Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite

[Cassicruiser]

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on doing the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish. It says its about an hour from Vancouver but I don't know how easy it is to get to without a car, and if it's really worth it. It looks beautiful, but wee only have 3 days in Vancouver before our Alaska cruise (2 full days and 2 half days) and wonder if we should stick to seeing things in and around the city? Thanks

[PaintedBird]

You would need to take a Greyhound or another coach bus. I don't know the cost. There is no public bus service up to Squamish, unfortunately.

 

While the view from the Gondola, the highway and Squamish in general is beautiful, it would be out of your way and a bit cumbersome to get there without a car. If you want to enjoy natural scenery, Stanley Park would be a nice alternative, different but beautiful. In the city, Chinatown and the Sun Yet Sen Garden is a nice sight in spring and summer.

Edited April 20, 2015 by PaintedBird

[martincath]

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on doing the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish. It says its about an hour from Vancouver but I don't know how easy it is to get to without a car, and if it's really worth it. It looks beautiful, but wee only have 3 days in Vancouver before our Alaska cruise (2 full days and 2 half days) and wonder if we should stick to seeing things in and around the city? Thanks

I haven't ridden it so can't say whether it is worth it to me let alone you - but the scenery around the area is very, very pretty. Realistically though you're hiring a car for half a day or more if you want to see it.

 

If you're really keen on mountains and willing to spend a whole day out of the city then I'd suggest a day-trip to Whistler, ride the Peak to Peak gondola up there and the Sea to Sky on your way out or back since you'll be driving right past it (there's also a very scenic waterfall and the Britannia Mining Museum which is well worth a visit).

 

Frankly though with ~3 days total you'll leave Vancouver with lots of things unseen - so unless gondola rides are a big draw for your party save it for your next trip.

[Cassicruiser]

Thanks MartinCath and Painted bird - that answers my question. While the pictures look gorgeous this will be our first time in Vancouver and we want to see as much as we can of the city because who knows when we'll be back. Also we're going on an Alaskan cruise from Vancouver, so plenty of mountain scenery there.

We'll definitely have to go back one day and do Whistler and the Rockies though. Just adding it to the bucket list....

[xlxo]

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on doing the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish. It says its about an hour from Vancouver but I don't know how easy it is to get to without a car, and if it's really worth it. It looks beautiful, but wee only have 3 days in Vancouver before our Alaska cruise (2 full days and 2 half days) and wonder if we should stick to seeing things in and around the city? Thanks

Another vote for sticking to the city...

• Day 1: Arrive.... unpack... Fly Over Canada
  
• Day 2: Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge
  
• Day 3: Hop on services with a major stop in Stanley Park Aquarium and railway.
  
• Day 4: pack and head to cruise terminal
  

[YOUTUBE]N0w_TTUWV4I[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]VjmD6_v2200[/YOUTUBE]

 

I noticed LandSea offers a Sea to Sky tour that includes the gondola...

http://vancouvertours.com/tour/sea-to-sky-tour/

Edited April 20, 2015 by xlxo

[xlxo]

Does anyone know of a car rental company close to Canada Place Pier that offers one way rentals? Interested in picking up car and driving down to Seattle after a cruise.

 

Alamo and National have cars actually at the pier. Avis has a shuttle. All three allow one-way rentals to Seattle.

If you need luggage friendly mini-vans.... book early... perhaps even now.

 

My thoughts...

• Alamo/National is preferred. However their cruise terminal fleet is small. Sometimes they are willing to bring in vehicles from airport.
  
• Avis likes you see you wait for their shuttle
  
• Hertz likes to see you drag luggage for 3 blocks
  
• Others likes you to pay for taxi
  

[westcoasttech]

Thanks MartinCath and Painted bird - that answers my question. While the pictures look gorgeous this will be our first time in Vancouver and we want to see as much as we can of the city because who knows when we'll be back. Also we're going on an Alaskan cruise from Vancouver, so plenty of mountain scenery there.

We'll definitely have to go back one day and do Whistler and the Rockies though. Just adding it to the bucket list....

 

There's always the option of just taking the gondola up Grouse Mountain. There's local transit service to the base of the gondola (take the seabus (ferry) over to North Vancouver and catch the bus at the other side), so it's easy to get to, and you can combine it with a trip to the Capilano bridge. That way you can judge the local weather and whether it's worth the trip. If it's rainy and overcast then don't bother, but if the weather is good, the view over the City is fantastic (and if it's just slightly cloudy sometimes the mountain top is above the clouds, so it can be sunny and warm at the top, with a view over the top of the clouds)!

[awesome grandma]

We are staying at a B&B at the beginning of July. It does not have air conditioning. What is the weather and temperature during this time period? Not sure if I should cancel and book somewhere that does have air conditioning.

[Putterdude]

We are staying at a B&B at the beginning of July. It does not have air conditioning. What is the weather and temperature during this time period? Not sure if I should cancel and book somewhere that does have air conditioning.

A typical day in the first 10 days of July should be in the high 60s to mid 70s so you will likely be OK with out a/c. If you were in the city after mid July through August you might think of a change.

[martincath]

Weather Stats here. I agree that statistically it's unlikely to go outside the temp range PD mentions, but only you know how cool a room you need to sleep in AG - the majority of Vancouver homes & condos are still without AC, but there are always a few unpleasantly sticky nights every summer.

 

If it's a south-facing bedroom, if the windows don't open wide, if there isn't a fan to move the air... it could easily end up feeling much warmer in your room than outside and stay that way long after the sun sets.

 

Personally I don't stay anywhere without AC even in a climate similar to here unless it's before mid-May or after October - being too warm always makes me sleep poorly. But then I'm a pasty Scot who hates the heat - if you're from Florida you'll probably need a duvet in a Vancouver summer!

[Cassicruiser]

Another vote for sticking to the city...

• Day 1: Arrive.... unpack... Fly Over Canada
  
• Day 2: Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge
  
• Day 3: Hop on services with a major stop in Stanley Park Aquarium and railway.
  
• Day 4: pack and head to cruise terminal
  

The sea to sky tour you posted the link to looks wonderful, but I guess giving up a day in Vancouver is the trade off, so we'll probably have to skip this.

Now that sounds like a perfect itinerary - we'll do the Gondola at Grouse Mountain for sure, and also add on a bikeride in Stanley park, and Granville island as we should have time for those. Oh and a bit of shopping - we come from Australia so need to stock up on a few things that are a lot cheaper in Canada. We are staying at Blue Horizon on Robson st so am thinking Pacific Center Mall is the a good option for shopping that is within walking distance?

Edited April 21, 2015 by Cassicruiser

[Urban trekker]

Yes Pacific Center is close - only about five or six blocks - but Robson Street likes to think of itself as a bit of Rodeo Drive - many of the retailers there also have store in Pacific Center.

 

Cheers.

 

Dennis

[xlxo]

Now that sounds like a perfect itinerary - we'll do the Gondola at Grouse Mountain for sure, and also add on a bikeride in Stanley park, and Granville island as we should have time for those. Oh and a bit of shopping - we come from Australia so need to stock up on a few things that are a lot cheaper in Canada. We are staying at Blue Horizon on Robson st so am thinking Pacific Center Mall is the a good option for shopping that is within walking distance?

Some thoughts...

• what time are you arriving at YVR? You might be able to cram more activities into Day 1
  
• Granville Island and Stanley Park would be great with a hop on tour.
  
• What items would Austrialians want from Vancouver?
  

[coco33]

Hello, I have been trying to figure out how to get to Stanley Park since I am staying at the Coast Plaza Hotel near English Bay. This is a the map to stanley park from that hotel.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Coast+Plaza+Hotel+%26+Suites,+1763+Comox+Street,+Vancouver,+BC+V6G+1P5,+Canada/Stanley+Park,+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada/@49.2924741,-123.1365006,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x5486722883380173:0xdbe928b54f812a34!2m2!1d-123.138892!2d49.288194!1m5!1m1!1s0x5486718cad26e4a3:0x364a639db409e216!2m2!1d-123.1417!2d49.301705!3e2

 

I am concerned that the bus does not go to the entrance and there is some walking to be done, and I don't think my elderly mother would enjoy that. Should I take a taxi from this location, how much do you think it would be?

The bus system seems so scary. lol.

[Kamloops50]

The bus goes to the entrance. Then you will have to walk. There now be a shuttle bus that

[martincath]

Hello, I have been trying to figure out how to get to Stanley Park since I am staying at the Coast Plaza Hotel near English Bay. This is a the map to stanley park from that hotel.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Coast+Plaza+Hotel+%26+Suites,+1763+Comox+Street,+Vancouver,+BC+V6G+1P5,+Canada/Stanley+Park,+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada/@49.2924741,-123.1365006,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x5486722883380173:0xdbe928b54f812a34!2m2!1d-123.138892!2d49.288194!1m5!1m1!1s0x5486718cad26e4a3:0x364a639db409e216!2m2!1d-123.1417!2d49.301705!3e2

 

I am concerned that the bus does not go to the entrance and there is some walking to be done, and I don't think my elderly mother would enjoy that. Should I take a taxi from this location, how much do you think it would be?

The bus system seems so scary. lol.

Hmm - I think K50s connection died midpost. I assume that the info missing was going to be this link to the Stanley Park shuttle, which runs during the summer. Quite a bargain at $10pp, with stops pretty much anywhere you'd want to get off that's accessible by road. Same folks who run the Trolley HOHO run it.

 

As to your map - nope, that's not quite what you need. The 'Stanley Park' location you've chosen is an arbitary point in the middle of the park, not anywhere near where any of the specific sights are. The park is BIG - 1,000 acres...

 

Under the circumstances I would recommend a cab - at less than 1 mile you'll pay little more than the minimum fare. If the meter reads more than $5, the cabbie probably ripped you off by going the long way! The bus stop I selected on the Google Map is just around the corner from the nearest Shuttle stop - a cab could drop you off right next to it though, about another 50 yards.

 

On the bus front, the number 19 does go inside the park - to the bus loop near the Pavilion, as well as a stop just inside the park entrance. However even the city buses which do go into the park are not set up to see more of it than the main road through the middle. Incidentally our buses are clean, generally prompt, and have drivers who are very used to helping out with getting you off at the right stop and explaining how to pay or properly inserting tickets if you've picked up a pack of FareSavers in advance.

 

The 19 runs along Georgia though, so to get onto it with minimal walking involves transferring buses - try the link above, with the option to minimise walking preselected for you. Change the date and time to when you'll be in town - it'll give you an idea how long the bus ride and transfers will take.

[xlxo]

Another vote for the cab... you need to specify where you want to go... Aquarium? Totems? Railway? Prospect Point? Beaches? Lost Lagoon?

 

Because of your location... you might find the #19 to be full and crowded. It's normally simpler for able bodied guests to just walk to the park. In your situation... taxi is easier.

Edited April 27, 2015 by xlxo

[Cassicruiser]

Some thoughts...

• what time are you arriving at YVR? You might be able to cram more activities into Day 1
  
• Granville Island and Stanley Park would be great with a hop on tour.
  
• What items would Austrialians want from Vancouver?
  

 

We arrive at around 1pm, but that's after a looooong haul flight from Australia, a missed night of sleep and a gazillion hours in time change. So I'm guessing by the time we get to our hotel at around 2.30pm we'll be zombies trying to stay awake till around 9pm when we can go to bed in the right time zone. So day 1 I was thinking we'll just walk around the area, do the shopping we need, have dinner and go to bed.

 

We were thinking of walking to Stanley park and biking around, but will still do the hop on hop off to get to all the other sites.

 

Our shopping will mainly consist of things we can easily get back home but are twice the price, like cosmetics, running shoes for our kids, and a leather bag I have my eye on. Oh and maybe some maple syrup. That's mandatory right?

[ExilePA]

Okay, so kind of an odd question, maybe. How hard are pharmacies to find in Vancouver? Wife suffers from migraines and the only thing that seems to help straight away are the Tylenol with Codeine our Canadian friends bring us ever year when they visit. It would be nice if we could pick some up ourselves on our cruise stop this year.

[scottbee]

Okay, so kind of an odd question, maybe. How hard are pharmacies to find in Vancouver? Wife suffers from migraines and the only thing that seems to help straight away are the Tylenol with Codeine our Canadian friends bring us ever year when they visit. It would be nice if we could pick some up ourselves on our cruise stop this year.

 

The two closest are:

Rexall: Granville @ W.Pender

Shoppers Drug Mart: Granville @ Dunsmuir

[martincath]

Okay, so kind of an odd question, maybe. How hard are pharmacies to find in Vancouver? Wife suffers from migraines and the only thing that seems to help straight away are the Tylenol with Codeine our Canadian friends bring us ever year when they visit. It would be nice if we could pick some up ourselves on our cruise stop this year.

From your other posts it sounded like you were on a Seattle roundtrip - were you planning to come up to Vancouver before/after?

 

The only Canadian stop on your cruise is Victoria, where pharmacies are also quite easily found - just open a google map and search around the places you're planning to visit (since you have an all-day stop I assume you'll be doing some touring - if not, or if you can't find a convenient pharmacy near where you are touring, the closest decent-sized one to the cruise pier is the James Bay Pharmasave, less than 20mins on foot)

[coco33]

Hmm - I think K50s connection died midpost. I assume that the info missing was going to be this link to the Stanley Park shuttle, which runs during the summer. Quite a bargain at $10pp, with stops pretty much anywhere you'd want to get off that's accessible by road. Same folks who run the Trolley HOHO run it.

 

As to your map - nope, that's not quite what you need. The 'Stanley Park' location you've chosen is an arbitary point in the middle of the park, not anywhere near where any of the specific sights are. The park is BIG - 1,000 acres...

 

Under the circumstances I would recommend a cab - at less than 1 mile you'll pay little more than the minimum fare. If the meter reads more than $5, the cabbie probably ripped you off by going the long way! The bus stop I selected on the Google Map is just around the corner from the nearest Shuttle stop - a cab could drop you off right next to it though, about another 50 yards.

 

On the bus front, the number 19 does go inside the park - to the bus loop near the Pavilion, as well as a stop just inside the park entrance. However even the city buses which do go into the park are not set up to see more of it than the main road through the middle. Incidentally our buses are clean, generally prompt, and have drivers who are very used to helping out with getting you off at the right stop and explaining how to pay or properly inserting tickets if you've picked up a pack of FareSavers in advance.

 

The 19 runs along Georgia though, so to get onto it with minimal walking involves transferring buses - try the link above, with the option to minimise walking preselected for you. Change the date and time to when you'll be in town - it'll give you an idea how long the bus ride and transfers will take.

 

 

Thanks everyone for the detailed info. It is much appreciated. Are there cabs near Stanley Park? Can I flag one down, or do I need to hold on to a phone number of a local cab company?

 

Thanks in advance for the info.

[Kamloops50]

Hmm - I think K50s connection died midpost. I assume that the info missing was going to be this link to the Stanley Park shuttle, which runs during the summer. Quite a bargain at $10pp, with stops pretty much anywhere you'd want to get off that's accessible by road. Same folks who run the Trolley HOHO run it.

 

As to your map - nope, that's not quite what you need. The 'Stanley Park' location you've chosen is an arbitary point in the middle of the park, not anywhere near where any of the specific sights are. The park is BIG - 1,000 acres...

 

Under the circumstances I would recommend a cab - at less than 1 mile you'll pay little more than the minimum fare. If the meter reads more than $5, the cabbie probably ripped you off by going the long way! The bus stop I selected on the Google Map is just around the corner from the nearest Shuttle stop - a cab could drop you off right next to it though, about another 50 yards.

 

On the bus front, the number 19 does go inside the park - to the bus loop near the Pavilion, as well as a stop just inside the park entrance. However even the city buses which do go into the park are not set up to see more of it than the main road through the middle. Incidentally our buses are clean, generally prompt, and have drivers who are very used to helping out with getting you off at the right stop and explaining how to pay or properly inserting tickets if you've picked up a pack of FareSavers in advance.

 

The 19 runs along Georgia though, so to get onto it with minimal walking involves transferring buses - try the link above, with the option to minimise walking preselected for you. Change the date and time to when you'll be in town - it'll give you an idea how long the bus ride and transfers will take.

 

I lost my connection mid download. Later tried to edit but locked out.

 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Forums mobile app

[ExilePA]

From your other posts it sounded like you were on a Seattle roundtrip - were you planning to come up to Vancouver before/after?

 

The only Canadian stop on your cruise is Victoria, where pharmacies are also quite easily found - just open a google map and search around the places you're planning to visit (since you have an all-day stop I assume you'll be doing some touring - if not, or if you can't find a convenient pharmacy near where you are touring, the closest decent-sized one to the cruise pier is the James Bay Pharmasave, less than 20mins on foot)

We are actually going to Vancouver for a day after the cruise due to flights home being cheaper. However, for some reason I wasn't even thinking about the fact that we are going to Victoria. Too focused on Vancouver I guess!

[xlxo]

Okay, so kind of an odd question, maybe. How hard are pharmacies to find in Vancouver? Wife suffers from migraines and the only thing that seems to help straight away are the Tylenol with Codeine our Canadian friends bring us ever year when they visit.

Vancouver has a dozen pharmacies in the downtown. Unless she needs cannabis, sometimes it's easier to bring medication from home.

 

Note Tylenol comes with different strengths.... If it's T3's or stronger.... you might need a doctor's note. Again, bringing the stuff from home might be simplier.