Customs at Amtrak station in Vancouver, BC

[ELWmusic1]

What is the customs process like at the Amtrak station in Vancouver, BC. About how long does it take.

 

We are arriving by train from Seattle. The train arrives in Vancouver at 11:30 AM and the ship departs from Canada Place at 4:30 PM. Will this be enough time to go through customs (twice, US at the port and Canada at the train station)? We plan on taking light rail between the station and port.

[zephyr17]

I take this train frequently to Vancouver.

 

CBSA customs and immigration inspection takes place on arrival at Pacific Central Station.

 

When you arrive, they will ask you to remain on the train until your car is called. First they unload all the baggage and place it on the platform. Then, when your car is called, you detrain, walk up the platform, find your luggage and proceed to customs. Most of the time, the Canadian border inspectors are quick and efficient, asking the normal questions (reason for trip, etc). Once you get to the head of the line, the actual encounter with the agent seldom will take more than 3 minutes.

 

Business Class passengers are called first.

 

I typically don't ride Business Class going north into Vancouver, and have sometimes been on the last car called. Even so, I can't remember a time when I wasn't through customs and on the street in Vancouver within 30 minutes of arrival.

 

The Skytrain between the Main Street/Science World station by the train station and Waterfront station by Canada place takes about 7 minutes and the trains run very frequently. All inbound trains from Main Street go to Waterfront, so you can take any train.

 

You'll have plenty of time and many cruisers do this with no problems.

 

One thing I remind everyone is that Canada can refuse entry to anyone who has had a DUI. CBSA does have real-time access to the FBI database for criminal records, and they will find it. They have lightened up recently and if there is only a one DUI conviction and no other activity, the officer can admit you with a Temporary Resident Permit (and waive the 200 CAD fee). However, note that granting this is at the officer's discretion and will likely take considerably more time.

[ELWmusic1]

Thanks a lot! We will be in business class (it wasn't but a few bucks extra to upgrade) so I definitely should have no problem getting to the ship on time. We should not have any problems with customs because we have no criminal records.

 

It almost seems absurd to have to pass through customs when we will only be in the country for a couple of hours. Heck, it might only be an hour between Canadian customs and back through US customs. There should be some sort of escorted customs free service for people going directly to the cruise ship port. I would think that also might save money. IDK, just my two cents.

[tulsacubfan]

Thanks a lot! We will be in business class (it wasn't but a few bucks extra to upgrade) so I definitely should have no problem getting to the ship on time. We should not have any problems with customs because we have no criminal records.

 

It almost seems absurd to have to pass through customs when we will only be in the country for a couple of hours. Heck, it might only be an hour between Canadian customs and back through US customs. There should be some sort of escorted customs free service for people going directly to the cruise ship port. I would think that also might save money. IDK, just my two cents.

 

Somewhere I think I read there is this service if you are going to/from the airport..... I could be wrong and someone will correct me if I am....

[Putterdude]

Somewhere I think I read there is this service if you are going to/from the airport..... I could be wrong and someone will correct me if I am....

 

There was such a service from YVR to Canada Place and the reverse and it was called "US Direct". For a variety of reasons the program ended after the 2010 cruise season but it never did operate from the train station.

[Putterdude]

It almost seems absurd to have to pass through customs when we will only be in the country for a couple of hours.

 

Gosh what a great idea, free entry in a another country....I think all Canadians who go 15 minutes down to Bellingham, WA to shop or two minutes to Blaine, WA to purchase gas should not have to go thru US customs after all they will be coming back through Canadian customs in just a couple of hours. I mean why would US customs care who enters the country just for a couple of hours.:rolleyes:...I won't hold my breath.

[zephyr17]

PS - one note on the Main Street Skytrain station. Facing the train station on the eastern end of the Skytrain station there is a set of stairs up to the platform. That is the obvious entrance but it isn't the only entrance. If you have luggage, instead of going up those stairs, cross Main Street at the light proceed under/beside the station and there is an elevator.

 

The Skytrain ticket machines take major credit cards and Canadian currency.

 

Cabs will also be available at Pacific Central Station if you decide you don't want to bother with luggage on the Skytrain.

[martincath]

Zephyr - due to station renovations the staircase on the east side of Main has been completely removed. I believe it is going to be rebuilt, probably even closer to Pacific Central as they're lengthening the platform, and they're also adding escalators and elevators to the east side.

 

It's supposed to reopen this Fall, after which the west side gets shut down for upgrades. Everything should be new & shiny by Summer 2014. The station will remain open throughout, although over the winter there'll be some teeny-tiny 2 car trains for 4 months - no impact on cruise season, so only us lucky locals should be impacted...

 

And of course it will all be done on time and under budget;)

[zephyr17]

Thanks for the update Martin, haven't been up in about a year and have been using those stairs for a long time. It sounds like it will be a big improvement once it is finished!

[scottbee]

Thanks for the update Martin, haven't been up in about a year and have been using those stairs for a long time. It sounds like it will be a big improvement once it is finished!

 

MartinCath beat me to it, but there's always been escalators and elevators on the far side of Main Street. Also, there's a little shop there that sells faresavers if you're looking to buy a pack of 10 transit tickets, which offers a good deal vs individual tickets.

[scottbee]

Thanks a lot! We will be in business class (it wasn't but a few bucks extra to upgrade) so I definitely should have no problem getting to the ship on time. We should not have any problems with customs because we have no criminal records.

 

It almost seems absurd to have to pass through customs when we will only be in the country for a couple of hours. Heck, it might only be an hour between Canadian customs and back through US customs. There should be some sort of escorted customs free service for people going directly to the cruise ship port. I would think that also might save money. IDK, just my two cents.

 

Such a program did exist for YVR-Canada Place, but it was cost prohibitive to maintain a sealed bus and the security protocol required around that.

 

A lot of things are absurd, but remember most of the 'enhancements' along the US-Canada border have been at the USA's request. For example the only reason you need a US Passport to enter Canada is because you need it to re-enter the USA (and Canada won't let you in w/o the right paperwork to go home).

[Putterdude]

A FareSaver book of 10 single zone tickets costs $21. A single cash fare from Main St. station to Waterfront station is $2.75 pp or $5.50 per couple or $11 return .... even less if you are a senior....so I would do my math before rushing to purchase a book of tickets. The value lies in using them for traveling more on transit.

 

I am not at all certain that the "US Direct" was cost prohibitive, an official at the Metroport of Vancouver explained to me that the airport, YVR, wanted to charge the cruise lines a $5 pp fee and the cruise lines balked.

[tulsacubfan]

There was such a service from YVR to Canada Place and the reverse and it was called "US Direct". For a variety of reasons the program ended after the 2010 cruise season but it never did operate from the train station.

 

I thought I remembered that from somewhere! And now I know it has ended. Thanks much!!!

[martincath]

MartinCath beat me to it, but there's always been escalators and elevators on the far side of Main Street. Also, there's a little shop there that sells faresavers if you're looking to buy a pack of 10 transit tickets, which offers a good deal vs individual tickets.

Have you ever actually managed to buy Faresavers here SB!? Literally every time I go in - and that's every time I need a new book, it's the closest place to home for me to buy them - they have "... just run out, come back tomorrow..." So far it's been eighteen months, a dozen visits, never in stock...

[ELWmusic1]

Gosh what a great idea, free entry in a another country....I think all Canadians who go 15 minutes down to Bellingham, WA to shop or two minutes to Blaine, WA to purchase gas should not have to go thru US customs after all they will be coming back through Canadian customs in just a couple of hours. I mean why would US customs care who enters the country just for a couple of hours.:rolleyes:...I won't hold my breath.

 

Wow....totally not where I was going. I said an escorted for people going directly to the port from some entrance point near Vancouver (like the airport, train station, or direct bus). They would go directly from the entrance point to the exit point, no passing go, no collecting 200 bucks. Basically from custom point to custom point. If you wanted to make a stop in Canada like to shop or sight see then you would still have to go through normal channels.

 

But all this is a moot point as it looks like it use to exist and was cancelled for some reason.

[scottbee]

Have you ever actually managed to buy Faresavers here SB!? Literally every time I go in - and that's every time I need a new book, it's the closest place to home for me to buy them - they have "... just run out, come back tomorrow..." So far it's been eighteen months, a dozen visits, never in stock...

 

No I haven't bought tickets there. Occasionally I'll stop at Main and go to the credit union if I need to do something I can't do online (generally US currency)

 

I did a little read of the station reconstruction info, and it they're going to add to the east side entrance (closest to pacific station) escalators and elevators though, which should help people coming from the Amtrak train/bus