Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite

[Putterdude]

Sanjim should note that the Vancouver Trolley does not make it's first stop in Stanley Park until 9:30 am, which may make it not the best solution for the park on the morning of a cruise however that said even the Horse Drawn Carriage doesn't start until 9:40 am.

[sanjim]

Thanks guys, I should note that the cruise does not leave till 6 PM , We probably will not board till about 2,

[vbmom87]

Every bike rental provides locks and helmets (the latter are required in Vancouver and the former just sensible), and you should find yourself constantly falling over bike racks anywhere around downtown or the various buildings in the park.

 

Do the various points where you can stop, eg.: Aquarium, Totem Poles, Prospect Point, etc. have racks where you can lock up the bikes?

 

I am trying to help my DD and her fiance figure out a good plan for their time in Vancouver. They will have one full day before and after a cruise. They like outdoorsy activities and scenery. Since the Stanley Park shuttle isn't running yet, they would be interested in biking. I know we loved our time in Stanley Park. We were there from about 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., but we had a car.

Edited January 29, 2013 by vbmom87

[martincath]

All those spots should have bike racks - they might be in the nearest car parking area rather than right next to the attraction though (I think last time I was at the Rose Garden I had to walk maybe a hundred yards back from the nearest rack). Since you said they're going to be in town when the shuttle isn't running yet they shouldn't run into any problems with bike racks being full - it tends to be during the height of summer when there's a special event on that bike parking gets difficult.

[martincath]

Sanjim should note that the Vancouver Trolley does not make it's first stop in Stanley Park until 9:30 am, which may make it not the best solution for the park on the morning of a cruise however that said even the Horse Drawn Carriage doesn't start until 9:40 am.

Welcome back PD.

 

A sensible caveat, which fortunately doesn't impact Sanjim! Actually the park shuttle is worse than the regular HoHo - in 2012 it went to an 11am start time, so for anyone wanting to see the park on the morning they embark it's utterly useless. Hopefully when they confirm the start date & time for 2012 it will start earlier again.

[scottbee]

Every bike rental provides locks and helmets (the latter are required in Vancouver and the former just sensible), and you should find yourself constantly falling over bike racks anywhere around downtown or the various buildings in the park.

 

Further to Sanjim's note, the regular HoHo Trolley does make several stops inside the park all year round - it's just the Park Shuttle that only runs in high season. If you were already considering a HoHo tour during your stay it's a quite feasible way to experience the highlights of the park (but terrible value if the park is the only part of the tour you want to do of course! Assuming a HoHo does work for you though, the regular trolley stops will probably be enough especially for just one morning - Totem Poles, Rose Garden and Prospect Point are all worth getting off to take photos and wait for the next trolley, so that's an hour gone already even if you don't get off at the Aquarium, Tea House or Fish House stops.

 

The #19 STANLEY PARK city bus starts its morning schedule to Stanley Park departing from downtown (W.Pender @ Granville) at 05:43am, and then roughly every 10 minutes. Cost is $2.75 for a 90 minute ticket. While the city bus doesn't do the full loop, it will get you to the park, and do it early in the morning.

[richfrommo]

:)

I have been away for several weeks so am a bit late into this. However some thoughts would be to make a refundable reservation at the Comfort Inn and then watch Hotwire and do some bidding on Priceline as you may well end up with a better hotel at better rate. In incidentally, I was once very involved in the re-make of that hotel and frankly it would be very low on my "stay list"

 

The Vancouver Trolley is a great way to see a lot of Vancouver in a short period of time. What we tend to do with HOHOs is do the full loop(s) then go back and visit what we really want to see. As for Granville Island, there is much to the Island then just the market and if you want to take it all in then I would be inclined to budget about 3 hrs....with maybe about 30 mins or so for the Public Market, as you are not likely going to be purchasing much there.

 

Thinking about staying at Best Western downtown in June 2013. Anybody have any thoughts on this hotel as far as quality closest to downtown area and Stanley Park ? :)

[martincath]

:)

 

Thinking about staying at Best Western downtown in June 2013. Anybody have any thoughts on this hotel as far as quality closest to downtown area and Stanley Park ? :)

 

If you're sticking to Best Western for points or whatever, BW Downtown is probably the best overall option - it's just off Granville St so should be a little quieter than the Chateau Granville. If you're primarily interested in being near the Park, the BW Sands would be a much better location though. Both are BW Plus, so they're a little fancier than the run-of-the-mill BWs. I think BW Downtown is also the one with the White Spot on the ground floor frequented by one of our regular posters...

 

If you're not restricted to BW there are many better options for both location and quality - although of course the latter is very subjective. Tripadvisor is a pretty fair comparison of many opinions though, and it has several better-scoring hotels of similar price range to BW Downtown - Blue Horizon, Listel, the Burrard, Rosellen Suites, Sunset Inn & Suites. And that's not even thinking about Priceline and Hotwire - check out the specific Sticky thread on bidding for local hotels to see what kind of bargains folks are getting.

[remarcm]

We will be coming in during September late in the afternoon. I have a voucher for a free night at a Holiday Inn. How is the Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre 711 W. Broadway @ Heather Street? Will that be an easy walk from the Canada Line stop at Broadway City Hall Station?

Thanks

[martincath]

We will be coming in during September late in the afternoon. I have a voucher for a free night at a Holiday Inn. How is the Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre 711 W. Broadway @ Heather Street? Will that be an easy walk from the Canada Line stop at Broadway City Hall Station?

Thanks

Can't comment personally on the quality of the hotel, but it's 2 level blocks from here to the Skytrain station - a very easy stroll. If you're planning to take Skytrain to the pier this is quite a convenient hotel, albeit the 'wrong' side of False Creek for most of our downtown tourist sights.

 

Broadway does have a lot of dining options though so you won't need to head over the water to get your grub on. Mostly they're on the budget end with a wide variety of ethnic restaurants near the Holiday Inn. Cactus Club Cafe is the closest approximation of fine dining (not meant to be any kind of dig at CCC, they provide remarkable quality and consistency compared to anything else at their price-point). Salmon 'n' Bannock is pretty convenient on foot too, a straight shot west along Broadway for just under half a mile - it's one of very few Native Canadian restaurants anywhere in the country, and also one of the handful of places in town to reliably stock Bison & Venison.

 

If you don't mind a bit of walking around, there are a couple of popular places that might be more conveniently accessed from this Holiday Inn than most of the downtown-proper hotels... Walking *to* Granville Island is a pretty pleasant mile-and-a-half downhill via Heather Street & Moberly Rd to the Seawall - uphill on the way back much less fun! You can shave off 400 yards or more by walking a more direct route, but the Seawall route is just so much more scenic.

 

Science World is the same distance in the opposite direction on the Seawall - you'd pass through the Athletes Village which is pretty nice now it's actually inhabited by plenty of people, there's a pub with a fantastic patio (Tap & Barrel) and by September the new Craft beer market should also be open in the Village. Between them you'll have about twelve thousand local beers on tap (actually only 164... ;))

[onthemove617]

SnorkelBabe; I am sure that you will enjoy the Hampton Inn and yes there are a number of restaurants close by. The free breakfasts and shuttle to the pier are also a bonus.

 

Hi,

Just signed on for a Pacific Coast cruise & plan to stay at the Hampton Inn in Vancouver for 4 nites post-cruise in May. I think it's been 20 years since we've visited Vancouver for an overnight but I remember a beautiful city w/flowers everywhere & fantastic noodle shops. If you have any suggestions for restaurants - moderate price, robust flavors Asian, Canadian, French we're game. This time we have 4 full days to explore Granville & the different neighborhoods. Can't wait! Rochelle

[martincath]

... If you have any suggestions for restaurants - moderate price, robust flavors Asian, Canadian, French we're game...

Your definition of 'moderate' may differ from mine - if you check out this post and the one that follows you'll see a fairly extensive list of restaurants at different price points and types of cuisine.

 

If you have an idea of which hotel you'll be in, I can localize the suggestions better.

[remarcm]

Can't comment personally on the quality of the hotel, but it's 2 level blocks from here to the Skytrain station - a very easy stroll. If you're planning to take Skytrain to the pier this is quite a convenient hotel, albeit the 'wrong' side of False Creek for most of our downtown tourist sights.

 

Broadway does have a lot of dining options though so you won't need to head over the water to get your grub on. Mostly they're on the budget end with a wide variety of ethnic restaurants near the Holiday Inn. Cactus Club Cafe is the closest approximation of fine dining (not meant to be any kind of dig at CCC, they provide remarkable quality and consistency compared to anything else at their price-point). Salmon 'n' Bannock is pretty convenient on foot too, a straight shot west along Broadway for just under half a mile - it's one of very few Native Canadian restaurants anywhere in the country, and also one of the handful of places in town to reliably stock Bison & Venison.

 

If you don't mind a bit of walking around, there are a couple of popular places that might be more conveniently accessed from this Holiday Inn than most of the downtown-proper hotels... Walking *to* Granville Island is a pretty pleasant mile-and-a-half downhill via Heather Street & Moberly Rd to the Seawall - uphill on the way back much less fun! You can shave off 400 yards or more by walking a more direct route, but the Seawall route is just so much more scenic.

 

Science World is the same distance in the opposite direction on the Seawall - you'd pass through the Athletes Village which is pretty nice now it's actually inhabited by plenty of people, there's a pub with a fantastic patio (Tap & Barrel) and by September the new Craft beer market should also be open in the Village. Between them you'll have about twelve thousand local beers on tap (actually only 164... ;))

 

Thanks very much for the info, greatly appreciated.

[onthemove617]

Your definition of 'moderate' may differ from mine - if you check out this post and the one that follows you'll see a fairly extensive list of restaurants at different price points and types of cuisine.

 

If you have an idea of which hotel you'll be in, I can localize the suggestions better.

 

Wow! That's quite a list, thanks. We'll be using Hilton points so we're going to stay at the Hampton Inn, in town. I think it's more centrally located than any of the other Hiltons though it doesn't look like the most optimum location. Since we're on vacation, I am using the term moderate,not expensive & was thinking of entrees under $30 for dinner. Of course, a great meal at a lower price would be wonderful. Hopefully there are a few good restaurants near the hotel though we'd rather have a very good meal away from the HI than settle for ok nearby. I'm sure I'll have other what to do/see questions once I start doing some research. Thanks again, Rochelle

[martincath]

Wow! That's quite a list, thanks. We'll be using Hilton points so we're going to stay at the Hampton Inn, in town. I think it's more centrally located than any of the other Hiltons though it doesn't look like the most optimum location. Since we're on vacation, I am using the term moderate,not expensive & was thinking of entrees under $30 for dinner. Of course, a great meal at a lower price would be wonderful. Hopefully there are a few good restaurants near the hotel though we'd rather have a very good meal away from the HI than settle for ok nearby. I'm sure I'll have other what to do/see questions once I start doing some research. Thanks again, Rochelle

The Hampton's location might not have great views, but I think it's pretty darn good for sightseeing - easy to walk down into Yaletown, up to Gastown, across to Chinatown. Since I made up that list I've found a few more good spots, and some more have opened, but everything listed remains valid - no radical price or quality changes and all still open. You should be able to dine in any of them without spending over $30 for an entree, although in Hawksworth you'd need to be a bit careful. Going with that price range and your robust flavours, French/Canadian/Asian comments I would also add in the following:

 

Sardine Can is straight-up Spanish Tapas - very convenient for taking photos of Gassy Jack, it's just outside Maple Square. Big flavours, lots of flavour & texture contrast in the dishes (cheese stuffed prunes wrapped in ham, intensely garlicky sauce for shrimp, thick slices of chorizo in the clams) - you will want some bread to soak up leftover sauces, and you'll also want to go early or late or be willing to wait (they only seat about 20, and don't take reservations). Since we just spanked Spain in Davis Cup tennis I'm very pro eating Spanish right now:)

 

Next-door to Medina is Chambar (same owners) - it's a sort-of Belgian-Moroccan fusion place. One or two mains break the $30 mark, and serving mussels without bread included to soak up the sauce is frankly a real a**hole move, but nowhere else in town does as well with food & beer combos.

 

Pourhouse is somewhere I've always recommended for cocktails - truly old-school, no vodka allowed! But now I've sampled a few more dishes I can also recommend the food, especially the small plates. Very robust, a confident hand with the herbs & spices - they stand up well to the cocktails that are served here. A great grazing stop on the tourist drag from the pier down to Gassy Jack.

 

Brix has a really nice courtyard (covered, otherwise pretty useless in vancouver!) and also slots in (just) under the $30 a main course pricepoint. The menu page I linked to is actually their First Seating prix fixe which is a real bargain at $29 for three courses. They're a self-described Canadian restaurant, though a little more French than the Pacific NorthWest Cuisine places tend to be.

 

Canadians also love our steaks - under $30 you do have a couple of options, like the Hamilton Street Grill (though only their NY Strips come in <$30 there are plenty of non-steak entrees that do, and sides are included) or The Keg (sirloins and their specialty Prime Rib are < $30) - or as I mentioned before, Save On Meats diner does an old-school steak & onions (currently under $15, though only 5oz).

 

The Izakayas I mentioned before, Hapa & Guu, have Yaletown branches that are convenient for the Hampton. My fave Izakaya is Alpha which is in a bit of a no-mans-land, not quite in Yaletown. Their sushi rolls are all really good, and if you're bored all the menus are pasted into the front & back covers of a selection of hardback books - mostly 'coffee table' art & travel books.

 

I would have avoided mentioning Provence, despite their lovely Seawall marina location, as their mains are mostly over $30 and frankly too expensive - they really have no competition for Marseillaise cuisine unfortunately. BUT their new wine bar, imaginatively-named The Wine Bar(!), offers insanely good value. If you want to eat French Tapas, and drink wines by the glass with it, this is now *the* place to go. And if you go, don't leave without trying the fish soup (JF's bouillabaisse is one of the few dishes I find fairly priced, and the fish soup is just a small portion without as many chunky expensive things in it...)

 

I finally found good West Indian food locally in Calabash bistro - they also have a pretty busy music scene in their downstairs lounge.

 

Speaking of music venues, Electric Owl has shows on most nights - but if they start late or it's one of the evenings sans entertainment you can dine without having to pay a cover. Very quirky Japanese food with a Western twist - more likely to have a silly name than not, but all good (the Let-Us-Raps with pulled pork are delicious) and everything seems to be pretty dang big portion for the price.

 

On this same stretch of Main St you can sample two of the pizzas legitimately competing for 'best in the city authentic Italian style' pies - Pizzeria Farina and Campagnolo. The former is an unabashedly 100% artisan pizza restaurant, no reservations to eat in and when they're out of dough they shut for the night. They do make damn good pizza though. The latter makes the pies my wife prefers, but also does full-service *real* Italian food (yes there's pasta, but most of the entrees are proteins with veg). And their in-house charcuterie is sooooo good - if there's only two of you don't order the large salumi platter as an appy unless you want to take half home for breakfast next day...

 

In-between Chinatown and the above restos, just east of Main on Union Street is a quirky Asian cocktail restaurant, The Union. It's sort of a Westernized pan-Asian place, hard to describe simply, but with some really good cocktails and equally good bright, spicy, food. We went for dinner one night and the kitchen had a power failure, so they were doing a limited menu with portable grills and coolers and it was *still* really good.

 

Caveat - the above four places are near a couple of extremely dubious 'hotels' and sometimes the local population can be a bit off-putting. The area is gentrifying quickly, and if you walk along the Seawall from the Hampton the walk is genuinely pleasant except for the last block on Main St - if in doubt, take a cab. Honestly Maple Square is a much skeevier area, but since the Gassy Jack statue brings in a lot of tourists on foot it feels safer to visitors.

 

Changes to my prior recos:

 

In Gastown, we've upgraded Boneta to our hands-down favourite Vancouver restaurant - the food has remained top-notch but the service has just got better and better. L'Abattoir & Hawksworth now duel for second place.

 

In Yaletown, Caché is now our default go-to restaurant for a sit-down dinner, partly on service but also because the menu has been improving with every seasonal tweak - they have really hit their stride. Flying Pig is also on an upward trend - they expanded into the space next-door due to demand, and have added a bar snacks/happy hour menu that makes it even better for a grazing stop. r.tl may have gotten better or worse - it's dropped so far down our list due to other restos overtaking it that we haven't been in months...

[onthemove617]

Thanks for all the info, a great deal to digest. (Gee, I'm sure you haven't heard that before) I feel a lot better about the HI. Now on to buying clothes with expandable waists!!! BTW, we love Spanish food so thanks for the inclusion, Rochelle

[Putterdude]

:)

 

Thinking about staying at Best Western downtown in June 2013. Anybody have any thoughts on this hotel as far as quality closest to downtown area and Stanley Park ? :)

 

The BW-Downtown is situated toward the south end of downtown peninsula and is some 12 blocks to Canada Place and 18 or so blocks to Stanley Park....so it tends to be a bit out of the loop locationally. That said it is modern, clean, quiet, has a White Spot Restaurant on the ground floor, offers a free shuttle to Canada Place and is very popular among cruisers. I am certain that you will be very happy with your choice.

[richfrommo]

The BW-Downtown is situated toward the south end of downtown peninsula and is some 12 blocks to Canada Place and 18 or so blocks to Stanley Park....so it tends to be a bit out of the loop locationally. That said it is modern, clean, quiet, has a White Spot Restaurant on the ground floor, offers a free shuttle to Canada Place and is very popular among cruisers. I am certain that you will be very happy with your choice.

Thanks Putterdude ! Appreciate your input ! I think BW has a free shuttle to Stanley Park also.

[mingo]

I am just beginning some in depth research. We are a group of 6 people traveling from Seattle to Vancouver. I currently have a room booked at the Best Western Downtown that includes parking. This was great when there were 4 of us..... now we are 6. We are trying to hold the cost down. We are looking for the most inexpensive parking we can find. We need to keep the car while we are on the cruise (it's cheaper). Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

Thanks - Lynn

[Putterdude]

Lynn;

Check with the BW-Downtown. I believe that they indicate that their stay, park and cruise package is worth $160 which is $20/day and that is about as inexpensive as you are going to find in downtown Vancouver. Typical parking rates are in the $23 to $25 per day. Parking can be had at the airport for about $15.75 / day but by the time you pay some $13 pp round trip, plus the inconvenience the BW rate may look good.

We have a local poster who goes by the name Ut who lives in a nearby condo and he may have knowledge of someone who might rent out their parking space. However Ut is on a 49 day cruise and wont be home until after mid-March. You could pose this question sometime after he returns and he may have an idea for you.

[prymarksheltie]

We are going to Vancouver for alaska cruise and staying at pan pacific we are planing on using the sky train from air port to hotel can some one give direction from waterfront station to hotel

[scottbee]

We are going to Vancouver for alaska cruise and staying at pan pacific we are planing on using the sky train from air port to hotel can some one give direction from waterfront station to hotel

 

Take the train to waterfront, and exit using the elevators right on the platform marked "WAY OUT - GRANVILLE ST" (don't go down the tunnel). That puts you on the street at Granville/W.Hastings. Turn left, walk one block along W.Hastings, turn right, two blocks on Howe. Can't miss it..

[mingo]

I'm sorry.... I have another question. How is North Vancouver for lodging. I'm finding I can stay for about half the price with parking included?

[Putterdude]

I'm sorry.... I have another question. How is North Vancouver for lodging. I'm finding I can stay for about half the price with parking included?

 

North Vancouver is just fine, I lived over there for more than 50 years. If you are looking at one of the motels on Capilano Rd., we often stay in one of them when we are back in the city as we have family who live nearby....but they are motels. You can pick up transit into the city at Capilano Rd. and Marine Dr. but you will find the the buses will be quite full at that point and if you have a lot of luggage, the buses are not built for luggage and you will not be appreciated by the commuters. A cab fare will run you about $30/$35. There is the Lonsdale Quay Hotel that can often be had for about $100+ and it is nice. There if you can handle your luggage you can take the SeaBus across the harbour to Waterfront Station and you will be about 3 blocks from Canada Place. I don't think that your are looking at the new Pinnacle at Lonsdale Quay or the Holiday Inn as their rates are quite high and there would no savings there.

[goodml]

North Vancouver is just fine, I lived over there for more than 50 years. If you are looking at one of the motels on Capilano Rd., we often stay in one of them when we are back in the city as we have family who live nearby....but they are motels. You can pick up transit into the city at Capilano Rd. and Marine Dr. but you will find the the buses will be quite full at that point and if you have a lot of luggage, the buses are not built for luggage and you will not be appreciated by the commuters. A cab fare will run you about $30/$35. There is the Lonsdale Quay Hotel that can often be had for about $100+ and it is nice. There if you can handle your luggage you can take the SeaBus across the harbour to Waterfront Station and you will be about 3 blocks from Canada Place. I don't think that your are looking at the new Pinnacle at Lonsdale Quay or the Holiday Inn as their rates are quite high and there would no savings there.

 

I actually just found a terrific rate on the Pinnacle at Lonsdale Quay ($149) so I too was wondering about staying in North Van. Any thoughts on this hotel? Prices downtown are astronomical for the nights we're there.

 

We'll be renting a car at the airport as i have some family out in the burbs that we want to visit (Langley & Delta) but we wondered how realistic it is to maybe take public transit into the city for dinner and drinks and back again to North Van, basically so none of us have to worry about driving. Safe to do at night?