Vancouver for a few hours

Vancouver for a few hours

We fly out at 8 PM the same day we finish our cruise. Any ideas for a few hours.

Any place to store luggage at the airport or elsewhere. I don't want to lug it around

We like the convenience of Taxi's

Are there any must see places for a few hours.

many thanks in advance

Sorry it's taken a few days to reply; been out of town.

Yes, you have luggage storage options - while you could do so at the airport, with such a short timeframe going out to YVR and back again would eat too much of your time IMO. That leaves you with the options of:

1) Priority Baggage at Canada Place - who will send your bags to YVR for you at a flat rate ($40 for up to 4 bags last year) or store on-site ($7 a bag, a buck or so less if they're small bags) but you have to come back for them by 4pm. I think the former option is good for you, as your flight is late enough the bags will definitely make it out to YVR in plenty of time for you (recommended to be at YVR 3 hours pre-flight for International/US flights, 2 hours for Domestic).

Or, 2) ask a hotel bell desk to keep them for the day (most flexible in terms of time you collect them again, but no guarantees - though a preemptive tip offered at the Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront seems to give good results).

Must-sees in Vancouver? Stanley Park is a big draw for anyone who appreciates trees, flowers, etc. The park shuttle will probably be running unless you're an early or late season cruiser, and stops at just about everywhere in the park. Local HOHOs all make several stops inside the park now - the Trolley just driving around and the others transferring you from a big bus to a small one for the in-park stops - so you can see the 'big hits' inside the park like the Totem Poles, Rose Gardens, Prospect Point.

HOHO may be good in general for you - stops at most major downtown attractions, you can choose to get off and stay around at a particularly interesting stop unlike a regular tour.

Our North Shore attractions - Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mountain - could eat up your day if they seem like your kind of places. Free shuttles run from Canada Place, so leaving your bags/returning work well with these sites.

You could also easily spend several hours just walking around some of our more interesting neighbourhoods like Gastown, Chinatown, Granville Island.

If you want to use taxis, any driver will undoubtedly be happy to drive you around but their utility as tour guides will be very random - some may know next-to-nothing about the city except major routes, others could be a font of local knowledge. All use meters set by local rules, same for all cab companies, so you'll pay the same rates regardless of who you use.

If you have any specific interests, post some more details and I'm sure you'll get some more focused replies.

Sorry it's taken a few days to reply; been out of town.

 

Yes, you have luggage storage options - while you could do so at the airport, with such a short timeframe going out to YVR and back again would eat too much of your time IMO. That leaves you with the options of:

 

1) Priority Baggage at Canada Place - who will send your bags to YVR for you at a flat rate ($40 for up to 4 bags last year) or store on-site ($7 a bag, a buck or so less if they're small bags) but you have to come back for them by 4pm. I think the former option is good for you, as your flight is late enough the bags will definitely make it out to YVR in plenty of time for you (recommended to be at YVR 3 hours pre-flight for International/US flights, 2 hours for Domestic).

 

Or, 2) ask a hotel bell desk to keep them for the day (most flexible in terms of time you collect them again, but no guarantees - though a preemptive tip offered at the Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront seems to give good results).

 

Must-sees in Vancouver? Stanley Park is a big draw for anyone who appreciates trees, flowers, etc. The park shuttle will probably be running unless you're an early or late season cruiser, and stops at just about everywhere in the park. Local HOHOs all make several stops inside the park now - the Trolley just driving around and the others transferring you from a big bus to a small one for the in-park stops - so you can see the 'big hits' inside the park like the Totem Poles, Rose Gardens, Prospect Point.

 

HOHO may be good in general for you - stops at most major downtown attractions, you can choose to get off and stay around at a particularly interesting stop unlike a regular tour.

 

Our North Shore attractions - Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mountain - could eat up your day if they seem like your kind of places. Free shuttles run from Canada Place, so leaving your bags/returning work well with these sites.

 

You could also easily spend several hours just walking around some of our more interesting neighbourhoods like Gastown, Chinatown, Granville Island.

 

If you want to use taxis, any driver will undoubtedly be happy to drive you around but their utility as tour guides will be very random - some may know next-to-nothing about the city except major routes, others could be a font of local knowledge. All use meters set by local rules, same for all cab companies, so you'll pay the same rates regardless of who you use.

 

If you have any specific interests, post some more details and I'm sure you'll get some more focused replies.

This is great information! We are in the same boat (LOL), except our flight leaves at 5:00 pm, and our ship docks at Ballantyne. Do they have the same luggage storage service? Can you suggest any activities for a family of 3, the youngest being 4 1/2?

Thanks!!

This is great information! We are in the same boat (LOL), except our flight leaves at 5:00 pm, and our ship docks at Ballantyne. Do they have the same luggage storage service? Can you suggest any activities for a family of 3, the youngest being 4 1/2?

 

Thanks!!

Ballantyne does not offer luggage storage - it's rarely used by passenger vessels. A cab to Canada Place would allow use of the storage there, but a 5:00pm flight is too early for the baggage transfer service - they won't get to YVR until "after 4pm" (i.e. after the time you need to be checking them in...)

Since you really should be at the airport by 2pm (US/International flights) for security/check-in/immigration/customs, and you have the hassle of being a little further out of downtown at Ballantyne, I'd be inclined to book a bus tour that will drop you at the airport - the 4 hour versions will fit quite well with that schedule, finishing downtown c.1pm so say 1:30pm at YVR.

If you're set on wandering though storing bags at Canada Place, the VIA rail station, or (no guarantees!) leaving them with bellhops at a convenient hotel (preemptive tip works wonders...) would be your options. I'd be inclined to avoid CP - you'll be fighting with all the other folks getting off at that pier who will be there before you, so the queues may be large.

If Science World interests you/your kids, VIA rail station is ideally-located for a bag drop - but NB: they only have baggage open limited times/days! Just take a cab from Ballantyne and ask for "Pacific Central Station" drop your bags on arrival there (cheaper than CP at $4 a bag vs $7), walk over to Science World, spend a couple of hours, have an early lunch in Athletes Village/Chinatown, grab bags by 1pm and cab or Skytrain to YVR.

With 3 of you, I'd suggest a cab rather than Skytrain just to avoid the hassle of transferring between lines while herding an under 5 and luggage - if your little'un is a good traveler though it's feasible and cheaper (2 adults & 1 concession ticket is $10.75 total for 2 zone travel daytime weekdays; if kid is still under 5 at date of travel = free so only $8). Cab from Pac Central to YVR should be c.$35.

If you'd rather be somewhere else than Scienceworld, I'd suggest trying the bellhops at a hotel nearby that attraction. Without knowing more about you & your group, I'm hesitant to give specific things to do - but plan for an indoor as well as an outdoor option in case of poor weather.