Photos of the new Canada Line YVR -> Canada Place

[redtop101]

Very happy to hear you had a great experience on the Canada Line skytrain. You seem to have had the train virtually to yourselves, but you did catch it around 5.30 am.

 

It's not always like that - weekend right now can be very busy with local people just checking out the ride and the system. My wife and I checked the line out a couple of Sundays ago in the afternoon and the cars were very full with lots of families. Not too many people on then with luggage.

[Putterdude]

There is plenty of room for luggage. It was $3.75 each for a 2 zone ticket and we used our CC right at the machine. You don't do anything with your ticket, just hold onto it in case someone wants to see it. It is on the honor system that you have a ticket, there is no ticket booth or anything like that to put your ticket in. You could walk right on the train without paying if you wanted to.

 

Ticket Machine

 

Inside Car

 

Glad that you had a good time in Vancouver and things went well for you. Just so that people are aware, the $3.75 fare that you enjoyed is a temporary fare. In the new year there will be an additional $2.50 added to the fare to go to YVR so the fare from downtown to YVR will become $6.25.

[dancingdoll]

Thanks for this thread! We are coming to Vancouver on Saturday & I wasn't sure if you had a rail line. (I live in Portland, OR and we have a GREAT line like this one -- takes you from PDX to downtown in about 45 minutes.) So happy we can use a system like the one we have at home!

 

My question is - do the machines take American currency? If not, I'll stop by Starbucks as suggested and grab something to go.

 

One other question for the Vancouverites - is it easy to walk everywhere? I live downtown and walk absolutely everywhere and I am just wondering if I can do the same in downtown Vancouver.

 

PS - Great pictures!

 

Anna

[Deloresgardella]

Anna I am glad you asked about American currency, I was wondering the same thing. Also will it take $20 bills in American Currency or should I get smaller. We will need two tickets, will be going next Wednesday. Can hardly wait. I do understand that the immigration that we have to go through can be an nightmare at the airport.

Delores

[ell52]

Thanks for this thread!

My question is - do the machines take American currency? If not, I'll stop by Starbucks as suggested and grab something to go.

No. The machines do not take US currency.

 

One other question for the Vancouverites - is it easy to walk everywhere? I live downtown and walk absolutely everywhere and I am just wondering if I can do the same in downtown Vancouver.

Yes. If you're accustomed to walking around downtown Portland, then you'll find it easy to walk around downtown Vancouver. Anything outside the downtown core is also easy to get to via public transit.

[Putterdude]

However it will take US credit cards and some US debit cards...failing that you could go to a currency exchange at the airport and pick a few CDN$.

[scottbee]

Thanks for this thread! We are coming to Vancouver on Saturday & I wasn't sure if you had a rail line. (I live in Portland, OR and we have a GREAT line like this one -- takes you from PDX to downtown in about 45 minutes.) So happy we can use a system like the one we have at home!

 

My question is - do the machines take American currency? If not, I'll stop by Starbucks as suggested and grab something to go.

 

No, they don't; but then I doubt the Portland ones take Cdn$ either :-)

 

 

One other question for the Vancouverites - is it easy to walk everywhere? I live downtown and walk absolutely everywhere and I am just wondering if I can do the same in downtown Vancouver.

 

PS - Great pictures!

 

Downtown Vancouver is fairly compact. However, a lot of tourist things are a little out of the downtown core. Getting there is pretty easy though, Vancouver has a great bus system (to go along w/ the three Skytrain lines)

[Northbay]

Thanks, Putterdude and Scottbee, for your helpful info on getting to our hotel. Much appreciated.

[Putterdude]

You are most welcome, have a great time in our city and a wonderful cruise. Incidently I do hope that you are aware that there is a major construction project going on to the south of the Metropolitan...I would be requesting a north facing room if it were me.

[scottbee]

Thanks, Putterdude and Scottbee, for your helpful info on getting to our hotel. Much appreciated.

 

You're welcome. I knew it would be worth it to my fellow cruisers to spend the time to put this together.

[mattR]

there are no zones on evenings/weekends, so the answer is 1 zone $2.50 (weekdays normally it's 2 zones $3.75)

 

The best way to get to Canada Place is to exit using the Granville St exit (not the Cordova St one that 90% of the people are heading toward). This puts you on the street at the corner of W.Hastings and Granville.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100934763039761071004.000467645fcda21dd87b2&ll=49.286073,-123.11348&spn=0.004276,0.011362&z=17

 

From there, 1 block up, 2 over and your at the cruise ships. There's a photo in my album which clearly shows both the Granville St exit and the whale tale of the Carnival Spirit to give you an idea of how close it is

 

 

which one would be faster rather then easier to walk? Which one is easier to navigate?

[scottbee]

which one would be faster rather then easier to walk? Which one is easier to navigate?

 

Personally I think the Granville St exit is easier for everything, as 90% of the people crowd toward the Waterfront station exit, turn around, go the other way, take the elevator and your 3 blocks (slightly downhill) to get to the cruise terminal. Speed I doubt it makes any difference.

[Canuckjammer]

Personally I think the Granville St exit is easier for everything, as 90% of the people crowd toward the Waterfront station exit, turn around, go the other way, take the elevator and your 3 blocks (slightly downhill) to get to the cruise terminal. Speed I doubt it makes any difference.

 

 

I don't recommend Granville st exit if you have luggage. At least for the next couple of months there's alot of construction in the area that you have to walk thru and around (uneven surfaces).

[Canuckjammer]

Hi. We're thinking of using the skytrain to get to the Metropolitan Hotel at 645 Howe Street (close to West Georgia St). Would you be able to advise as to which stop would be closest to the hotel, or would the airoporter bus drop us off closer to the hotel?

 

 

Get off at City Center stop (1 before Waterfront). Your hotel is right around corner only 1 block away.

[Captain Canuck]

I have taken it from the airport into town..but not all the way to the waterfront station...so for the reverse do you have to walk 3 blocks with your luggage to the station? union rule?

[scottbee]

Bad news (but a way to get around it) for Skytrain riders to/from the airport;

The Canada Line YVR Add Fare and how it works

 

TransLink Commissioner Martin Crilly has now approved the amount and structure of an additional fare that TransLink will charge to some Canada Line customers departing the Airport and Sea Island to transit destinations in Richmond, Vancouver and beyond. This new fare, coming into effect on

January 18, 2010

, was approved in principle in 2004 as one of the ways to pay for the construction of the new rail rapid transit service.

The fare will only apply to customers purchasing tickets from a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) for travel from

YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre

Templeton Stations

to Bridgeport Station and points beyond. The customer will be required to pay an additional $5 on top of the regular fare. TVMs at these stations will automatically charge the Add Fare on all transactions.

TransLink’s original proposal was for an additional fare of $2.50 for travel to as well as from the airport. Now, the AddFare only applies to those purchasing tickets from TVMs for travel off of Sea Island. Regular cash transit fares apply for travel to the airport.

Anyone using pre-paid fares, such as DayPasses, FareCards, FareSaver Tickets, U-Passes, Employer Passes and the BC Government Bus Pass Program will be exempt and will not be charged an additional fare for any trip on the Canada Line to or from the airport.

Travel on the Canada Line is free between stations on Sea Island.

http://www.translink.ca/en/About-TransLink/Media/2010/January/The-Canada-Line-YVR-Add-Fare-and-how-it-works.aspx

Personally I think asking someone to fork over $8.75 for subway ride borders on the insane (the old fare until Jan is $3.75). Now admittedly it's only on trips FROM the airport, but still...

 

Now, to avoid paying $8.75 for a one way, 2 zone ticket all you need to do is use a pre-paid ticket, available elsewhere in the terminal building!! Go into either the 7-11 or Pharmasave which are both in the Airport terminal building and buy either;

 

• day pass for the whole transit system for only $9
  
• a book of 10 two-zone tickets for $28.50 (remember the 1st two would have cost you $17.50 on the platform, and now you have 8 more left over to enjoy Vancouver, and use for your return trip to the airport).
  

[Urban trekker]

Scott - am I correct in saying that if I am just out for a ride and want to return on my ticket within the 90 minute time limit that I don't have to pay the extra cost.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Ut, that is how I would read it. It seems as though they are only charging the casual user from YVR outbound and not charging anyone inbound and are exempting with prepaid tickets and passes. So for the most part they are going after the airline passenger....interesting. Now what about the huge parking tax announced today.:eek:

[mississauga]

Great info here! Thanks scottbee for the thread, pics and info and Putterdude and Urban Trekker for all that you add. This thread should be a sticky somewhere.

[Urban trekker]

Glad to have been able to help people come and enjoy my home and native City.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis