11:15pm flight out of Vancouver?

I am researching possible flights for my Alaskan cruise next summer and found a red-eye leaving Vancouver at 11:15pm. I like this idea because it will allow me to tour Vancouver for the day after leaving the cruise, without having to get a hotel room, and arrive home early the next morning. (I will have a hubby and kids to get home to!)

Vancouver (and all of Canada, for that matter!) is new for me. The flight would route me through Toronto and then down to Nashville. Is Vancouver like typical airports, where arriving 1 or 1 1/2 hours prior to fight time is sufficient? How far is the airport from downtown and I assume taxis are easy to come by?

Of course, I will have at least one large piece of luggage with me. I have other family traveling with me who will be staying at the Executive Hotel Le Soleil. I am hoping to be able to store my luggage with theirs during the day and then go back to retrieve it in the evening.

Is the Executive Hotel convenient to the hoho trolley or other public transportation to attractions such as Stanley Park or Granville Island? I am thinking we will go straight from the ship to the hotel, drop off the luggage, and then set out to tour for the day. I will be traveling with my 81 year old grandmother, so we will not want to be walking all day.

Any ideas or suggestions to this plan would be greatly appreciated!

I am researching possible flights for my Alaskan cruise next summer and found a red-eye leaving Vancouver at 11:15pm. I like this idea because it will allow me to tour Vancouver for the day after leaving the cruise, without having to get a hotel room, and arrive home early the next morning. (I will have a hubby and kids to get home to!)

 

Vancouver (and all of Canada, for that matter!) is new for me. The flight would route me through Toronto and then down to Nashville. Is Vancouver like typical airports, where arriving 1 or 1 1/2 hours prior to fight time is sufficient? How far is the airport from downtown and I assume taxis are easy to come by?

 

Of course, I will have at least one large piece of luggage with me. I have other family traveling with me who will be staying at the Executive Hotel Le Soleil. I am hoping to be able to store my luggage with theirs during the day and then go back to retrieve it in the evening.

 

Is the Executive Hotel convenient to the hoho trolley or other public transportation to attractions such as Stanley Park or Granville Island? I am thinking we will go straight from the ship to the hotel, drop off the luggage, and then set out to tour for the day. I will be traveling with my 81 year old grandmother, so we will not want to be walking all day.

 

Any ideas or suggestions to this plan would be greatly appreciated!

For a domestic flight (Toronto), 90 minutes should be good. From downtown to the airport, the Skytrain (subway) is the fastest and cheapest way to go; $2.75/ea vs $35+tip for a taxi is a significant savings. It's about a 2½ block way from your hotel to the Granville City Centre station, on the Canada Line, which goes to the airport.

Hello Renee,

I can't comment on the trolley, but I would start in Granville Island after dropping off your luggage. You can grab a nice lunch there and visit some of the art galleries and craft shops there.

From there I would visit Stanley Park. There might be a bit of walking though. One thing you can do there though is go to Prospect Point and watch your cruise ship leave on its next voyage as it passes under the Lions Gate Bridge.

Renee, here's a link to the Vancouver Trolley Company route. It looks like one of their stops could be close enough to the hotel to walk to. That would be a great way to spend a few hours, see the remarkable City of Vancouver and let you get off where you want to.

I agree with chrismakris that Granville Island should be one of the places you get off. The Public Market there is such fun, and the view of Vancouver toward the north, across False Creek, is an architectural delight. I also suggest spending some time walking around Canada Place. Unlike so many U.S. ports, at Canada Place you can walk around the outside of the building and be very close to the ships in port that day.

You might want to talk to the folks at Vancouver Trolley Company to see which stop would be best for you to board. The people at the hotel might also guide you.

There is a wonderful IMAX type theater right above the cruise terminal with a film and Disney style ride (very gentle but fun). I found the sky train very easy to use, even with luggage. There is a carriage ride through Stanley Park which is very nice.

For a domestic flight (Toronto), 90 minutes should be good. From downtown to the airport, the Skytrain (subway) is the fastest and cheapest way to go; $2.75/ea vs $35+tip for a taxi is a significant savings. It's about a 2½ block way from your hotel to the Granville City Centre station, on the Canada Line, which goes to the airport.

The airport in Vancouver is divided into 3 areas: Domestic, International and Transbaorder (US flights).

The flight to Toronto is a domestic flight and that time of night the domestic area will be very quiet, that time of day lineups will usually be very short.

The official Air Canada cut-off times for a domestic flight is 90 minutes for check-in; 45 minutes for baggage drop off. (http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/checkin.html). There are check-in machines in the lobby of many of the Canada line stations, so you may be able to check in before you get on the train.

There is a wonderful IMAX type theater right above the cruise terminal with a film and Disney style ride (very gentle but fun). I found the sky train very easy to use, even with luggage. There is a carriage ride through Stanley Park which is very nice.

Fly Over Canada opened early summer and seems to be getting consistently good reviews in terms of the quality of the experience - though the *value* may not be as great... it's an 8 minute ride just like Soarin' at Disney and clocks in at $15-$20 a head depending on age. With the film and 'safety briefing' it clocks in at 30 minutes total time.