: that I have no idea if kids are allowed to sit in the jumpseats - as professionals cabbies and limo drivers don't need to fit car seat fir your 8 year old, but they won't be allowed up-front and perhaps not in the trunk - so adults may need to be in front and rearmost, with the 3 kids sharing the bench rear seat.

 

Personally with such modest baggage that makes me even more inclined to take Skytrain - kids tend to love the thrill of 'driving the train' as they are automated so you can sit literally right at the front looking out the windshield. Since YVR is a terminus, nobody else will already be onboard and it's trivial to find seats together - stand at the furthest-away-from-the-terminal-building end of the platform to be first in line for the front seats.

Edited by martincath
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I am talking about our experience in Ottawa and Toronto. Since our group has 6 people, our friend called the taxi cab and asked if they have taxi that can accommodate 6 of us. The response was that we can reserve a cargo van that can accommodate all of us and our luggage. But on the day of departure, a taxi van came to pick us up instead of a cargo van. The taxi driver has experience and told us he can try to see if he can squeeze us all in. Amazing that he managed to put 6 checked luggage and 2 carry-on luggage in the van. One passenger sat beside the driver seat, two of us in the second row and 3 in the back seat row. However, the driver put a checked luggage in the second row (space was there).

 

When we came back the ottawa airport, we talked to the dispatcher that we needed a taxi van. The dispatcher made a call and the taxi van came from somewhere. It was a Toyota Sienna. This van was bigger than the previous van on our departure day. The trunk had a concave compartment and can fit more checked luggage. Again, the driver needed to put one checked luggage in the second row's space.

 

In the original plan, we thought we needed to call for two taxi. Good that our friend called the taxi company and was advised of the solution. So, you may want to call the taxi company in advance and see what they will say. It doesn't hurt to call to inquire.

 

 

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Sorry about that.

Original poster here-

 

We are flying into YVR and need to get to the downtown Hampton. Two adults and three kids between 8-13.

 

For luggage, I'm thinking we will have two checked bag, one carry on and then everyone's personal item. Arriving in July with a two night stay before boarding the cruise.

 

 

We have the Sky Train - specifically the "Canada Line".... part of our rapid transit system and was erected in 2010 when we hosted the winter Olympics to get people downtown easily. It will take about 30 minutes from the airport to get to downtown Vancouver. It will cost you about $10 CAD a person (kids might be less, I have cats lol) Runs every few minutes. Super super easy and safe.

 

http://www.translink.ca/en/Schedules-and-Maps/SkyTrain/SkyTrain-Schedules/Canada-Line.aspx

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We have the Sky Train - specifically the "Canada Line".... part of our rapid transit system and was erected in 2010 when we hosted the winter Olympics to get people downtown easily. It will take about 30 minutes from the airport to get to downtown Vancouver. It will cost you about $10 CAD a person (kids might be less, I have cats lol) Runs every few minutes. Super super easy and safe.

 

 

 

http://www.translink.ca/en/Schedules-and-Maps/SkyTrain/SkyTrain-Schedules/Canada-Line.aspx

 

 

We are probably going to take the train from the Airport to the Waterfront. Then we need to walk to the Pan Pacific, is this a flat walk, up hill or down hill.

I don't have a problem lugging my 2 bags as long as we really are only talking 2 blocks and not up Hill [emoji15]

 

 

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We are probably going to take the train from the Airport to the Waterfront. Then we need to walk to the Pan Pacific, is this a flat walk, up hill or down hill.

I don't have a problem lugging my 2 bags as long as we really are only talking 2 blocks and not up Hill [emoji15]

 

 

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Flat and super close, less than 2 blocks for sure. There usually is lots of Translink Staff (that's the name of our transit program) there at Waterfront and will direct you to the easiest exit to get to the Pan Pacific too :)

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Flat and super close, less than 2 blocks for sure. There usually is lots of Translink Staff (that's the name of our transit program) there at Waterfront and will direct you to the easiest exit to get to the Pan Pacific too :)

Thank you! It just seems a super easy way to avoid the long lines for Taxis and walk right to the train. Maybe this will give me extra motivation to pack lighter :rolleyes:

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Thoughts....

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Thoughts....

 

 

There is also a way that you don't even have to go outside through WaterFront Centre Food Court through the Waterfront station and will take you right out at the hotel.

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We are probably going to take the train from the Airport to the Waterfront. Then we need to walk to the Pan Pacific, is this a flat walk, up hill or down hill.

I don't have a problem lugging my 2 bags as long as we really are only talking 2 blocks and not up Hill [emoji15]

Since there's no standard definition of a block, actual walking distance is much more useful. Going the easy way - head up into station, exit onto Cordova, walk up the slope in xlxo's picture link above and turn right onto Howe - it's ~330 yards.

 

 

While you can get from the Canada Line platform underground to PP via the food court over the road, or to the closer exit on Howe, frankly it's a hassle with multiple changes of level required and signage is less-than-stellar. It's quicker and easier to just head to the surface right away and walk on the sidewalks - unless it was a torrential downpour I'd keep it simple and do that, especially for a first-timer.

 

 

I've also never actually seen a single Translink employee hanging around in any SkyTrain station ever - with automated trains and ticket machines there's not much for them to do that isn't behind-the-scenes - so don't depend on being able to find a staff member to help. Maybe there'll be someone fixing a ticket machine but if in doubt just ask anyone who isn't wheeling a huge suitcase as they'll probably be locals and we're generally a helpful bunch.

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I've also never actually seen a single Translink employee hanging around in any SkyTrain station ever - with automated trains and ticket machines there's not much for them to do that isn't behind-the-scenes - so don't depend on being able to find a staff member to help. Maybe there'll be someone fixing a ticket machine but if in doubt just ask anyone who isn't wheeling a huge suitcase as they'll probably be locals and we're generally a helpful bunch.

 

 

I take Skytrain twice a day from Waterfront Station to Stadium and back to Canada Place, and the Skytrain staff are always there on the platforms.

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I take Skytrain twice a day from Waterfront Station to Stadium and back to Canada Place, and the Skytrain staff are always there on the platforms.

Since I avoid taking SkyTrain during rush hour I'll bow to your experience of the platform staffing in those time periods.

 

 

But seriously - your daily commute is between stations so close to each other that you could walk between them in ~10 minutes? That seems like a rather strange choice for a Vancouver resident...

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Since I avoid taking SkyTrain during rush hour I'll bow to your experience of the platform staffing in those time periods.

 

 

But seriously - your daily commute is between stations so close to each other that you could walk between them in ~10 minutes? That seems like a rather strange choice for a Vancouver resident...

 

All about timing to make the West Coast Express

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Since I avoid taking SkyTrain during rush hour I'll bow to your experience of the platform staffing in those time periods.

 

 

But seriously - your daily commute is between stations so close to each other that you could walk between them in ~10 minutes? That seems like a rather strange choice for a Vancouver resident...

 

 

You'd be shocked how many people get off the West Coast Express at Waterfront and take it 1 stop to Burrard!!! LOL

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All about timing to make the West Coast Express

 

That makes more sense - I was confused by you giving Vancouver as your location in your profile. Now I know you're commuting in from way out of town on WCE it makes perfect sense why you'd be very familiar with the underground area around Waterfront, but woolly on SkyTrain pricing; your monthly pass includes access to Translink so you never have to buy those tix separately.

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That makes more sense - I was confused by you giving Vancouver as your location in your profile. Now I know you're commuting in from way out of town on WCE it makes perfect sense why you'd be very familiar with the underground area around Waterfront, but woolly on SkyTrain pricing; your monthly pass includes access to Translink so you never have to buy those tix separately.

 

Totally, which is why sooooo many people take Skytrain even one stop from Waterfront to their offices, I still walk about 15 minutes to my office from Stadium so it's for sure convenient to take it the 3 stops and make sure you don't miss that WCE

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  • 4 weeks later...

We will be staying at the YWCA Hotel prior to our upcoming cruise. If we take the Canada Line to downtown, we would then transfer to the Expo Line and get off at Stadium-Chinatown.

 

Our flight doesn't get into Vancouver until 7:00 P.M. Knowing it will take us some time to get through customs and to get to the train, thinking we might not be at our final stop to depart the train before 8:30 - 9:00 P.M. How safe would we be at our final stop and walk to the YWCA. Would taking a taxi be a better choice?

 

Our concern is that we will both have one large suitcase and a carry on or backpack. We wouldn't be as mobile as we might be without all of this. Thanks for any light anyone might shed on this plan.

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