YVR to Downtown Hotel to Cruise Port Advice Please

[Normal 1]

We are a group of 7 (ages 30 - 72)  2 have minor walking challenges.  Will arrive YVR at 6:12 p.m. on Friday 8/25.  Hotel is Holiday Inn/Suites on 1110 Howe st.

 

1. Is Canada Line the best option to get downtown with 7 people/luggage?  3 are able bodied men who can help with luggage.  
2. Is it safe to walk from either Yaletown or Vancouver Center to the Hotel on Howe?
3. Is there a preference for Yaletown or Vancouver Center stations?  Both appear to be a 10 minute walk to hotel
4. Any restaurant recommendations for Friday evening (quick, easy walk from Hotel) or Saturday Morning?  I note a Brekka Bakery nearby for Breakfast as well as a Tim Horton's.  We're not too picky and not all will have breakfast.
5. What is best way to get from Hotel to Cruise Port on Saturday?  
6. Convenience trumps cost if cabs/uber would be easier/more efficient.  Assume the cabs can take 

 

Thank you in advance for your advice.  Really appreciate the locals who lurk (stated tongue in cheek!!) on these boards offering your expertise to us unknowing masses.  

 

 

[GTJ]

1. "Best" is a matter of balancing the interests that are important. It is difficult to say whether SkyTrain is "best" without knowing what makes a transportation option "best" for you. Is SkyTrain practicable? Consider if the group's baggage can be easily handled by those capable of transporting it. Typically, each individual will have a large suitcase on wheels, and if each person can handle their own baggage then all is good. However, it can be cumbersome for one person to wheel two large suitcases for more than a very short distance. Think about what the people in your group are capable of doing. Would your group be able to use Connect Transit, with baggage, back home in Normal-Bloomington (say, the Tan route from the Uptown Station to the Central Illinois Regional Airport)?

 

2. It is both safe and secure to walk between the noted SkyTrain stations and the hotel.

 

3. Vancouver Centre is more commercial, while Yaletown is a bit less commercial, and the choice of the two would then be a matter of personal preference.

 

4. I would likely not make Timmies my breakfast spot, at least in the absence of something more substantial. But if donuts make for your standard breakfast, then go for it. I will leave it to others to provide their favoured breakfast locales.

 

5. This answer depends on your answer to no. 1. If baggage is manageable, then walk. It is a distance of 1.5 km, so about 15 minutes on foot. While there's several bus routes on Granville Street, if you can't manage your baggage then the bus will not be that useful (and besides, you will have to walk to Canada Place anyway once you alight from the bus). So if not manageable, use a taxi . . . it will be relatively inexpensive given the short distance involved.

 

6. Taxis will always be more convenient, but at a cost. Public transportation is almost always more efficient, but with less convenient. I will also note that the relative spaciousness of SkyTrain, compared to many people piled into a confined taxi, might also be a factor to consider. I cannot tell you how to balance the competing interests.

[Milhouse]

My two cents:

It's certainly doable to take the Canada Line and hoofing it to the Holiday Inn but it's likely not the most efficient.  

I feel that end of Granville Street (parallel to Howe Street) is a bit sketchy because there's a bunch of subsidized/social housing along that stretch and there's a bit of spillover.  Personally, I would still feel comfortable hauling my luggage from the station to the hotel; it's relatively high traffic.  But with your group size, it being hot in August, slight uphill if going from the Yaletown/Roundhouse station, etc, I think it would be more ideal to take a cab or rideshare.  Note that from YVR, taxis use zone map pricing so it should be a flat fare of $34 before tip.  Comparatively, it's going to be about ~$8/person from YVR on the Canada Line.  

 

If you do take the Canada Line and get off at Vancouver Centre, I'd probably walk on Howe instead of Granville.  It's a pretty flat/level walk.  Granville has wider sidewalks but there's construction going on here and there blocking the sidewalk, there's a lot of pedestrian traffic to dodge, etc. I think it's shadier along Howe too.  Side note:  Part of Granville Street turns into a bar/club/lounge area during the weekend evenings and all the atmosphere and chaos that goes along with it.  

 

We usually estimate at least an hour from the scheduled landing to being ready to exit the airport:  wait to get off the plane, customs & immigration, and luggage carousel.  And it's about a 30min trip into downtown so you likely won't be in downtown until about 8:00pm.  

 

For dinner Friday, simple and safe would likely be Earl's or Cactus Club in Yaletown somewhat near the skytrain station.  However, being a Friday night, you'll likely need to make (online) reservations ahead of time for many places.  Can provide a better recommendation if more info on preferences/parameters provided.  Some interesting places to eat in Yaletown, along Davie, and around the neighbourhood within reasonable walking distance.  

I've kind of soured a little bit on Brekka because I think their quality has slipped a bit as they've expanded.  But fine to grab a quick bun or pastry in the morning and I'll still go there for a late night snack.  

[SCX22]

The Canada Line is the quickest way to get from YVR to downtown Vancouver.  Just note that there will be a lot of going up and down escalators/stairs and the elevators at the stations aren't the cleanest nor are they always operational.  The Canada Line gets you to City Centre Station in about 20 minutes for C$9.45.  A taxi from YVR will be C$34 flat rate per car anywhere south of Pender Street in Vancouver, and C$38 flat rate per car anywhere north or Pender street (Canada Place).  A taxi might be more convenient, even if you had to hire 2, because of the convenience of the pick up and drop off.  I did notice that there were some van taxis at YVR.

 

The Holiday Inn is not the most centrally located hotel.  If you can, you should find a hotel closer to the Vancouver City Centre Station or Waterfront Station.  It's a short walk from this vicinity to the Canada Place.  From where the Holiday Inn is located, it's more convenient to take a taxi to the Canada Place with luggage than to hop back onto the Canada Line.  Some hotels, such as the Pan Pacific or The EXchange Hotel (both near the Waterfront Station), have last minute specials that pop up if they still have a lot of availability the week of your stay.  

 

Also, if you arrive at the Canada Place before 11:00 a.m., baggage drop off is on Level P2, not on Level CS.  Have your taxi driver drop you off down at Level P2 or if walking to the Canada Place, take the elevators inside the Pan Pacific Hotel to Level P2.

[DEBCAT65]

Looking forward to lots of info.  We just decided to stay in Vancouver after our cruise in Sept.  Just beginning my research.  

[quack2]

The best use of taxi or limos that I've found in my travels is from an airport (or train station) to my hotel.  After traveling several hours, you don't want to be trying to find a hotel in an area you're not familiar with.  Canada Line is great but if your hotel requires any kind of a walk to get from a station to your hotel, I'd take a taxi, limo or uber.

 

I just took the Canada Line last week from YVR to the Pan Pacific.  I was schlepping three bags and even my short walk was exhausting.  But I knew where I was going.

[Normal 1]

Thanks everyone.  We'll grab cabs.  

 

SCX22 - Using Holiday Inn Express due to significant discount but will check EXchange and Pan Pacific the week of to see if there are any 'bargains'.  

 

DEBCAT65 - Capilano Suspension Bridge is a neat way to spend a morning or afternoon if you like that type of thing.  Also, the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park is nice.  

[DEBCAT65]

1 hour ago, Normal 1 said:

Thanks everyone.  We'll grab cabs.  

 

SCX22 - Using Holiday Inn Express due to significant discount but will check EXchange and Pan Pacific the week of to see if there are any 'bargains'.  

 

DEBCAT65 - Capilano Suspension Bridge is a neat way to spend a morning or afternoon if you like that type of thing.  Also, the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park is nice.  

We plan on visiting the aquarium.  Not sure I could handle the suspension bridge, lol. 

[Froufie]

How about the return trip to YVR using the Skytrain - at the waterfront station - how easy/fast is it to get there on debarkation morning with a large suitcase from the cruise terminal?

 

[DaveOKC]

13 hours ago, Froufie said:

How about the return trip to YVR using the Skytrain - at the waterfront station - how easy/fast is it to get there on debarkation morning with a large suitcase from the cruise terminal?

 

We have done this several times using a large suitcase and carrybag (each).  Easy if you have rollers on your bag IMO.  This way we avoid the taxi line and potential traffic, plus the cost was less than $4 each.  We are in our mid-70s and I have some limited walking issues, but still able to do it.

 

[Froufie]

8 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

We have done this several times using a large suitcase and carrybag (each).  Easy if you have rollers on your bag IMO.  This way we avoid the taxi line and potential traffic, plus the cost was less than $4 each.  We are in our mid-70s and I have some limited walking issues, but still able to do it.

 

Thanks - sounds doable!!!