Vancouver Info if needed

[martincath]

While its hard to argue with the wisdom of the taxi fare estimator, I will say that in some 40+ years of taking cabs from North Vancouver to YVR I have never experienced a fare of over $60 and that is in peak travel times. The cabbies are usually pretty tuned into traffic conditions on either bridge and my experience has been that they will often tell you what they are and ask which bridge you would like to use. Even today if the economics work we will park our car at #1 son's house in NV and cab it.

Even with zero wait time, every light green, literally never stopping the cab for more than 10 seconds to trigger the wait time cost to kick in from beginning until the end - the minimum possible fare based purely on distance is going to be at least $45 from either of those hotels (over 24km to either)... so it's conceivable that you could see a metered fare as low as $50.

 

Unless by 'fare' you mean the meter rate pre-tip, or you're giving a really shabby tip, I think it's unlikely OP is going to end up handing over less than $60 even with good traffic flow - and if the current bridge repairs overrun even a couple of weeks expect an even higher fare...

[Putterdude]

Unless by 'fare' you mean the meter rate pre-tip, or you're giving a really shabby tip, I think it's unlikely OP is going to end up handing over less than $60 even with good traffic flow - and if the current bridge repairs overrun even a couple of weeks expect an even higher fare...

 

By "fare" I always mean the amount that is on the meter....what people tip is their own biz.

[MSN-Travelers]

Thank you, both. May end up in a taxi because my daughter will be roughly 5 months pregnant and I can't see her or my 4'10" wife schlepping their bags on public transit. The will to do that would be there but the physical reality will rear it's ugly head.

 

Silly tourist question . . . The taxi driver will tell us the fare is XX dollars. Is that US or Canadian? (I ask because it is common practice in Barbados for the to just say XX dollars and hope the stupid tourist will pay in USD's vs BD's)

 

And yes, we are staying at the new Pinnacle on the Pier.

Edited April 24, 2016 by MSN-Travelers

[poss]

Putterdude: You don't like to recommend the Westin Bayshore?

[Putterdude]

Putterdude: You don't like to recommend the Westin Bayshore?

 

No, quite the contrary I love the Bayshore. That said, I have enlikened to it a bit of a resort type location. What with it having presence on the Coal Harbour yacht basin, its closeness to Stanely Park and some great restaurants. The only negative is if a person wants to do something in the downtown core it's a $10 cab fare in either direction. That said, and while I haven't checked lately, they have in the past offered a free shuttle to some downtown locations. Also the Capilano Suspension Bridge makes a stop there. So, with that, I am all in with the Bayshore....if it was good enough for Howard Hughes, it's plenty good enough for me.:)

[Putterdude]

Thank you, both. May end up in a taxi because my daughter will be roughly 5 months pregnant and I can't see her or my 4'10" wife schlepping their bags on public transit. The will to do that would be there but the physical reality will rear it's ugly head.

 

Silly tourist question . . . The taxi driver will tell us the fare is XX dollars. Is that US or Canadian? (I ask because it is common practice in Barbados for the to just say XX dollars and hope the stupid tourist will pay in USD's vs BD's)

 

And yes, we are staying at the new Pinnacle on the Pier.

 

Not a silly question at all. The CAD is the only legal tender in Canada so the fare on the meter will be in CAD. Your driver will accept USD, however your change will be in CAD, so keep your bank notes small. The other issue with using USD is that you will not get the full exchange rate on the USD. I would expect that it will be about 10% as it is easy for the driver to calculate. Soooo, my advice would be to use a credit card that doesn't attract foreign transaction fees or go to your bank before you leave home at order some CAD. There are also currency exchanges and ATM at YVR that dispense as you might expect, CAD.:)

[xlxo]

Silly tourist question . . . The taxi driver will tell us the fare is XX dollars. Is that US or Canadian?

He may be quoting you in "Loonies".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loonie

[xlxo]

New to Vancouver and booked a pre-cruise hotel across from Canada Place in North Vancouver. May not be the most convenient place but the non-refundable price was pretty good.

 

I'm looking for recommendations on how to get there from YVR. Party of four adults with bags.

 

Thanks . . .

Looking at your mid-June sailing date from another post.... it's US$284 to stay at the Pinnacle Pier for June 10th.

 

Even with zero wait time, every light green, literally never stopping the cab for more than 10 seconds to trigger the wait time cost to kick in from beginning until the end - the minimum possible fare based purely on distance is going to be at least $45 from either of those hotels (over 24km to either)... so it's conceivable that you could see a metered fare as low as $50.

 

Unless by 'fare' you mean the meter rate pre-tip, or you're giving a really shabby tip, I think it's unlikely OP is going to end up handing over less than $60 even with good traffic flow - and if the current bridge repairs overrun even a couple of weeks expect an even higher fare...

 

I agree the extra trek across Burrard Inlet is not pleasant if one of the bridges is congested.

 

Alternative downtown hotels in that price range, but without risks of bridge congestion on your travel dates....

• $220 Blue Horizon
  
• $255 Coast Plaza Hotel and Suites
  
• $273 Sutton Place
  
• $284 Sutton Place Grande Residence
  
• $298 Delta Vancouver Suites (6 blocks from cruise terminal, with big rooms)
  
• $300 Hampton Inn
  

 

However... as you mentioned.... the Pinnacle room is non-refundable, so it's too late to change.

[Moose12345]

:confused: What is the best and cheapest way for a party of 4 adults to get from Canada Place to YVR? We dock at 7am and our flight leaves at 1:15pm. We will be taking our luggage off ourselves, so we won't have to wait to pick it up.

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this for me!

[Putterdude]

:confused: What is the best and cheapest way for a party of 4 adults to get from Canada Place to YVR? We dock at 7am and our flight leaves at 1:15pm. We will be taking our luggage off ourselves, so we won't have to wait to pick it up.

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this for me!

The least expensive way is to walk with you luggage 3 blocks to Waterfront Station which is the red brick building you will see on your left as you exit Canada Place. Resist the temptation to take the entrance off the Howe St. ramp, walk up to Cordova St. turn left and go in the front door. What you are entering is the old CP Rail station. Once inside the building directions to the Canada Line is very clear. You will want the YVR/Airport train and the fare is $4 pp.

 

The most convenient way is by taxi and it will cost you approximately $35. There is be a cab line as you leave the passenger area and with 4 people and luggage you may have to wait an extra couple of minutes for a van cab, same $35.

 

Either way plan with lines your trip out to YVR will be 35/40 mins so you will be there in plenty of time for your flight.

[dawnmarie386]

Hello Vancouver experts and locals,

 

We will be in Vancouver before leaving on an Alaskan cruise. I would like to use a morning for a bit of sight seeing, specifically to see Stanley Park totems and the lighthouse near Brockton Point and maybe walk to Prospect Point for some photos. My question is this, since the Stanley Park shuttle will not be running yet (June 2-3, 2016) would I be able to have a taxi drop me off to explore and then catch a cab back to my hotel? or can I arrange a pickup at a certain time and place? Other suggestions?

 

Also, how long should I allot for a leisurely tourist stroll through the park from Brockton Point to Prospect Point? Thanks so much!

 

Dawn

[Putterdude]

That's hard to say as everyone is a little different in terms of what they want to see, how much time they want to spend at each attraction and their walking pace. However, I would plan on 3 to 4 hours including your 40+ min walk from Brocton to Prospect Point. Yes, you can take a cab and set up a time for a pick up at Prospect Point for a specific time.

 

Here is a little map showing distance and walk times from Brockton to Prospect Point.

 

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Brockton+Point+Lighthouse,+Vancouver,+BC/Prospect+Point+Cafe,+5601+Stanley+Park+Drive,+Vancouver,+BC+V6G+3E2/@49.3056383,-123.1388298,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x54867196a2e12e1f:0x7af82b7abd246f42!2m2!1d-123.1170299!2d49.300882!1m5!1m1!1s0x548672241f267adf:0xe3c5ca32ae319774!2m2!1d-123.142595!2d49.312677!3e2

[martincath]

Hello Vancouver experts and locals,

 

We will be in Vancouver before leaving on an Alaskan cruise. I would like to use a morning for a bit of sight seeing, specifically to see Stanley Park totems and the lighthouse near Brockton Point and maybe walk to Prospect Point for some photos. My question is this, since the Stanley Park shuttle will not be running yet (June 2-3, 2016) would I be able to have a taxi drop me off to explore and then catch a cab back to my hotel? or can I arrange a pickup at a certain time and place? Other suggestions?

 

Also, how long should I allot for a leisurely tourist stroll through the park from Brockton Point to Prospect Point? Thanks so much!

 

Dawn

You will find a few taxis looking for fares in certain areas of the park, but due to the looping nature of the roads (lots of one-way system) they tend to lurk near the entrance - that way if someone calls, they can get to anywhere rather than being too far around the one-way to get back for a fare.

 

I would be inclined to keep hold of a card, stick a local number in your phone, or install a local taxi app if you plan to use data while you're here. All the firms have them now - although I've had enough good and bad drivers across the board I'm loathe to recommend one company as the best, we've found Vancouver Taxi (the orange fleet) a bit more punctual than others when it comes to prebooking a cab for Time X.

 

Prospect Point is enough of a hill I'd actually get the cab to drop me there, then work my way back diownhill to the lighthouse & totems - from there you can easily walk to the entrance and get a cab which can just zip around the roundabout and come straight back out to town, rather than looping you around the park again (unless of course you want a quick whiz around the bits you haven't seen!)

[3Fluffies]

Do the Hop On/Hop Off trolleys not have multiple stops within Stanley Park? I thought they did, or is this only the Stanley Park shuttle?

[poss]

Ah, I am so disappointed to learn that the shuttle isn't running this month; I hadn't known. Is May not a good time to visit Stanley Park? I hope that hop on does make stops. Last time we were in Vancouver, we were able to do lots and lots of walking in the Park, but can't do more than maybe an hour now. Can anyone suggest the most interesting paths to take, given the fact that we'll be walking over from Westin Bayshore?

 

I'm so excited: We'll be there next weekend!

[Moose12345]

The least expensive way is to walk with you luggage 3 blocks to Waterfront Station which is the red brick building you will see on your left as you exit Canada Place. Resist the temptation to take the entrance off the Howe St. ramp, walk up to Cordova St. turn left and go in the front door. What you are entering is the old CP Rail station. Once inside the building directions to the Canada Line is very clear. You will want the YVR/Airport train and the fare is $4 pp.

 

The most convenient way is by taxi and it will cost you approximately $35. There is be a cab line as you leave the passenger area and with 4 people and luggage you may have to wait an extra couple of minutes for a van cab, same $35.

 

Either way plan with lines your trip out to YVR will be 35/40 mins so you will be there in plenty of time for your flight.

Putterdude, I was told that the taxis charge a flat rate from YVR to hotels and the cruise port, but it was meter rates from Canada Place to YVR. I heard that it can get as high as $60. - $80. per cab ride. Is this true?

[Putterdude]

Putterdude, I was told that the taxis charge a flat rate from YVR to hotels and the cruise port, but it was meter rates from Canada Place to YVR. I heard that it can get as high as $60. - $80. per cab ride. Is this true?

 

Yes the cabs are flat rated at $35 from YVR to Canada Place. They are however meter on the reverse trip, personally I have never payed more than $37. The range I have experienced has been $30 to $37. Could it go higher, I suppose it could if there was an accident on one of the bridges and the taxi was unable to turn around.

[martincath]

Do the Hop On/Hop Off trolleys not have multiple stops within Stanley Park? I thought they did, or is this only the Stanley Park shuttle?

Yes - just nowhere near as many as the park shuttle. IIRC, Trolley has 11 and WestCoast has 6.

Ah, I am so disappointed to learn that the shuttle isn't running this month; I hadn't known. Is May not a good time to visit Stanley Park? I hope that hop on does make stops. Last time we were in Vancouver, we were able to do lots and lots of walking in the Park, but can't do more than maybe an hour now. Can anyone suggest the most interesting paths to take, given the fact that we'll be walking over from Westin Bayshore?

 

I'm so excited: We'll be there next weekend!

There's no such thing as a bad time to visit the park - it's just that until cruise season kicks in, there's simply not enough demand to run the park shuttle! Since you've been before and want to minimise walking, it's tricky to recommend a route - to the Totems & Lighthouse is the obvious one from the Bayshore for a short route, but odds are very high you've seen those already.

 

Spots you are likelier not to have seen already, the more interior spots like Beaver Lake, are uphill and probably too far to get there & back in an hour on foot if you are now walking slower than average pedestrian speed. I think the best suggestion I could make is to loop around Lost Lagoon - it's very flat, pretty, lots of birds, and closer to 45mins than an hour even if you wander off the most direct paths. Ballpark route here - but plenty of options like going a little further into the park and under the wee bridge by the roundabout.

 

Even if you weren't considering a full HOHO, perhaps this will make you reconsider - it's basically the same price for a HOHO around the whole downtown core as an hour long 'carriage' ride in the park! And that carriage is a big trailer with bench seats - budget at least $300 for something romantic for two...

[dawnmarie386]

Thank you both for some well thought out advice. I appreciate your responses.

Thank you!

 

Dawn

[poss]

Martincath: Terrific. Thanks so much. I sure wish that I could do those things on the computer. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, we are technological troglodytes. No smart phones, no apps, etc. etc. Just old fashioned guidebooks and maps.

[brooklynap]

Would you mind telling me the tax rates that are charged for restaurant meals in Vancouver? Thank you very much.

[Aegis1984]

Would you mind telling me the tax rates that are charged for restaurant meals in Vancouver? Thank you very much.

 

As with anywhere else in Canada, every purchase with some exceptions is subject to 5% GST, instituted by the Federal Government. On top of that, there is a provincial sales tax, PST, charged on goods and services. That is 7%, or 10% on liquor. Some things are GST exempt, such as basic groceries, prescription drugs and medical devices. Food for human consumption, books, kids clothing and prescription drugs are PST exempt as well. You'll pay 5% Federal tax but no Provincial tax on meals, and 10% provincial and 5% federal tax on liquor.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Aegis1984

[brooklynap]

So, 5% for the food part of the meal and 15% for the alcohol. Thanks so much!

[Putterdude]

So, 5% for the food part of the meal and 15% for the alcohol. Thanks so much!

 

That is correct....ooch:eek:

[xlxo]

In addition to the 5%... servers expect 20% tip for good service. If you are in a large group of (6?).... the tip is AUTOMATICALLY added to the bill. Do look at your bill closely.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/heres-a-tip-20-gratuity-may-be-the-new-15

 

Some of the food courts in Richmond will include the 5% in the price. This avoids handling change.

 

Don't get us started on "gas taxes".... many of us are being forced to gas up weekly in the USA.