Vancouver Info if needed

[martincath]

What do you mean by pre-purchased. We would buy them while in the airport or wait to purchase them downtown. We are using a taxi for transport to our hotel.

Dave

Pre-purchased as in the literal definition thereof - a ticket you buy before you ride transit as opposed to one you buy when you board. Either a day pass or a book of faresavers are pre-purchased tickets.

 

Since you're not planning to use the tickets to get from the airport to downtown, you may not want to bother buying faresavers at all, as they do not offer any saving over the regular senior fare price ($1.75 cash as you board or $1.75 per ticket bought as a ten-pack in advance).

 

The only possible advantage is convenience (no hunting for exact change) but unless you are actually going to use all 10 tickets, you'll be throwing money away...

 

As to whether the airport 7-11 or one near your hotel is most convenient - depends how close to your hotel the nearest 7-11 is... plonk your hotel address into the field at the bottom of this page and you'll see the nearest place to buy faresavers if you choose to do so.

[scottbee]

Hi: Is the cost of a faresaver 10 ticket pass (senior $17.50) the same if purchased at the airport. If not we can wait until we get to our hotel downtownand ask where to purchase it.

Thanks

Dave

 

Yes it's the same, but you can only purchase the 10 packs at the 7-11 and the Pharmasave on the lowest level of the domestic portion of the airport. To get to the 7-11 (likely the easiest) exit from intl arrivals, turn right on the street as soon as you exit the building, walk about 75 metres, and turn right and go back in again, then down one level. The elevator from there goes up all the way to the walkway to the Skytrain station.

 

Note that the one zone senior tickets are only going to work from the airport evenings and weekends (all one zone evenings and weekends) as normally it's two zones from the airport. However, you can just buy an add-fare (to up it to a 2nd zone) at the machine on the platform if you're doing this during the day. Also remember to validate each ticket in the silver validator next to the ticket machines. There are also validators on buses and the older skytrain lines as well (although they're painted blue on the old lines).

 

By buying a faresaver 10 pack , you avoid the annoying $5 airport surchage for single tickets bought from the machines at the platform level.

[Philob]

@Scottbee: Thanks for the info & pictures you posted in another thread on waiting for SWMBO before the YVR immigration stations. We met up at the bottom of the escalators at the same exact seats you had on your pictures.

 

?: When we got our Skytrain tickets from the vending machine with our loonies and toonies, we just stuck them in our pocket and just got on. I did see the validation machines next to them, were we supposed to validate them? Or were those machines for the soon to come new pass system?

 

Couple of times we did see a few transit police jaw-boning next to the ticket machines and ticket agents checking at the bottom of the escalators, who just waved us on.

 

:)

Edited July 16, 2013 by Philob

[scottbee]

@Scottbee: Thanks for the info & pictures you posted in another thread on waiting for SWMBO before the YVR immigration stations. We met up at the bottom of the escalators at the same exact seats you had on your pictures.

 

?: When we got our Skytrain tickets from the vending machine with our loonies and toonies, we just stuck them in our pocket and just got on. I did see the validation machines next to them, were we supposed to validate them? Or were those machines for the soon to come new pass system?

 

Couple of times we did see a few transit police jaw-boning next to the ticket machines and ticket agents checking at the bottom of the escalators, who just waved us on.

 

:)

 

When you buy a ticket from a ticket machine, they're validated at the time they're spit out of the machine. When you buy a book of faresavers, they're essentially blank tickets and need validation.

[Philob]

When you buy a ticket from a ticket machine, they're validated at the time they're spit out of the machine. When you buy a book of faresavers, they're essentially blank tickets and need validation.

 

Thanks again :)

[dsw39]

Pre-purchased as in the literal definition thereof - a ticket you buy before you ride transit as opposed to one you buy when you board. Either a day pass or a book of faresavers are pre-purchased tickets.

 

Since you're not planning to use the tickets to get from the airport to downtown, you may not want to bother buying faresavers at all, as they do not offer any saving over the regular senior fare price ($1.75 cash as you board or $1.75 per ticket bought as a ten-pack in advance).

 

The only possible advantage is convenience (no hunting for exact change) but unless you are actually going to use all 10 tickets, you'll be throwing money away...

 

As to whether the airport 7-11 or one near your hotel is most convenient - depends how close to your hotel the nearest 7-11 is... plonk your hotel address into the field at the bottom of this page and you'll see the nearest place to buy faresavers if you choose to do so.

 

Thanks for the definition of pre-purchased! I was looking at the advantage of not securing exact change for each transit on a bus. Have I been misinformed about exact change for the local bus system? It is easy to utilize the 10 ticket booklet for our two day stay in Vancouver. The bus system was the only reason we would need Canadian currency for our trip.

[Putterdude]

Thanks for the definition of pre-purchased! I was looking at the advantage of not securing exact change for each transit on a bus. Have I been misinformed about exact change for the local bus system? It is easy to utilize the 10 ticket booklet for our two day stay in Vancouver. The bus system was the only reason we would need Canadian currency for our trip.

 

You will need exact CDN currency for transit, it is one of the few things that it is necessary for in Vancouver. The book of 10 tickets can per used by anyone in your party and are very easy to use on buses and other forms of transit be it SkyTrain or SeaBus and serve as a transfer for 90 minutes. I would be inclined to purchase mine at the airport where they are much more likely to accept a credit card...ticket agents do have the option of accepting a credit card or not.

[dsw39]

You will need exact CDN currency for transit, it is one of the few things that it is necessary for in Vancouver. The book of 10 tickets can per used by anyone in your party and are very easy to use on buses and other forms of transit be it SkyTrain or SeaBus and serve as a transfer for 90 minutes. I would be inclined to purchase mine at the airport where they are much more likely to accept a credit card...ticket agents do have the option of accepting a credit card or not.

 

Thanks for confirming the need for exact change and location of the place to acquire them at the airport

[jnc411]

Question for Putterdude or Scottbee: We are will be staying at the Delta Suites, The Steam Clock is in Gastown , right ?? is that an easy walk from our hotel, we are near Gastown I think. My husband has a thing about steam engines, etc. and wants to check the Steam Clock out. Thanks

Cori

[Tweedy]

Question for Putterdude or Scottbee: We are will be staying at the Delta Suites, The Steam Clock is in Gastown , right ?? is that an easy walk from our hotel, we are near Gastown I think. My husband has a thing about steam engines, etc. and wants to check the Steam Clock out. Thanks

Cori

 

I may not be Putterdude or Scottbee but I can answer your question. Yes, the steam clock is in Gastown and it is an easy 5 minute (max) walk from your hotel. Exit your hotel and turn right and walk half a block. Turn left at Richards and walk a block. You'll come to the intersection of Richards Street, West Cordova and Water Street. This is the start of Gastown. Cross the street so you are on the North side of Water Street and go to your right. At the end of the block is the steam clock.

[avalon007]

Hello,

 

Looking forward to seeing Vancouver in a September.

 

I wanted to know is there any easy way to get to Vancouver Island by public transport or are the day tours the best way to go?

We won't be hiring a car so that's not an option.

 

The tours are around $190CAD & include hotel pick up/drop off, ferry, Victoria city tour, Bouchart Gardens.

 

Thanks.:)

[martincath]

... I wanted to know is there any easy way to get to Vancouver Island by public transport or are the day tours the best way to go? We won't be hiring a car so that's not an option...

 

'Easy' and 'best' you'll need to make your own decisions on... but yes, it's possible to get to the island and to Butchart Gardens on transit. If the ferries are busy, it's even possible to make up some time (since you'll be a walk-up passenger and can just get on the next ferry, instead of having to be there early to make your specific reserved ferry time if you're going in a vehicle).

 

Scottbee has given detailed instructions in the past - here's a link to his most recent post. Assuming you want to exactly replicate what you'd see on the package tour you mention, you'd also want to add on the cost of a Victoria City Tour - $30 per adult seems to be the going rate for those.

 

As long as you have a whole day free, don't need to worry about getting back for a flight or something else time-critical, using transit will let you stay longer in Butchart, Victoria etc. than a packaged tour. Transit in BC is relatively easy to use - just make sure you get hold of some local currency in small denominations.

[scottbee]

'Easy' and 'best' you'll need to make your own decisions on... but yes, it's possible to get to the island and to Butchart Gardens on transit. If the ferries are busy, it's even possible to make up some time (since you'll be a walk-up passenger and can just get on the next ferry, instead of having to be there early to make your specific reserved ferry time if you're going in a vehicle).

 

Scottbee has given detailed instructions in the past - here's a link to his most recent post. Assuming you want to exactly replicate what you'd see on the package tour you mention, you'd also want to add on the cost of a Victoria City Tour - $30 per adult seems to be the going rate for those.

 

As long as you have a whole day free, don't need to worry about getting back for a flight or something else time-critical, using transit will let you stay longer in Butchart, Victoria etc. than a packaged tour. Transit in BC is relatively easy to use - just make sure you get hold of some local currency in small denominations.

 

Thanks for throwing up the link. At one point about 10 years ago I commuted Vancouver-Victoria weekly. I almost always took the bus (and it's easier now w/ the Skytrain half way there on the Vancouver side), as driving was too expensive and too much of a pain.

[martincath]

Thanks for throwing up the link. At one point about 10 years ago I commuted Vancouver-Victoria weekly. I almost always took the bus (and it's easier now w/ the Skytrain half way there on the Vancouver side), as driving was too expensive and too much of a pain.

No worries - I figured you'd probably be along soon to post, but just in case you were out enjoying the weather I'd link to your prior handy summary. Ever think about adding the link to that, and your Canada Line photo-path, into your Signature field?

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Thank You to those who are helping here!

Edited July 21, 2013 by SeaTheWorldBySea
Found my answer!

[avalon007]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes I guess what is easy to a resident to a tourist may be quite different.

 

I guess easy to me means not having to make multiple bus connections & not have to try & work out where I get the bus from etc.

 

My experience on public transports in most cities around the world I have visited is that it isn't always as easy as it sounds.

 

The translink site is a nightmare to use I find & I'm a web designer!

 

I tried to work out costing & came up with a lot higher cost, but I think I was looking at a bus company with a direct downtown to the ferry terminal option which was about $88 return trip.

 

So if I do the multiple public buses to the ferry terminal I estimate:

 

Buses to ferry & back $11

Ferry ride $31 return

Bus to Butchart Gardens return $5.00

Butchart Entry $30.20

City Tour around Victoria $30

 

TOTAL DIY: $107.20 - Save $81.80

 

I guess I have to decide if the $81 is worth the price for the door to door drop offs/pick ups, convenience, time saved not waiting for the next bus or ferry etc, the additional commentary on the journey as well as the information person on tap.

 

I also am not keen on returning to the city & being on public transport at night, no matter how safe a city is it's always unsettling as public transport is often the choice of some less desirable characters out of working hours.

 

So I guess this exchange has confirmed the tour is much easier & probably worth the extra money all things said & done.

 

I just have to now decide if Victoria is a must do for the price, or is it really just more shops, a few nice buildings, a nice garden but not that much nicer than others I have visited etc? It's all so relative to your own experiences that this is a question only I can answer, but any input still appreciated.

 

I'm sure it's a great place to live etc, but not sure if it's offering enough must sees for the price. Hmm, more to ponder. :)

 

Which brings me to Granville Island, is it anything more than markets much like similar style markets I may have been to in the historic part of Sydney (food, art, craft, music, fresh produce etc) ?

 

It sounds like a great place if you live locally to get supplies in a nice atmosphere, but for the tourist, what is the attraction if markets aren't really that appealing to you on their own? Do they have something about them that is unique to Canada?

 

Just to help understand our mind set, prior to arriving in Vancouver we would have spent 12 days in Alaska, then we are doing a 4 day tour to Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise. We have 1 day in Vancouver pre tour & 3 after.

 

We plan in Vancouver to visit Gastown & the main city shopping district, Capilano Suspension bridge etc, Burnaby Village, Stanley Park & Aquarium & maybe the Chinese Gardens.

 

Considered Hells Gate Airtram but appears no way to get there unless you drive & we don't want to do any driving.

 

Thanks for any additional info. :)

[scottbee]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes I guess what is easy to a resident to a tourist may be quite different.

 

I guess easy to me means not having to make multiple bus connections & not have to try & work out where I get the bus from etc.

 

My experience on public transports in most cities around the world I have visited is that it isn't always as easy as it sounds.

 

The translink site is a nightmare to use I find & I'm a web designer!

 

I tried to work out costing & came up with a lot higher cost, but I think I was looking at a bus company with a direct downtown to the ferry terminal option which was about $88 return trip.

 

So if I do the multiple public buses to the ferry terminal I estimate:

 

Buses to ferry & back $11

Ferry ride $31 return

Bus to Butchart Gardens return $5.00

Butchart Entry $30.20

City Tour around Victoria $30

 

TOTAL DIY: $107.20 - Save $81.80

 

I guess I have to decide if the $81 is worth the price for the door to door drop offs/pick ups, convenience, time saved not waiting for the next bus or ferry etc, the additional commentary on the journey as well as the information person on tap.

 

I also am not keen on returning to the city & being on public transport at night, no matter how safe a city is it's always unsettling as public transport is often the choice of some less desirable characters out of working hours.

 

So I guess this exchange has confirmed the tour is much easier & probably worth the extra money all things said & done.

 

I just have to now decide if Victoria is a must do for the price, or is it really just more shops, a few nice buildings, a nice garden but not that much nicer than others I have visited etc? It's all so relative to your own experiences that this is a question only I can answer, but any input still appreciated.

 

I'm sure it's a great place to live etc, but not sure if it's offering enough must sees for the price. Hmm, more to ponder. :)

 

Which brings me to Granville Island, is it anything more than markets much like similar style markets I may have been to in the historic part of Sydney (food, art, craft, music, fresh produce etc) ?

 

It sounds like a great place if you live locally to get supplies in a nice atmosphere, but for the tourist, what is the attraction if markets aren't really that appealing to you on their own? Do they have something about them that is unique to Canada?

 

Just to help understand our mind set, prior to arriving in Vancouver we would have spent 12 days in Alaska, then we are doing a 4 day tour to Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise. We have 1 day in Vancouver pre tour & 3 after.

 

We plan in Vancouver to visit Gastown & the main city shopping district, Capilano Suspension bridge etc, Burnaby Village, Stanley Park & Aquarium & maybe the Chinese Gardens.

 

Considered Hells Gate Airtram but appears no way to get there unless you drive & we don't want to do any driving.

 

Thanks for any additional info. :)

 

Transit is very clean/safe on the routes involved. It will be mostly people doing exactly the same thing as you. The only transfer you need to do is to get off the Skytrain at Bridgeport, go down two escalators and get on the bus at the bottom of the escalators.

 

While I'm not advocating you take the "HASTINGS" bus late at night, the 620 from the ferry, and the Canada Line Skytrain (from Bridgeport into downtown Vancouver) are very clean and safe.

[Putterdude]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes I guess what is easy to a resident to a tourist may be quite different.

 

I guess easy to me means not having to make multiple bus connections & not have to try & work out where I get the bus from etc.

 

My experience on public transports in most cities around the world I have visited is that it isn't always as easy as it sounds.

 

The translink site is a nightmare to use I find & I'm a web designer!

 

I tried to work out costing & came up with a lot higher cost, but I think I was looking at a bus company with a direct downtown to the ferry terminal option which was about $88 return trip.

 

So if I do the multiple public buses to the ferry terminal I estimate:

 

Buses to ferry & back $11

Ferry ride $31 return

Bus to Butchart Gardens return $5.00

Butchart Entry $30.20

City Tour around Victoria $30

 

TOTAL DIY: $107.20 - Save $81.80

 

I guess I have to decide if the $81 is worth the price for the door to door drop offs/pick ups, convenience, time saved not waiting for the next bus or ferry etc, the additional commentary on the journey as well as the information person on tap.

 

I also am not keen on returning to the city & being on public transport at night, no matter how safe a city is it's always unsettling as public transport is often the choice of some less desirable characters out of working hours.

 

So I guess this exchange has confirmed the tour is much easier & probably worth the extra money all things said & done.

 

I just have to now decide if Victoria is a must do for the price, or is it really just more shops, a few nice buildings, a nice garden but not that much nicer than others I have visited etc? It's all so relative to your own experiences that this is a question only I can answer, but any input still appreciated.

 

I'm sure it's a great place to live etc, but not sure if it's offering enough must sees for the price. Hmm, more to ponder. :)

 

Which brings me to Granville Island, is it anything more than markets much like similar style markets I may have been to in the historic part of Sydney (food, art, craft, music, fresh produce etc) ?

 

It sounds like a great place if you live locally to get supplies in a nice atmosphere, but for the tourist, what is the attraction if markets aren't really that appealing to you on their own? Do they have something about them that is unique to Canada?

 

Just to help understand our mind set, prior to arriving in Vancouver we would have spent 12 days in Alaska, then we are doing a 4 day tour to Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise. We have 1 day in Vancouver pre tour & 3 after.

 

We plan in Vancouver to visit Gastown & the main city shopping district, Capilano Suspension bridge etc, Burnaby Village, Stanley Park & Aquarium & maybe the Chinese Gardens.

 

Considered Hells Gate Airtram but appears no way to get there unless you drive & we don't want to do any driving.

 

Thanks for any additional info. :)

 

I have no idea of what your extended walk-about is costing you but it seems to me that the extra few dollars to take a guided excursion to Victoria would be a good investment. You are quite correct how a commuter deals with transit and how a visitor handles it is two completely different matters. I know that when I visit a city or an area for the first time I don't want to be dealing with transit schedules, transfers and alike. However, I will say is that Butchart Gardens are considered world class gardens and people come from all over the world to take them in.

Granville Island is much more than the public market, it is what as known as a "festival market" containing a large array of shops and galleries. Here is a link to their website which contains and interactive map and a description of the various merchants that tenant the island.

 

http://granvilleisland.com/

 

As you are going to be on the North Shore to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge you may care to continue up Capilano Rd. to the Grouse Mountain SkyRide. Another interesting visit is to the Museum of Anthropology and the University of British Columbia.

[martincath]

I also am not keen on returning to the city & being on public transport at night, no matter how safe a city is it's always unsettling as public transport is often the choice of some less desirable characters out of working hours.

 

If you don't feel safe, you don't feel safe and frankly I think that trumps any decision of cost.

 

I just have to now decide if Victoria is a must do for the price, or is it really just more shops, a few nice buildings, a nice garden but not that much nicer than others I have visited etc? It's all so relative to your own experiences that this is a question only I can answer, but any input still appreciated.

 

Butchart is a very, VERY nice garden. It's really several different style gardens all in one location. To be fair any individual part of it I've seen better elsewhere, but taken as a whole it's legitimately among the finest in the world. OTOH if that's all you're going for, as opposed to the ferry trip through some lovely little islands, the beautiful downtown harbour area of Victoria with British-style buildings & double-decker buses well then it's not much nicer than visiting both the Dr Sun Yat Sen and Queen Elizabeth Park gardens in Vancouver, which are both much easier to get to. If you were only in Vancouver for a couple of days, I'd strongly suggest you stick to Vancouver - but with 4 days here total, unless you plan a return visit personally I would take a day to do Victoria & Butchart.

 

Which brings me to Granville Island, is it anything more than markets much like similar style markets I may have been to in the historic part of Sydney (food, art, craft, music, fresh produce etc) ?

 

The Public Market is pretty much exactly what you describe - and the building it's in is very bland architecturally, basically an old warehouse complex.

 

It sounds like a great place if you live locally to get supplies in a nice atmosphere, but for the tourist, what is the attraction if markets aren't really that appealing to you on their own? Do they have something about them that is unique to Canada?

 

More than a few unique merchants (ever bought a hand-made broom?), and Granville Island is a bit more than *just* the Public Market - there's a free walking tour that fills you in on the history and highlights to see, and the island does have its own website. It's not somewhere I'd ever recommend going *just* to shop in the Market, but it is a nice place to putter around taking in the vibe.

 

Just to help understand our mind set, prior to arriving in Vancouver we would have spent 12 days in Alaska, then we are doing a 4 day tour to Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise. We have 1 day in Vancouver pre tour & 3 after.

 

We plan in Vancouver to visit Gastown & the main city shopping district, Capilano Suspension bridge etc, Burnaby Village, Stanley Park & Aquarium & maybe the Chinese Gardens.

 

Most people certainly seem to enjoy those - although if you are truly concerned about taking transit because of who you might see riding with you, you might want to consider taking a tour rather than walking around Gastown & Chinatown. The parts near the popular tourist sites are fine, but there is a lot of overlap into the least salubrious part of the city. A HOHO tour would let you get around town for a couple of days, visiting all the downtown sights without any risk of getting lost walking or taking transit between them.

[avalon007]

I have no idea of what your extended walk-about is costing you but it seems to me that the extra few dollars to take a guided excursion to Victoria would be a good investment. You are quite correct how a commuter deals with transit and how a visitor handles it is two completely different matters. I know that when I visit a city or an area for the first time I don't want to be dealing with transit schedules, transfers and alike. However, I will say is that Butchart Gardens are considered world class gardens and people come from all over the world to take them in.

 

Granville Island is much more than the public market, it is what as known as a "festival market" containing a large array of shops and galleries. Here is a link to their website which contains and interactive map and a description of the various merchants that tenant the island.

 

http://granvilleisland.com/

 

As you are going to be on the North Shore to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge you may care to continue up Capilano Rd. to the Grouse Mountain SkyRide. Another interesting visit is to the Museum of Anthropology and the University of British Columbia.

 

 

Hi, Thanks for you reply.

 

Our extended walkabout as you call it isn't cheap, but we aren't rich either so needless to say every dollar counts, but so does the experience, so it's usually a juggling act between the two.:)

 

Yes, from our travel experiences around the world public transport even if easy enough has you constantly on the edge of your seat with that - 'are we there yet', 'Is this our stop' etc thoughts playing through your mind the whole way - not very relaxing.

 

Granville Island seems to offer a nice casual day out so if we are looking for something to fill time & the weather is good we may wander over there for lunch etc & some shopping.

 

I considered Grouse mountain but after doing a glacier hike on top the mountain at Aleyska Alaska & the tour through the Canadian Rockies immediately prior I felt it wouldn't offer anything better & we may not get the wow from it if we hadn't already seen & done other mountain top stuff prior.

 

I like the idea of Butchart gardens, but my husband is a bit ho hum, another nice garden, so we will see how the funds pan out just before we leave.

 

I have visited many famous museums/galleries around the world, (British Museum, Louvre, Berlin Museum, Cairo Museum etc), but would like to see some good dinosaur skeleton displays as haven't as yet seen much of that, do you guys have any of those in your museums?

 

Thanks to all for the tips & info.

[avalon007]

I also am not keen on returning to the city & being on public transport at night, no matter how safe a city is it's always unsettling as public transport is often the choice of some less desirable characters out of working hours.

 

If you don't feel safe, you don't feel safe and frankly I think that trumps any decision of cost.

 

I just have to now decide if Victoria is a must do for the price, or is it really just more shops, a few nice buildings, a nice garden but not that much nicer than others I have visited etc? It's all so relative to your own experiences that this is a question only I can answer, but any input still appreciated.

 

Butchart is a very, VERY nice garden. It's really several different style gardens all in one location. To be fair any individual part of it I've seen better elsewhere, but taken as a whole it's legitimately among the finest in the world. OTOH if that's all you're going for, as opposed to the ferry trip through some lovely little islands, the beautiful downtown harbour area of Victoria with British-style buildings & double-decker buses well then it's not much nicer than visiting both the Dr Sun Yat Sen and Queen Elizabeth Park gardens in Vancouver, which are both much easier to get to. If you were only in Vancouver for a couple of days, I'd strongly suggest you stick to Vancouver - but with 4 days here total, unless you plan a return visit personally I would take a day to do Victoria & Butchart.

 

Which brings me to Granville Island, is it anything more than markets much like similar style markets I may have been to in the historic part of Sydney (food, art, craft, music, fresh produce etc) ?

 

The Public Market is pretty much exactly what you describe - and the building it's in is very bland architecturally, basically an old warehouse complex.

 

It sounds like a great place if you live locally to get supplies in a nice atmosphere, but for the tourist, what is the attraction if markets aren't really that appealing to you on their own? Do they have something about them that is unique to Canada?

 

More than a few unique merchants (ever bought a hand-made broom?), and Granville Island is a bit more than *just* the Public Market - there's a free walking tour that fills you in on the history and highlights to see, and the island does have its own website. It's not somewhere I'd ever recommend going *just* to shop in the Market, but it is a nice place to putter around taking in the vibe.

 

Just to help understand our mind set, prior to arriving in Vancouver we would have spent 12 days in Alaska, then we are doing a 4 day tour to Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise. We have 1 day in Vancouver pre tour & 3 after.

 

We plan in Vancouver to visit Gastown & the main city shopping district, Capilano Suspension bridge etc, Burnaby Village, Stanley Park & Aquarium & maybe the Chinese Gardens.

 

Most people certainly seem to enjoy those - although if you are truly concerned about taking transit because of who you might see riding with you, you might want to consider taking a tour rather than walking around Gastown & Chinatown. The parts near the popular tourist sites are fine, but there is a lot of overlap into the least salubrious part of the city. A HOHO tour would let you get around town for a couple of days, visiting all the downtown sights without any risk of getting lost walking or taking transit between them.

 

 

Thanks for the additional info.

 

Not worried about walking about during the day, we have been to some seedy cities in the past, just at night things get a little more prone to violence etc with people out drinking & so on, I'm sure you know what I mean. Sydney for example is a fairly safe city, but you often hear about random street violence at night.

 

Regards the markets, funny enough we had a hand made broom store about half an hour from our home, although they closed down a year or so ago! But I'm sure there are plenty of unique vendors there as you say.

Our customs would probably take the broom off us due to the raw plant material in it - they are rather strict over here on our big island nation.

 

Thanks for the description of Victoria. the ferry ride is more a nuisance time wise to us as we are having 39 days all up cruising on this holiday, & would have just cruised Alaska down the inside passage into Vancouver the week prior, so we are not seeing that as a highlight of the trip.

I know we could fly there on the float plane, but then the costs goes up of course...

 

Sometimes you see images of places & they become the identifier for you of a city, so for me the harbour front of Victoria with the Empress hotel etc is that image for me & I think that is why I want to see it. The individual parts are not much more than 2 familiar buildings but the image as a whole is appealing. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone else.:)

 

I do like the idea of seeing Craigdarroch as I'm a fan of old architecture, so that adds an additional plus to go to Victoria.

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Thanks to all of you generous folks posting information for Vancouver - we have the following plans:

 

Arrive YVR from Houston at midnight - make our way to the 7-Eleven, level 1 of the Domestic Terminal (open 24 hours) to buy the 10 ticket booklet for public transit. Will the 7 - 11 be hard for us to find? Call our Richmond Holiday Inn Express hotel for their free transfer & crash (now about 3 a.m. to us) when we get to the hotel.

 

Friends will already be fast asleep at the hotel and we will meet up with them the next morning (a Monday). Will we be able to get a taxi that can take 6 of us, with luggage, to Canada Place? Would it be reasonable to have the hotel return us to the skytrain at the airport and take it to town? After we drop our luggage off for our Disney cruise, We hope to take the free shuttle to Capilano to try out the suspension bridge, totem poles and whatever else we have time for. Return to Canada Place using the free shuttle and board the ship. Does anyone know if we will have a problem getting seats on the free shuttle or does it usually fill up? If we need a taxi for return, are they available at Capilano? Again, are there taxis for 6?

 

After the cruise (a Monday) we will have our luggage held at Canada Place, take public transit (Seabus northbound to Lonsdale Quay then 236 to Grouse Mountain). We are both >65 and grandson is 10 so the $1.75 ticket should work for all of us. We'll get the tickets for the Ultimate Experience at Grouse Mountain. Is it worth it to do everything, or would lines be too long to want to do it all?

 

Return to Canada Place, again using public transit (236 to Lonsdale Quay then Seabus Southbound). Pick up our luggage and take the skytrain to the airport where we will call our hotel shuttle to pick us up, go to the hotel for the night then return to YVR very early the next morning for our flight home.

 

Are these plans OK for pre and post cruise time in Vancouver? What have I not thought of?

Edited July 21, 2013 by SeaTheWorldBySea

[martincath]

Snipped to just your Qs:

Will the 7 - 11 be hard for us to find?

No, it's marked on the maps and if you do go astray just ask anyone.

 

Will we be able to get a taxi that can take 6 of us, with luggage, to Canada Place?

Probably - there are minivan cabs available so 6 people can have a seat, but if you all have a *lot* of luggage you may need to go 3 & 3 in 2 regular cabs.

Would it be reasonable to have the hotel return us to the skytrain at the airport and take it to town?

Absolutely - but it would be even more sensible to ask them to take you to the nearest Skytrain station instead (Bridgeport - less than 1km away). You will need a 2 Zone Fare on a Monday to do this though - which means adding a $1 AddFare to your Concession tickets (machines at station will let you do by Credit Card).

Does anyone know if we will have a problem getting seats on the free shuttle or does it usually fill up? If we need a taxi for return, are they available at Capilano? Again, are there taxis for 6?

NB: you cannot drop bags until 9:30am, which means the earliest shuttle you could get is 9:45am. Never taken shuttle so can't comment how often it is full, but they're every 15mins so you should be on the 10am shuttle worst case.

 

After the cruise (a Monday) we will have our luggage held at Canada Place, take public transit (Seabus northbound to Lonsdale Quay then 236 to Grouse Mountain). We are both >65 and grandson is 10 so the $1.75 ticket should work for all of us.

NB: a Monday you need a 2 Zone ticket to get over to the North Shore - this would involve using your $1.75 concession fares plus $1 per person (you can pay this AddFare with a credit card at Waterfront station).

 

But why take free shuttle to Cap pre-cruise then take transit post-cruise? There's a free shuttle to Grouse too - schedule here.

 

Is it worth it to do everything, or would lines be too long to want to do it all?

Can't really say - I know nothing about you and your travel companions! Some folks happily queue two hours for a ride at Disney, others don't think anything in the world is worth more than 10 minutes waiting. Check the website, read Tripadvisor reviews, see which attractions seem to be worthwhile to your group - and remember that you don't all have to buy the same ticket/do the same things, some might want to just chill with a drink while the others do the Peak chairlift. Biggest queue almost certainly for the Eye of the Wind though - small pod!

 

Are these plans OK for pre and post cruise time in Vancouver? What have I not thought of?

Pre- and Post- you want to have a backup in case of inclement weather. Nobody wants to be on the Peak chairlift in the rain; if it's too windy it doesn't operate; and if there are low clouds you might see diddly squat from Grouse, so unless you're going just for the Grizzlies it could be a real wasted trip. Also, I assume you're comfortable with a boarding time 2pm or later, otherwise you might find the timing very tight on the pre-cruise Capilano trip.

 

Because of your potential Transit use all being Monday during daytime and 2 Zone fares, if you can get some Canadian cash it would probably save you money (Concession Faresavers are poorly named - they don't save you a penny on the price of a ticket! Any you don't use of the 10 you buy is money down the drain...)

[martincath]

I think the only actual question you had in your responses to me & PD (which I didn't see while typing mine, sorry for doubling-up on Granville Island website redundantly) was about Dino skeletons in our museums.

 

There's a small selection of dinos among the fossil collection in the Royal BC in Victoria, and there 's one complete skeleton (a duck-billed dino of some type I think) in Vancouver - I think it's now displayed in the Beaty Biodiversity Museum having previously been in the PME which is being renovated. Beaty also has a complete Blue Whale skeleton which is rather uncommon.

 

BTW, if your trip(s) to Britain also included a lot of stately homes, Craigdarroch should slip way down your list of reasons to see Victoria - it's a rather Disney-esque manor house architecturally-speaking, not in any shape or form a castle. The most interesting thing about it IMO was that the floor-plan was used in an expansion to the boardgame Kill Doctor Lucky and the owners of Craigdarroch threatened legal action. NB: if you have not toured many castles & manor homes I'm sure it's a worthwhile place to visit!

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Thank You martincath! You have given me just the kind of information I need. The time you have taken to respond is really appreciated. We will likely work on getting some Canadian cash, exact change, to have for public transit. Perhaps our hotel will help with that. Don't know what is available for plan B if weather does not cooperate but will work on that.

 

You have given me a couple of things to "re-think" ie Bridgeport to Canada Place makes more sense.

 

THANKS

 

Julie