Canada Place to Vancouver Airport via Skytrain (subway)

This is current information as of September, 2012. We just returned from our first cruise, which was round trip from Vancouver. Of course, the Celebrity Century departed and arrived at Canada Place, the main cruise ship dock in Vancouver.

We used the Skytrain (subway) from Canada Place to YVR, the Vancouver airport. The cost was 3.75$ (Canadian), and it took about 30 minutes. It is an easy walk, and a great way to save at least 25$ each. (For some reason I do not know there is a 5$ surcharge from YVR to Canada Place, but not in the other direction.)

It is an easy 5-10 minute walk to the Skytrain station from Canada place, even dragging 3 roller bags. There is plenty of room for bags on the subway. It discharges you right near the international terminal at the airport.

Directions:

Canada Place

999 Canada Place

Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1, Canada

1. Head northwest on Canada Pl toward Burrard St 400 m

2. Continue onto Thurlow St 210 m

3. Turn left onto W Pender St. Destination will be on the right 90 m

SkyTrain

1050 West Pender Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 4T3, Canada

If you want to take a cab there are a lot to choose from at the terminal. Be careful about using a porter at the terminal, because they are not allowed to take the rental luggage carts out of the terminal.

Just reverse if you are coming from YVR to Canada Place. The Skytrain has specific stops for both YVR and Canada Place.

Hope this helps.

Mike

Mike, thank you for taking this time to provide this information.

Keith

I am a native Vancouverite and I am sorry I have no idea where the OP would have got those directions to the Canada Line. Here is a map that clearly shows the relationship of Waterfront Station (the terminus of the Canada Line from YVR) and Canada Place. http://www.translink.ca/~/media/documents/schedules_and_maps/stn_exch/waterfront.ashx, at most it is a 3 block walk. The one thing the poster has correct is the fare, it is $8.75 from YVR to Waterfront Station and $3.75 for the return with discounts on weekends and holidays. Incidentally, a cab fare from YVR to Canada Place is about $35 in total, not $25 per person.

The directions are from Google Maps, as well as my memory of the walk last week. It is about 3 blocks, but since blocks are different in different cities I felt the approximate distances would be helpful.

SkyTrain is a beautiful system but is not doable for all. You need to be able to manage all of your own luggage and whatever etc you are hauling along.

Unfortunately many cruise passengers have so much stuff they cannot do SkyTrain.

Mike, great directions. How long did it take to actually get off the ship? I'm looking into if the skytrain will work for us and trying to determine the earliest flight out I can book if we use the skytrain.

Our ship docks at 7:30 am on sat Sept 7 2013. Do you have to purchase tickets in advance of taking the skytrian from Canada Place to the airport? how does that work>?

The directions are from Google Maps, as well as my memory of the walk last week. It is about 3 blocks, but since blocks are different in different cities I felt the approximate distances would be helpful.

Google Maps do occasionally error with their directions. Please look at the transit services map I have provided earlier if you are catching either the Canada Line to YVR or SkyTrain to points east of Vancouver. Your directions will take them six blocks west of Waterfront Station which is the closest station to Canada Place about 3 blocks. Another flaw in the directions is that Burrard St. and Thurlow St. run parallel with one another and at no point intersect.

While I can't quite figure out what a person would be doing on Thrulow St. looking for a SkyTrain station, what you may have provided is an indirect route to the Burrard Station of SkyTrain where your options are to return to Waterfront Station and fight your way thru the station to the Canada Line or going miles east to the suburb of Surrey. Be assured that there is no line to YVR from Burrard Station.

We too did this trip both from yvr to Canada place and vice versa. My husband was very uncertain of attempting the journey but I had researched it! Yes it's $5 extra FROM the airport only not TO! And it's perfectly doable! We had two trolley cases each and my handbag and hub had a rucksack. At no point did we have to lift any cases up stairs or steps. And it's a turn left out of Canada place and follow the road round to waterfront station (not the first entrance as you need the Canada Line not the skytrain!) but around the corner (it is signposted appropriately) Everyone was mega helpful in asking if we needed advice or assistance. There are machines to pay both in the airport and in the waterfront station to purchase tickets either by cash or card.

Hope this is helpful and to be considered.

Sorry, I did not realize that Canada Line and Skytrain are different. As someone else mentioned, it is well signed and we just followed the signs to the airport.

Dawn: We had a 2:00 flight, were allowed off the ship at about 9:00 and were through disembark, customs and everything else in about 20-30 minutes. Took about the same amount of time to arrive at the airport. (We actually got there before some who had arranged transfers through the ship.) We had 3 drag bags and had no problem at all.

Also, it took us a few minutes to figure out that you purchase your tickets from machines. They take Canadian bills and coins. The fare to the airport is zone 3. Interestingly enough, they were not taking tickets at all and all the turnstiles were fixed in open position. I have no idea why.

The turnstiles are new - they are being installed over the coming months and not yet operational as public pressure has forced the operating authority to cut down on the cheats who are abusing the system by not paying - whether the expenditure of over a $100M is worth it remains to be seen as the $$$$ amounts of abuse are opened to debate.

I am pretty sure it is only 2 zones to the airport

Cheers.

Dennis

Thanks Ut, yes, the airport (YVR) from Vancouver is a 2 zone fare and costs $3.75 (there are discounts for seniors and on weekend and holidays). If traveling from YVR to downtown there is a $5 convenience fee added to the fare making the total fare $8.75 but it is only in that direction. The ticket vending machines will only accept $CDN but will accept Visa & Mastercard and most US ATM cards.

Now just to add to the confusion, you can avoid the $5 airport convenience fee buy purchasing a 2 zone booklet of 10 FareSaver tickets for $31.50 but if 2 people are only using the tickets for going to and from YVR this purchase makes no economic sense.

The Canada Line is a great option. Clean, quick, cheap and easy. The only consideration would be luggage. The terminal is not far at all from Canada Place, but as I recall it is quite a trek once inside the terminal. Perhaps I took the wrong entrance!

Sorry, I did not realize that Canada Line and Skytrain are different. As someone else mentioned, it is well signed and we just followed the signs to the airport.

 

Dawn: We had a 2:00 flight, were allowed off the ship at about 9:00 and were through disembark, customs and everything else in about 20-30 minutes. Took about the same amount of time to arrive at the airport. (We actually got there before some who had arranged transfers through the ship.) We had 3 drag bags and had no problem at all.

 

Also, it took us a few minutes to figure out that you purchase your tickets from machines. They take Canadian bills and coins. The fare to the airport is zone 3. Interestingly enough, they were not taking tickets at all and all the turnstiles were fixed in open position. I have no idea why.

Just to answer a few questions you had.

Skytrain is the name given to the entire light rail system; and encompasses three lines;

• Expo Line - The original line which goes to Burnaby, New Westminster and on to Surrey (elevated except the three downtown city stations)
  
• Millennium Line - Follows the original tracks to New Westminster, and then circles back toward Vancouver through North/Central Burnaby (again, all elevated except the three downtown city stations)
  
• Canada Line - Heads south from Vancouver to Richmond and YVR Airport (two branches in Richmond). Underground for most of Vancouver, elevated line when it crosses the Fraser River and in Richmond
  

Leaving Canada Place, you'll notice an escalator 1/2 block from the entrance of Canada Place, this leads to the expo/millenium platforms and unfortunately doesn't help if you're going to the airport. You need to go past this escalator, turn left and walk two more blocks to the Waterfront station complex.

the airport is in zone 2, not three (three zones is for the far eastern and southern suburbs such as Surrey, Delta, Tsawwassen)

The new faregates that are being installed will be in full operation early next year. Currently fare enforcement is done via random checks; and a hefty fine if you fail to produce a valid ticket.

Mike, great directions. How long did it take to actually get off the ship? I'm looking into if the skytrain will work for us and trying to determine the earliest flight out I can book if we use the skytrain.

We were on the Radiance this August and did the self disembark at 7:30. (carry your own luggage) We got in line early and were one of the first 100 off the ship. Breezed through Canadian Customs and into a waiting taxi with no traffic issues on the way to the airport. ($40 US with generous tip) Checked in at the airline counter, went through airport security and cleared US Customs at 8:35.

Keep in mind all of the stars must have been lined up for us that day and we were the only cruise ship in port that morning.

We were on the Radiance this August and did the self disembark at 7:30. (carry your own luggage) We got in line early and were one of the first 100 off the ship. Breezed through Canadian Customs and into a waiting taxi with no traffic issues on the way to the airport. ($40 US with generous tip) Checked in at the airline counter, went through airport security and cleared US Customs at 8:35.

 

Keep in mind all of the stars must have been lined up for us that day and we were the only cruise ship in port that morning.

While probably not a record you nonetheless did very well.

With ordinary disembarkation I would try to avoid a flight out of Vancouver before 1130.