vancouver skytrain

[joan 880]

We are a party of 7. Is it correct that we can purchase a 10-ticket booklet at the Pharma

shop in the Domestic terminal at the airport for $31 to go to Canada Place and avoid paying

the additional $5 each airport tariff? We are joining a cruise ship. thanks for your reply--it is all very confusing.

[UPGrandma]

Can't answer your question, but search within this "Canada forum" for "transportation". Have you considered a limo service ( some have large vans that could handle all the luggage) that might be cheaper than the tickets.

[martincath]

Yes, both the pharmacy and 7-11 should have books of FareSaver tickets (though Two Zone tickets are $31.50 a pack).

 

You can buy the cheaper One Zone tickets for $21 if you are arriving offpeak (weekends & holidays all day - also weekday evenings but if you're flying in on the day you cruise this won't be relevant). If you are arriving on a weekday, ask for Two Zone FareSavers.

 

To use, simply tear a ticket out of the booklet for each passenger then insert them in the fare authorisation box before crossing the striped line onto the platform (it should be really obvious, much smaller than the large ticket-selling machines). The ticket will spit back out with a Valid Until date/time stamped on it.

 

And limos will most definitely NOT be cheaper - an 8-pax limo, which might not even handle your luggage if it's extensive, would run you over three times the price of the 2 zone faresaver pack...

[joan 880]

Thank you Martin Cath for your complete answer. can we use the remaining 3 tickets from the 10-pack tickets on our return to the airport a week later?

[martincath]

Thank you Martin Cath for your complete answer. can we use the remaining 3 tickets from the 10-pack tickets on our return to the airport a week later?

Yes you may - there is no expiry date. We are changing ticket systems to a reloadable card setup, but that's been delayed and delayed. With seven of you unless you plan to use transit for sightseeing, it will be cheaper to keep the three leftovers and just pay 'cash' fare (NB: machines accept credit & debit!) for the other 4 in your party to return to YVR - since the airport surcharge only applies on inbound trips, the cash fare will be regular price ($4 peak, $2.75 offpeak).

 

If most/all of your party are Seniors (65+ with proof of age - as you're flying in you obviously have passports which are acceptable) there are concession fares to complicate matters - if you are both arriving and departing offpeak (i.e. it's a weekend-to-weekend cruise) then it may be worth getting Concession FareSavers. They're just $17.50 for 10, but are ONLY available for One Zone - you can add extra $1 per ticket to upgrade them to 2 zone for peak travel but it might start getting overcomplicated for you at that point for very small savings...

Edited July 11, 2014 by martincath

[joan 880]

Thank you Martin Cath for your complete answer. can we use the remaining 3 tickets from the 10-pack tickets on our return to the airport a week later?

[joan 880]

Unfortunately, we are traveling on a Friday at 10 am so I guess that counts are primetime. Two of the 7 are seniors so I guess just getting a regular booklet would be

the best. Since you seem to know the skytrain so well--my daughter is going down to

Seattle after the cruise by bus. Can she get to the bus station by sky train? what stop

does she get off? Thanks, Martin

[martincath]

Unfortunately, we are traveling on a Friday at 10 am so I guess that counts are primetime. Two of the 7 are seniors so I guess just getting a regular booklet would be

the best. Since you seem to know the skytrain so well--my daughter is going down to

Seattle after the cruise by bus. Can she get to the bus station by sky train? what stop

does she get off? Thanks, Martin

Just make sure it's the seniors who pay for 2 of the cash fares on the way back out to YVR - at least you'll save a little cash that way ($2.75 for a Peak 2 zone Concession fare vs. $4 for a non-concession ticket). Buying a Senior pack would indeed be a waste as only 4 of them would get used.

 

Your daughter certainly can use Skytrain to get to the bus station, but she has to use a different line. The rest of you want the Canada Line, which runs YVR-Downtown (on the way back check the electronic boards - half the trains go to YVR and half branch off into Richmond. If the next train does not say YVR, you'll only have to wait 2-3 minutes for one that does).

 

Your daughter wants the Millennium or Expo line - they share track well beyond her stop - to Main Street/Science World station. It's an elevated station, so she'll be able to see her destination - Pacific Central Station - just across the park. There is now an escalator and elevator on the park side of the platform, so she won't even need to cross the street below.

 

One caveat - the M/E lines were designed for commuters, not travelers. While the carriages on the Canada Line have lots of space for suitcases, the other lines do not. She'll be going the opposite direction to commuters if she heads over to Pacific Central right from the ship so there should be plenty of space to wheel her bags in without annoying people.

 

However if she's going to spend the day in Vancouver then get a late bus I'd suggest she takes her bags over to Pacific Central early and stores them there instead of at the pier, to avoid bringing baggage onto the train when it's busy. Pacific Central is also the Amtrak & VIA Rail station, so they have reasonable hours for bag storage (and it's a little cheaper than Priority Baggage at Canada Place too at c.$5 a bag unless it changed recently).

 

Since she only needs a One Zone fare to get to Main Street, have her pay cash too to maximise value on your remaining FareSavers!

 

Whoops - edited to add that you will all be boarding Skytrain in the same Station (Waterfront). However, the lines are at different levels. If your daughter can manage all her bags down an escalator, she can head down the entrance on Howe Street, just outside Canada Place. This leads down to the Expo/Millennium line so it's convenient for her. The rest of you should stick to street level and walk along to the Granville Street entrance, which will get you onto the Canada Line without having to go down then up then down again.

 

For all lines Waterfront is a terminus, so you can't get on a train in the wrong direction (although watch for the fork on the Canada Line outbound as I mentioned above, so you don't have to transfer trains anywhere). Signage inside Waterfront is pretty clear - it has to be with 3 Skytrain lines, a Seabus, West Coast Express trains, and Helijet all using it!

 

Double whoops - edited again to clarify your daughters bus service! If it's a scheduled one (Bolt, Greyhound, Amtrak) all the above info is correct. If it's QuickShuttle/QuickCoach, they have a pickup at Canada Place for the early buses and a couple of different downtown hotels for all departures. No need to take transit anywhere.

Edited July 11, 2014 by martincath

[joan 880]

Martincath you are a prince. Thank you so much for such valuable info that I wouldn't be

Able to find elsewhere. I'm sure there are many other travelers out there who would

Also find it helpful.

[scottbee]

Right now to get to Pacific Station (Amtrak, Bolt Bus, Greyhound, Pacific Coach), you need to take a special "Train to Main" train that leaves from the Expo/Millennium line platforms. Main St/Science World (the station for Pacific Station) is under construction, and has a short platform hence most trains don't stop there at the moment,

[martincath]

Dang - can't believe I forgot to mention that! Thanks for the assist SB.

 

OP - if your daughter is going to Pacific Central for her bus, do ensure Scott's reminder to use the Train to Main is passed along - otherwise the train will blow right by Main Street station. It's easy to spot - only 2 carriages long.

Edited July 13, 2014 by martincath