Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite (part 2)

[Aunt Tina]

We are cruising on the Infinity in September from Vancouver to San Francisco. Air fares from Rochester to Seattle are much cheaper than Rochester to Vancouver. Is it possible to take a train, shuttle or bus to Vancouver from Seattle if we arrive a day or two early? Is it a reasonable thing to do?

Thanks for any info!

Chris

[mapleleaves]

We are cruising on the Infinity in September from Vancouver to San Francisco. Air fares from Rochester to Seattle are much cheaper than Rochester to Vancouver. Is it possible to take a train, shuttle or bus to Vancouver from Seattle if we arrive a day or two early? Is it a reasonable thing to do?

Thanks for any info!

Chris

 

Very easy to do, altho some options are easier than others.

Amtrak Cascades train is the most scenic but other options include: Greyhound bus, Quick Shuttle, Bolt Bus, rental car.

Some of the depot locations may require a taxi to reach the pier/airport but none are more than a 20 minute cab ride away.

[xlxo]

We are cruising on the Infinity in September from Vancouver to San Francisco. Air fares from Rochester to Seattle are much cheaper than Rochester to Vancouver. Is it possible to take a train, shuttle or bus to Vancouver from Seattle if we arrive a day or two early? Is it a reasonable thing to do?

Yes a significant number of travelers will use Seattle's airport for savings. $60 on the Quick Shuttle will take you into between Vancouver and the SeaTac. There are 6 to 7 daily trips to fit your schedule.

http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm

 

Things to consider....

• Vancouver is 30 minutes from the airport to the cruise terminal.
  
• SeaTac is 5 hours of travel. More time for those transferring to the train from the airport to the downtown Seattle. The Amtrak train runs only twice a day and will not fit most traveler's schedule.
  

[Putterdude]

Just some further notes on transfers from Canada Place to SeaTac are:

 

- Quick Coach offers scheduled service directly from Canada Place during the cruise season.

 

- Many cruisers enjoy spending the day in Vancouver then taking the Amtrak Cascades to Seattle in the late afternoon or even the next morning.

 

- your cruise line will likely offer a shuttle from Canada Place to SeaTac and while seamless, it is likely more expensive than Quick Coach.

 

-there is the option of renting a car and driving to SeaTac, all of the large rental companies are represented in close proximity to Canada and will shuttle you to their location. National/Alamo have a location at Canada Place in the Pan Pacific. One not of caution would be canvas the companies re drop charges.

[Aunt Tina]

I will check these out. Others on our cruise are going to do it. I appreciate your help!

Chris

[Ayton lady]

We are due to spend a few days in Vancouver before our cruise this summer and were planning on using the buses around town. Now that the books of 10 tickets have been stopped and the pay cash is being stopped how do short term tourists pay please?

[martincath]

We are due to spend a few days in Vancouver before our cruise this summer and were planning on using the buses around town. Now that the books of 10 tickets have been stopped and the pay cash is being stopped how do short term tourists pay please?

Cash isn't stopping - it remains on all buses, as do FareSaver tickets if you have some from a previous trip. If you plan to use transit a lot, especially if it might not just be buses, it's best to buy a Compass Card (like London's Oyster Card if you know that one?) which gets you a cheaper fare, e.g. $2.10 for a single Zone instead of $2.75 in cash, equivalent to the old FareSaver cost.

 

The new vending machines are in place at all the Skytrain stations, and you can also buy cards preloaded with varying amounts at the same vendors who used to sell FareSavers. The card itself costs a refundable $6, but also includes that much as 'emergency credit' which means you can always take one trip somewhere using the inherent value of the card (max one fare is $5.50). As soon as you use it, you must reload the card before you can use it again.

 

There are now fare gates in stations, and pretty obvious 'tap pads' on buses by the driver - tap your compass card and the gate opens/amount deducted and amount left on the card displays on the screen. At the end of your trip, tap out again at the gates and you'll see a refund of part of your fare (just like Oyster, it initially bills you the max fare then when you tap out it refunds the difference) - although for buses the system has failed in epic fashion on tapping out, so they have abandoned it. Buses now only charge for 1 zone 24/7, so you only ever get charged $2.10 and never have to tap out when getting off.

 

Lots of rider guides, FAQs, videos etc. on the links above about using Compass if my basic info above isn't detailed enough for you.

[Ayton lady]

Thanks for the prompt reply. That is just the info that I needed. Trust me to get the wrong end of the stick as we say here. If we can pay cash in the correct money we will just do that for travel around downtown. Not sure that we will use the sky train as we are staying in an Airbnb in Kitsilano and the bus routes look great. Thanks again.

[martincath]

Thanks for the prompt reply. That is just the info that I needed. Trust me to get the wrong end of the stick as we say here. If we can pay cash in the correct money we will just do that for travel around downtown. Not sure that we will use the sky train as we are staying in an Airbnb in Kitsilano and the bus routes look great. Thanks again.

No worries - and if you're based in Kits then yes, buses are pretty much the be-all and end-all for transit options.

 

One minor warning for you though - AirBnB and similar services are unlawful in Vancouver for any rental less than 30 days. Only licensed hotels and B&Bs are allowed to rent accommodations for shorter periods. There's some consultation happening to potentially allow the 'sharing economy' to happen legally in BC, and AirBnB was specifically mentioned in the docs, but the wheels of politics grind slowly so I doubt even if things change they'll change in time for this cruise season!

 

Enforcement of the current laws is minimal (poorly resourced) and based on complaints (i.e. if a guest before you annoys the neighbours and they complain to the city the owner may have to pull their apartment/house from the site at potentially very short notice). The risk is much increased if it's a Condo (many now have Bylaws forbidding short rentals and prohibitive fines that guarantee anyone caught WILL stop, and all those with such bylaws have them because the majority of residents do not want the rentals happening, thus being reported for renting your unit is pretty much guaranteed).

 

Since you're in Kits I'd guess it's likely a townhome or basement suite in a private home rather than a condo so the risk would be very, very low but I simply don't feel right not mentioning it!

[liptastic]

Hi, I would like to ask for your advice re transport to hotel.

We arrive at about 1830 hrs and likely after customs no baggage claim would be looking for transport about 1930hrs? our date is a Monday in August and we are having a few nights pre cruise at the Four Seasons Hotel. Is it easy enough to get a taxi or would we be better to arrange prior to arrival?

Thank you for your help and advice, Jean.

[xlxo]

Taxi for $31 (USD $24) carload door to door service. Lots of taxi's available at airport to hotel transfers.

Edited April 2, 2016 by xlxo

[Putterdude]

Hi, I would like to ask for your advice re transport to hotel.

We arrive at about 1830 hrs and likely after customs no baggage claim would be looking for transport about 1930hrs? our date is a Monday in August and we are having a few nights pre cruise at the Four Seasons Hotel. Is it easy enough to get a taxi or would we be better to arrange prior to arrival?

Thank you for your help and advice, Jean.

 

There is cab queue at YVR, just bear left as you leave the customs are and exit the terminal. There are cabs there 24/7 so no reservation is necessary. The flat rate to the Four Seasons will be $31 CAD. The cab drivers will accept Visa and MasterCard as well as USD, however if you are paying with a credit card your bank may levy a foreign transaction fee as well as the exchange rate....and if paying with USD you will not get full advantage of the current exchange rate and will likely receive your change in CAD so it would be advisable to keep your bank notes small.

[liptastic]

Thanks for the prompt replies. We will be paying in Canadian $ so that sounds fine. Thanks Jean.

[martincath]

The only note I'd add to the above Jean is that most local cabs are Toyota Prius, so they hold three adults with typical cruise luggage. If you have a party of four, you'll need to wait a couple of minutes extra for a minivan cab that will hold you and your luggage (same price).

 

A bigger group can of course take multiple cabs, but there are also fixed-rate limos of various size that also operate on a walk-up basis just like the cabs. Price link here (it's the Downtown/Kits zone you want). With five+ people, a limo of the appropriate size can be just as economical as multiple cabs and of course a bit comfier.

[Putterdude]

Well to the above I would simply add that I have observed 4 average sized adults with a normal amount of cruise luggage fit in the Prius cabs....I am sure that it was a bit crowded but they all fit together with their luggage and they did not even look sideways...much to my amazement. :)

[liptastic]

The only note I'd add to the above Jean is that most local cabs are Toyota Prius, so they hold three adults with typical cruise luggage. If you have a party of four, you'll need to wait a couple of minutes extra for a minivan cab that will hold you and your luggage (same price).

 

A bigger group can of course take multiple cabs, but there are also fixed-rate limos of various size that also operate on a walk-up basis just like the cabs. Price link here (it's the Downtown/Kits zone you want). With five+ people, a limo of the appropriate size can be just as economical as multiple cabs and of course a bit comfier.

 

Thanks Martincath, it's just the 2 of us, but I don't travel light dare I admit that but we will most likely have 3 cases between us so that sounds fine for comfort for us. We have not been to Vancouver since 2008 and are looking forward to a couple of days pre cruise. Jean.

[Dawanda1]

Skytrain is very convenient for to/from the concert - no need to change lines so very easy. Many people will be coming in from the burbs for the gig, so there should be plenty of foot traffic, but the default Google directions forget that you can exit at the bottom of the station as well as the top on foot and are not the best. Leaving through the lower exit brings you out onto Expo Blvd, which you can follow to the right, cross at the lights onto Griffiths and be right at BC Place - ignore door suggestions, just walk in the closest one and circle around the interior.

 

Just walking the whole way is under a mile - route here (and Google's recommended route, with the blue dots, is the one I'd also recommend as it goes basically straight down Robson one of our busiest streets so safety is not going to be a concern).

 

Everywhere to dine at or close to the stadium will be pretty busy on a concert night - and the kid-friendly ones are going to be PACKED with all the Swifties I wager. I would get dinner en route from the hotel instead then head down for the concert.

 

Following Google directions you'll walk right past the sit-down Japadog - their other 'branches' are little carts. This is one of very few uniquely Vancouvery food options, is definitely fun and kid friendly. For dessert I suggest BeardPapa cream puffs from next door. If you just can't bring yourself to eat hotdogs for dinner, VietSub just the other side does outstanding Banh Mi sandwiches - and if you want something a tad more substantial, Memphis Blues BBQ is the next block down and also offers messy, kid-friendly dinners that I'm sure TayTay would approve of being a part-time Tennessee gal...

 

Our flight gets in at noon. We are looking for some key things to do. We only have a half of day we leave for cruise in the morning. Also looking for good restaurant Ideas we are staying at the Shearton Wall Center. I was give 2 restaurants for breakfast Nero Balegian Waffles and Two Parrots Perch and Grill

[martincath]

Our flight gets in at noon. We are looking for some key things to do. We only have a half of day we leave for cruise in the morning. Also looking for good restaurant Ideas we are staying at the Shearton Wall Center. I was give 2 restaurants for breakfast Nero Balegian Waffles and Two Parrots Perch and Grill

I've heard good things about Two Parrots but can't personally vouch. Twisted Fork is directly en route between the Sheraton and Two Parrots, and it's very popular for brunch; Medina is further but still only 1km, and has the most in-demand breakfast/brunch in the city by far (and by far the best waffles - have the lavender chocolate sauce on them).

 

On the lunch/dinner front, Guu has a branch within a block of you (local Izakaya chain, good way to try Japanese food as they offer a wide range in small plates so you can sample many). Any of the Granville Street eateries are an easy walk - it's mostly mediocre pub grub and god-awful pizzas aimed at feeding drunks post-clubbing, but there are some worthy exceptions like the Fish Shack (great for Fish & Chips, many different kinds like my fave Haddock as well as local staples cod and halibut) or Shuraku for sushi. What kind of things do you and your group like to eat? What's your budget?

 

From the Sheraton you can walk to at least a hundred downtown restos easily, with styles and budgets that are all over the map so an indication of the best things for you really helps with recommendations... likewise with things to see, we have pretty much everything you could ever want to do in Vancouver and you don't have anywhere near enough time to see it all, so homing in on the most likely stuff that will wow you is much easier with some idea of the kind of things you like.

 

Remember you also have embarkation morning, especially if you aren't one of the folks who MUST be onboard ASAP - you can easily fit in a couple of sights and lunch before boarding.

[Putterdude]

Our flight gets in at noon. We are looking for some key things to do. We only have a half of day we leave for cruise in the morning. Also looking for good restaurant Ideas we are staying at the Shearton Wall Center. I was give 2 restaurants for breakfast Nero Balegian Waffles and Two Parrots Perch and Grill

 

While I have no idea of your interests, 2 of the most popular attractions in Vancouver would be the Capilano Suspension Bridge which can be accessed by transit or by their free shuttle, the shuttle schedule is included on their website. The CSB is something that you may care to take in on the afternoon of your arrival.

 

https://www.capbridge.com/

 

The next morning you may care to walk down to Stanley Park. The park is extremely large, 1,000 acres. so there is no way that you are going to take it all in in a few hours. However, many of the parks attractions are on the east side of the park and all very walkable.

 

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

[ORV]

Well to the above I would simply add that I have observed 4 average sized adults with a normal amount of cruise luggage fit in the Prius cabs....I am sure that it was a bit crowded but they all fit together with their luggage and they did not even look sideways...much to my amazement. :)

 

Not trying to be argumentative but as someone that has owned a Prius I find this hard to accept. Unless the cabs are a special size Prius. For us when we would go on a vacation with two 26" cases, 2 carry on's and 2 personal items(not a lot of luggage for a 10+ day trip) we would have to put at least a couple of the cases in the back seat, or lay the back seats down. No way that the luggage just for the two of up fits in the cargo section of a standard Prius, much less for 4. Only way this would work is if maybe each of the four only brought a very small carry on and a small personal item.

[Putterdude]

Not trying to be argumentative but as someone that has owned a Prius I find this hard to accept. Unless the cabs are a special size Prius. For us when we would go on a vacation with two 26" cases, 2 carry on's and 2 personal items(not a lot of luggage for a 10+ day trip) we would have to put at least a couple of the cases in the back seat, or lay the back seats down. No way that the luggage just for the two of up fits in the cargo section of a standard Prius, much less for 4. Only way this would work is if maybe each of the four only brought a very small carry on and a small personal item.

 

I have no personal experience of getting more than 2 people in a Prius....by the way Dudette travels with a folding wheelchair..... however, on more than one occasion. as stated in the earlier post, I have observed 4 average sized people with their luggage all getting in a Prius taxi. Having said that, I have not counted their luggage or measured the size of the suitcases....and the first time I saw it I was nothing short of amazed.

[martincath]

I assumed the folks PD mentioned had modest sized suitcases such that all 4 fit in the trunk and then backpack/small carryons would be held on laps. Possible, but far from comfortable!

 

Vancouver is IIRC the skinniest city in the US or Canada, so four average locals who pack efficiently might well be able to take a regular cab without too much trauma. I know when we get liquored up in friends houses that are too far to walk home from, as long as it's me up front with the driver the missus and two typical Vancouverites buddies can all fit in the back and do up their seatbelts (if I was back there, no chance a third person is fitting though!)

[Urban trekker]

"god-awful pizzas aimed at feeding drunks post-clubbing,"

 

Or some of us who live there and are too lazy to walk very far or who aren't caring about their diabetes or don't have a food gourmets taste.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

[martincath]

"god-awful pizzas aimed at feeding drunks post-clubbing,"

 

Or some of us who live there and are too lazy to walk very far or who aren't caring about their diabetes or don't have a food gourmets taste.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

If you aren't as fussy as me then mediocre pub-grub is going to work just fine & dandy - but nobody deserves to suffer through a Granville St pizza... ;-)

[Dawanda1]

I've heard good things about Two Parrots but can't personally vouch. Twisted Fork is directly en route between the Sheraton and Two Parrots, and it's very popular for brunch; Medina is further but still only 1km, and has the most in-demand breakfast/brunch in the city by far (and by far the best waffles - have the lavender chocolate sauce on them).

 

On the lunch/dinner front, Guu has a branch within a block of you (local Izakaya chain, good way to try Japanese food as they offer a wide range in small plates so you can sample many). Any of the Granville Street eateries are an easy walk - it's mostly mediocre pub grub and god-awful pizzas aimed at feeding drunks post-clubbing, but there are some worthy exceptions like the Fish Shack (great for Fish & Chips, many different kinds like my fave Haddock as well as local staples cod and halibut) or Shuraku for sushi. What kind of things do you and your group like to eat? What's your budget?

 

From the Sheraton you can walk to at least a hundred downtown restos easily, with styles and budgets that are all over the map so an indication of the best things for you really helps with recommendations... likewise with things to see, we have pretty much everything you could ever want to do in Vancouver and you don't have anywhere near enough time to see it all, so homing in on the most likely stuff that will wow you is much easier with some idea of the kind of things you like.

 

Remember you also have embarkation morning, especially if you aren't one of the folks who MUST be onboard ASAP - you can easily fit in a couple of sights and lunch before boarding.

 

Thank you so much

We normally don't set a budget when we're on vacation. My husband and I are okay with spending $50.00 person on dinner. I've made reservation at the Fish Shake.