Need ideas/flying out day after cruise.

[chaperonemom]

Our cruise gets into Vancouver on a Sunday morning and couldn't book our flights back home until 6:00 AM Monday morning. So, we (husband & I...mid 50's) are scratching our heads over the best use of time in Vancouver for the day! I could also use some suggestions for transportation. Are cabs the best way to go around the downtown? Would you recommend staying at the airport? We will need to get there by 4:00 AM to make our flight, so I would guess we need a hotel with an airport shuttle! I am wondering if we should just take the HAL shuttle to the airport and pick up a hotel shuttle back to a hotel and stay put all day there. Does anybody have some direction they could suggest? Thanks!

[mapleleaves]

this is the Alaska forum ... if you look on the West Coast departures forum this comes up often .

If you can easily manage your luggage, take the Skytrain out to the airport and stay in that area. Use Left Luggage facility at the Pier until you're ready to check into your hotel. There are MANY things to see and do in Vancouver. It's a beautiful city. I can easily spend a day at Stanley Park ... rent bikes and do the park then go to Granville Island to the market. Look at the city web site for ideas, or read past trip reports.

[Carolina Chuck]

We had the same circumstances this past summer. We stayed at the Vancouver Airport Fairmont. Took the first available transfer to the airport and they allowed us to go ahead and check in so we could drop off our luggage. Beautiful and luxurious hotel. Then we took the train back into downtown Vancouver. Hint, you can by a day pass in the 7-11 store on the bottom level of the airport that is good on trains and busses.

 

We had a 6am flight as well and the bellman took our luggage all the way to the United counter in the airport!

[rjeffler]

My opinion would be to stay downtown near Canada Place and enjoy yourself for the day. We did this in 2010 and have plans again for June. The hop-on/hop-off was great as well as the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Our flight in 2010 was also at 6:00am, but we simply had the front desk arrange a cab for 3:00 am. Our drive to the airport was 30 minutes - no traffic! I don't think there are any downtown hotels that have airport transfers. :(