Getting around Vancouver - Trolley, bus, rail?

[Wolfhunt]

We will have a day in Vancouver BC before our cruise and while looking at possible transportation around the city I think I have completely confused myself. It doesn't help that we have never visited Vancouver and the bus/rail maps are a bit confusing to me.

 

Our plan (weather permitting) is to explore Stanley Park, possibly having lunch at the Teahouse. If time permits, perhaps exploring other areas as well. Looking at possible options, I have found the Trolley, bus, and rail options.

 

We are staying at the Residence Inn (Marriot) on Hornsby. I like the idea of the Trolley but it doesn't seem to run very late according to their website.

 

Can someone recommend the best way to get around Vancouver? Keep in mind, this is the first time we have been there.

[Putterdude]

For a first trip to Vancouver there is not question in my mind that the HOHO is the route to go. I always recommend the Vancouver Trolley if only for their live narration but also they were the pioneers of this bus in Vancouver and operate year round. The sked you are seeing online and I believe their summer sked operates about 2 hrs longer. I can't find their summer sked but you could phone them on their 1-800 number and confirm this.

 

Transit IMO is not a good way to see the city unless you know exactly what you want to see and have a guide book...there is no narration, its transit not a tour.

[xlxo]

Thoughts...

• Hop on offers the best option to explore Stanley Park, Gastown and Granville Island. http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/route-map
  
• If the hop on services end too early for you.... I would cab or walk it. Vancouver's downtown is relatively compact.
  
• Are you going to skip my fav attractions.... That is Grouse and Capilano? There are free shuttles from the cruise terminal.
  

 

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Edited May 1, 2016 by xlxo

[Wolfhunt]

Thanks, sounds like the Trolley is the best bet. I saw that they start their summer schedule today but didn't see it posted yet.

 

We would like to see Grouse and Capilano but only have one day and we might be getting a late start that day since we have a very long travel day the day before (leaving Cincinnati at 6am our time and arriving in Vancouver around 11:30pm Vancouver time. Two flights and a train ride).

 

I'm hoping we can do a west coast cruise someday (SF or LA to Vancouver) and add on a fee days at both ends.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Wolfhunt

[Rickey 88]

As a former Vancouverite, I recommend that you don't attempt too much on only a limited stay. Vancouver is quite big (the 3rd largest city in Canada) and there's so much to see and do.

 

Capilano and Grouse Mountain require time to get to and return - so there's not much time left to sightsee....

 

Maybe sometime in the future you could plan on a longer stay and enjoy this beautiful city.....

Edited May 1, 2016 by Rickey 88

[Putterdude]

I would agree, as popular as the Capilano Suspension bridge and the Grouse Mountain skyride are, they do consume about 6 hrs with travel time so I would never say don't go, but with only a day in Vancouver one pretty much has to decide, city tours or the North Shore attractions.

[martincath]

Nice to see even ex-locals coming down on the side of 'stay in the city' rather than going to visit those heathens on the North Shore;-) I agree - you're here to see Vancouver, so see Vancouver! By the time you see a chunk of Stanley Park it would be a very busy day to head over to Cap or Grouse, let alone both, especially if you don't get going until mid-morning or later.

 

NB: that even in summer the trolley does stop early. You won't have any chance to use it to get back to the hotel after even a very early dinner. The single direction looping also means it's incredibly inefficient to actually go place to place unless you visit all the sites you want to in the order the trolley hits them - but as first-timers, I agree that it's still a very sensible way to balance getting a tour with info and transport between the majority of downtown tourist sites.

 

Plus of course the whole 'get off if you like the look of something then get back on when you're ready' adds a lot of flexibility. Depending how late you stay out, and where you end up for dinner/drinks, there might be a transit route that works for you (after 6:30pm all transit is $2.75pp, even if you do go see those foreigners over the water...) but cabs will be probably just as cheap for small groups (most spots in downtown to your hotel will cost $10 or less, cheaper than 4 transit tix).

[Putterdude]

"Heathens on the North Shore" having lived on the Shore and commuted into Vancouver for 50 years and l know exactly where the Heathens live and it isn't on the Shore. If anything we Shore types were known as lions bait and felt fortunate to return home each evening.