How long from YVR arrival to check-in downtown?

I booked my air travel to Vancouver back in August and the airline just pushed my arrival time 10 hours later than my original schedule. I ended up cancelling and booking a new flight that arrives at 4:20 PM (my original flight was scheduled to arrive at 12:30 PM). I had been looking forward to doing a walking tour that evening but am worried now about how long it will take to get out of the airport, get to my hotel and get settled in, have time for dinner, and catch a tour around 8 PM. I'm thinking that it will just be too much of a rush after a long day of travel. I'm flying from Orlando, FL at 7:30 AM.

Can any of you help me estimate how long it would take on average, on a Saturday, if my plane touches down at 4:20 PM, to get my luggage and transfer to a downtown hotel on Robson St. (it's the Hampton Inn)? Are we talking an hour? Two hours? I don't have a transfer lined up and will probably just take a taxi (or Uber if it's available).

I just need to decide whether it makes sense to book a tour that night or just forget about it. TIA!

I booked my air travel to Vancouver back in August and the airline just pushed my arrival time 10 hours later than my original schedule. I ended up cancelling and booking a new flight that arrives at 4:20 PM (my original flight was scheduled to arrive at 12:30 PM). I had been looking forward to doing a walking tour that evening but am worried now about how long it will take to get out of the airport, get to my hotel and get settled in, have time for dinner, and catch a tour around 8 PM. I'm thinking that it will just be too much of a rush after a long day of travel. I'm flying from Orlando, FL at 7:30 AM.

Can any of you help me estimate how long it would take on average, on a Saturday, if my plane touches down at 4:20 PM, to get my luggage and transfer to a downtown hotel on Robson St. (it's the Hampton Inn)? Are we talking an hour? Two hours? I don't have a transfer lined up and will probably just take a taxi (or Uber if it's available).

I just need to decide whether it makes sense to book a tour that night or just forget about it. TIA!

Currently no Uber in Vancouver or anywhere in British Columbia . The taxi should take about 30 minutes downtown. Taxi's from the airport are fixed rate . The rate depends on where you are going in the area.

Depends how many other pax land about the same time for immigration; weekend afternoon I'd ballpark 20-30mins for it, but could be quite a bit more or less. 10mins walking through airport and getting into a cab. Taxi ride to the Hampton likely 30mins. So if you assume an hour, you probably won't be far off - an I'd be very, very surprised if you were not in your room unpacking by 6pm unless your flight ran late.

8pm tour is safe - and staying up until local time 10pm is a good way to acclimatize to the time change, so a tour that keeps you on your feet and paying attention to someone should definitely help with that. Depending where the tour is of (Gastown? Chinatown?) it might make sense to have dinner near where the tour start-point, but I wouldn't be concerned about your timing.

In general....

• 4:20pm wheels down
  
• 5pm catch cab for $31 (USD $24)
  
• 5:35pm arrive at Hampton Inn for check-in and luggage drop.
  
• 6pm.... ready for dinner or tours.... I recommend you plan your restaurant and reservations before arriving in Vancouver. 6pm can be busy for weekend restaurants.... especially if you are planning a night tour.
  
• I see you are arriving for an early June sailing.... there will be daylight until 9:30pm to welcome you into the city.
  
• warning.... the area around the hotel will be busy with the Atlanta United in town to meet the Whitecaps on Saturday night. This can introduce travel delays.
  
  

Which night tour are you planning?

Thanks everyone for the info - including information on the soccer crowds!

I love ghost/history tours -- there are a couple of Gastown options that include a 7:30 PM tour with Ghostly Vancouver and an 8 PM tour with Forbidden Vancouver. They're both under two hours long. I haven't booked either one yet. My cruise leaves on Monday so this is my only opportunity to do one of these tours.

The next day I'm doing a Granville Market Food Tour (with Vancouver Foodie Tours) starting at 10:30 AM, though, so I don't want to exhaust myself.

Good point about the soccer match - I'd definitely abandon any thoughts of dining around the hotel with it being so close to the stadium. Another good reason to get yourself over to Gastown to both dine and do your tour. Check what the refund policy is for both tours - if one of them will guarantee you being able to swap it to another night should your flight be late, that would make me choose that tour over t'other (while I've done Forbidden and enjoyed it despite the cheese - as in cheesey acting, rather than a food tour!) I haven't toured with Ghostly so can't fairly compare quality.

We have plenty of experience coping with a 3 hour timeshift - lived in Toronto and remain frequent visitors - so our general experience is you'll be tired around your normal bedtime, but if you force yourself to stay up doing things that keep you mentally alert until 10pm you'll sleep like a log, then spring awake still on the early side local time - 6am or so - and spend the next three hours bemoaning the fact that most Vancouver restos are lazy b*ggers that don't start serving breakfast until 9am!

Since your food tour starts very early for lunch, a big brekky won't be needed so I'd suggest an early, leisurely walk to Granville Island via a Timmies (the one on Davie at Howe involves the least detour from the shortest walk over Granville bridge - about 50mins/2.2miles - or head down towards Chinatown via the one at Pender & Abbott, then go eat your brekkie inside Dr Sun Yat-Sen park's gazebo before continuing on to the Seawall. Walking the whole way around to GI would be over 3 miles, but you can hop on a ferry at any of the stops aroudn the creek - maybe after checking out the Hinge Park Beavers which are much more active early). Ferries are available much closer if you don't fancy walking that much - but I figure someone signing up for two walking tours likes to walk!

Stay up until 10pm again and you'll be on PST proper when you wake up the next day.

Good point about the soccer match - I'd definitely abandon any thoughts of dining around the hotel with it being so close to the stadium. Another good reason to get yourself over to Gastown to both dine and do your tour. Check what the refund policy is for both tours - if one of them will guarantee you being able to swap it to another night should your flight be late, that would make me choose that tour over t'other (while I've done Forbidden and enjoyed it despite the cheese - as in cheesey acting, rather than a food tour!) I haven't toured with Ghostly so can't fairly compare quality.

 

We have plenty of experience coping with a 3 hour timeshift - lived in Toronto and remain frequent visitors - so our general experience is you'll be tired around your normal bedtime, but if you force yourself to stay up doing things that keep you mentally alert until 10pm you'll sleep like a log, then spring awake still on the early side local time - 6am or so - and spend the next three hours bemoaning the fact that most Vancouver restos are lazy b*ggers that don't start serving breakfast until 9am!

 

Since your food tour starts very early for lunch, a big brekky won't be needed so I'd suggest an early, leisurely walk to Granville Island via a Timmies (the one on Davie at Howe involves the least detour from the shortest walk over Granville bridge - about 50mins/2.2miles - or head down towards Chinatown via the one at Pender & Abbott, then go eat your brekkie inside Dr Sun Yat-Sen park's gazebo before continuing on to the Seawall. Walking the whole way around to GI would be over 3 miles, but you can hop on a ferry at any of the stops aroudn the creek - maybe after checking out the Hinge Park Beavers which are much more active early). Ferries are available much closer if you don't fancy walking that much - but I figure someone signing up for two walking tours likes to walk!

 

Stay up until 10pm again and you'll be on PST proper when you wake up the next day.

Thanks -- by "Timmies," do you mean Tim Horton's? I do need to check it out, but my hotel serves a free breakfast beginning at 6 AM so I'll probably eat there, at least the first morning.

I was planning to walk to the False Creek Ferry at David Lam Park- by my estimates it's about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. I do enjoy walking tours but don't want to exhaust myself before the morning tour even begins!

And thanks for the dining advice -- I'll look up some places in Gastown for dinner the first night.

To clarify.... the June 3 Atlanta Unitied FC match has a 2:30pm kickoff. It is NOT an evening game.

OhJinkies will be entering the downtown as the crowds will be exiting stadium and flooding the restaurants 'n streets.

It may be easier to dine at the airport restaurants and catch a 6pm cab to the hotel for luggage drop.

• 5pm dinner at airport
  
• 6:00pm cab to downtown
  
• 6:35 arrive at hotel for check-in and luggage drop
  
• 7pm depart hotel for ghost tour meet up. It's a 20 minute walk to the Waterfront Station meeting point.
  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ghostly-gastown-tour-tickets-30336096080
  
• 7:30pm evening tour
  

Thanks -- by "Timmies," do you mean Tim Horton's? I do need to check it out, but my hotel serves a free breakfast beginning at 6 AM so I'll probably eat there, at least the first morning.

I was planning to walk to the False Creek Ferry at David Lam Park- by my estimates it's about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. I do enjoy walking tours but don't want to exhaust myself before the morning tour even begins!

And thanks for the dining advice -- I'll look up some places in Gastown for dinner the first night.

Yes, Tim Hortons. It's illegal for visitors to leave Canada without trying a Double-Double and TimBits;-)

Hampton brekkies are usually decent though, so heading straight for the nearest ferry stop works - that's actually Plaza of Nations, next to the casino, rather than David Lam Park. If you walk straight up to the stadium and circle around it you'll find yourself with pedestrian bridges and ramps over the road and down to ground level that lead right to the casino grounds - the ferry dock is behind all the flagpoles, you'll see it from the bridge.

This is barely over half the distance walking compared to David Lam dock - Google, Bing etc. can't accurately map it because they ignore the pedestrian access across the plaza itself which shaves over a hundred yards off compared to going around the buildings. Lam is a shorter boat ride though, so it will cost you $2.50 less on the boat - and if you are up early, they start running to GI from here just after 7am while Plaza is after 8am. If you take a 'to go' brekky and get out really early, the Hornby dock is the first to start operating at 6:30am.

Oh, thank you for posting this question! We're also flying in on a Saturday at 420p (April 30th) and heading to the Hampton hotel. Answers a lot of questions I had.

Martincath - is that overpass across Pacific Blvd open - with the construction of new Casino/hotel complex adjacent to BC Place Stadium there are a lot of closures so I wonder if that is the best way to access the ferry at this time.

I know Gate H is the closest to that overpass and I am pretty sure it is closed off because of the construction.

They can still access the Plaza but would need to go down Smithe to Pacific and then into the Plaza.

Cheers!

Dennis

:):):)

They opened the stairs by F about a month ago Dennis - Google has even remapped their route around the stadium to reflect that you can get down on the stadium side of Pacific (which makes it all the more bemusing that they won't add 'walkability' to the area around the plaza). June 3rd may be too early for the whole area around the stadium to be fully reopened to pedestrians, but worst-case they'll still be high enough to see over Pacific to the plaza before coming down the stairs near F or C if the shorter walk is enticing.

Edit - just checked and both overpasses are open. Looks like Gate F remains closed though, so circling the stadium alphabetically (turn left from Robson, passing gates A, B, C etc in order) is still needed to avoid the construction.

Thanks for the update - feeling a little under the weather today otherwise I would have taken a walk down there myself.

Even though I spent the weekend at BC Place with the rugby sevens event I don't go that way as we use the east gate entrance for volunteers etc.

Cheers!

Dennis

:):):)

Wow -- thank you so much to xlxo, martincath, and UrbanTrekker!! I feel so lucky to get some advice from locals!

Martincath, I totally did not see that other ferry stop when I first looked on the map, so thanks for catching that and finding me a shortcut!

Xlxo, thanks for the advice about eating at the airport -- that may save me from post-game traffic! Would you say that most of the people who attend these games drive/park, or use local transit?

Can't wait to see Vancouver for a couple of days before my cruise.

Much thanks to you all!! (and Dennis -- I hope you feel better soon!)

Many take the transit system. Parking is expensive in downtown .

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When 30,000 soccer fans exit a stadium 2 blocks from your hotel.... sidewalks to transit and parking lots are flooded for 15 to 30 minutes. It's not pleasant waiting in a cab, or dragging your luggage from the subway and competing with the fans at restaurants. While you are going in the opposite direction of the crowd flood, it's simpler to delay your arrival by an hour by having your meal at the airport.

The Vancouver airport prides itself with restaurant selection, as well as the budget food court.

http://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/shop-dine-and-services

While I'd personally rather avoid an airport meal even at YVR, it would be a practical option at that time of day.

To answer your query OhJinkies, the vast majority of fans walk or transit - parking isn't just pricey but there simply aren't enough parking spots close enough to the stadium for even the restricted number of soccer fans (22,120 max capacity in the Soccer configuration).

15,000 of these are season ticket holders, and many of those members of local supporters clubs who do their dining en masse in their home turf in the eastern & southern 'burbs - which makes it much easier to move around and eat than on concert evenings or BC Lions CFL home game days, as they all know the drill and get out of the stadium area quickly and efficiently (without significant injury time, a league match kicking off at 2:30 will be finished by 4:30pm).

Still - it will be busy in the area around your hotel with opposing fans and some of the locals hanging around to eat, so the advice to avoid dining nearby stands even if most of the crowds will actually be inside restos or on transit by the time you're arriving at the hotel.

I feel like maybe I'm stepping beyond the normal level of asking for advice, but I'm hoping that those of you familiar with the airport can help me.

My trip is going to be two weeks in duration, so I will have one checked bag, as well as a carry-on. I will need to retrieve my bag from baggage claim before it disappears. Is the main terminal (where I can get something to eat) accessible once I pick up my bag?

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If you are from the USA, you retrieve your bags after going through customs.

Grab your bags before going to your airport restaurant. It's normal to have luggage when dining at the airport.

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I feel like maybe I'm stepping beyond the normal level of asking for advice, but I'm hoping that those of you familiar with the airport can help me.

My trip is going to be two weeks in duration, so I will have one checked bag, as well as a carry-on. I will need to retrieve my bag from baggage claim before it disappears. Is the main terminal (where I can get something to eat) accessible once I pick up my bag?

 

 

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If you are coming in from the US or any international flight you'll have to carry your bags from the Canadian area. There is short term baggage storage on the departures level ( don't know the price). If a domestic flight you'll still have take your luggage from the baggage carousel area. You can also use the short term storage on the departures level.

Most resto's in the airport have room near your table or near the entrance to store your bags. It is recommended that you keep your bags close to your table.

If you go to the Fairmont they will hold your bags will you have bit to eat in the resto.

I love ghost/history tours -- there are a couple of Gastown options that include a 7:30 PM tour with Ghostly Vancouver and an 8 PM tour with Forbidden Vancouver.

http://www.ghostsofvancouver.com/haunted-locations/old-spaghetti-factory/

I'll others comment on the food.

Thanks for the airport advice -- I just wanted to make sure I can go back into the terminal after I clear customs.

xlxo - I probably won't be able to do the Spaghetti Factory for dinner (that would have worked out well if I wasn't trying to avoid the post-game traffic by eating at the airport). That leaves me with Sunday night to get some dinner. But maybe the ghost tour will stop by there!!

How about something radical -- what if I changed my hotel? I'm thinking of something in the Gastown area (convenient for dinner and ghost tour) and the Skwachays Lodge seems to have good reviews and rates. Would the post-game traffic be any better getting there from the airport?

Not familar with that hotel... the Delta is what I would suggest as an alternative.

One block from your tour meet and two blocks from gastown. 5 blocks from cruise terminal.

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Price comparison June 3, in USD on booking.com for double occupancy.

• $216 Skwachay's Lodge
  
• $283 Hampton Inn
  
• $502 Delta
  

OK.... drop my suggestion for the Delta. Not fan of the Skwachay's neighborhood.

Other ideas...

• $218 Days Inn » check reviews for potential problems
  
• $223 Holiday Inn downtown
  
• $224 Empire Landmark
  
• $231 Blue Horizon » Popular forum fav for value travelers
  
• $261 Carmana Plaza
  
• $295 Auberge » 3 blocks from cruise terminal and 5 blocks from your evening tour meeting point.
  
• $310 Sutton Place
  

I recommend switching to Auberge to be close to Gastown and cruise terminal. Blue Horizon to get away from the stadium traffic while saving money.