TRIP

VANCOUVER BC

From Vancouver International Airport
(Approximately 25-30 minutes)

Travel from the airport, take the first exit that shows Vancouver Downtown. You will cross over the Arthur Laing Bridge. At the end of the bridge you will be on Granville Street.
Follow along Granville Street for approximately 60 blocks. Continue over the Granville Street Bridge into downtown Vancouver.
Proceed into the left lane and turn left on Davie Street until you reach Burrard Street.
Turn right on Burrard Street. Continue along Burrard towards the water. At the foot of Burrard Street, turn right at Cordova Street. Proceed one block down Cordova Street then turn left onto Howe Street. Howe street becomes Canada Place Way, which brings you to the front of the hotel, turn left into our driveway.

SkyTrain - The Canada Line [5] provides the only direct rapid transit public service downtown, in 25 minutes. The fare from YVR to Vancouver is currently $8.75, which includes the two-zone base fare of $3.75 plus a $5 surcharge (the "YVR AddFare") incurred on cash fare tickets purchased from vending machines at the airport. The $5 surcharge only applies on trips starting at the airport, not on trips going to the airport. It does not apply to prepaid tickets including DayPasses, FareSavers, FareCards and transit passes.

To legally bypass the AddFare and save $5, simply buy a FareSaver ticket or day pass at the PharmaSave or 7-Eleven located within the airport.

Public Transportation
Skytrain
Vancouver's public transit is run by the regional transportation authority, TransLink [20] as an integrated system of buses, rapid transit (SkyTrain) and passenger ferry (SeaBus) . The transit system connects Vancouver with its neighbouring municipalities, stretching as far north as Lions Bay, south to the U.S. border and east to Langley and Maple Ridge.

Adult fares for travel within the city of Vancouver cost $2.50. Travel from Vancouver to nearby places like North Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond costs from $3.75-$5.00 depending on the time of day and number of transit zones you cross. Travel on weekdays after 6:30PM and all day on weekends and holidays is always $2.50 regardless of the destination. The ticket you receive is valid for 1.5 h from the time of purchase and can be used to transfer to any bus, SkyTrain or the SeaBus during that time. A regional system map is widely available at convenience stores and on TransLink's website.

A more convenient option for the traveler may be the Daypass, which offers unlimited travel for a single day at the cost of $9.00. It is valid in all zones so that avoids having to worry about that and is available from fare machines at SkyTrain stations.

The bus service covers the widest area and travels along most major streets in the city. Passengers must either buy a ticket or present their ticket immediately upon entering a TransLink bus. Buses accept coins only and will not give change. Tickets can also be purchased from vending machines in SkyTrain stations that accept coins, bills, debit and credit cards. In addition, several bus rapid transit lines named B Lines crisscross the city.

Skytrain system map
SkyTrain is the mostly elevated rapid transit system that connects Vancouver's downtown with some of its southern and eastern suburbs. The Expo line runs out through Burnaby and New Westminster to King George station in Surrey. The Millennium line follows the Expo line to New Westminster and then loops back through Burnaby and into Vancouver again ending at VCC/Clark. The new (2009) Canada Line connects downtown with Richmond and Vancouver Airport. Notable SkyTrain stations in Vancouver include:

Broadway/Commercial Drive - Accesses the restaurants of Commercial Dr in East Vancouver
Burrard and Granville - Most convenient for accessing the shopping areas in the central business district
Waterfront Station - Meeting point of the SkyTrain, SeaBus, numerous commuter and rapid bus routes and the commuter rail West Coast Express. It is also at the entrance to Gastown and is right next to the Canada Place Convention Centre/Cruise Ship Terminal facilities.
The SeaBus is a passenger ferry that connects Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. It generally runs every 15 min except in the evening and on Sundays. The exact schedule is available on TransLink's website.

Purchasing tickets for the SkyTrain and the SeaBus operates on a proof-of-purchase system, with ticket checks occuring not every time but at random. It is possible to ride without paying, especially during rush hour, but those who do so ride at their own risk. If caught, the passenger has to pay a fine of $173. Tickets are easily available through vending machines at SkyTrain stations and either SeaBus terminal.

SkyTrain and SeaBus service ends before last call at night clubs and bars, so if you'll be partying downtown, be sure you figure out a ride home.

Tip - There were two local taxes that are charged on the vast majority of goods, the 7% PST (Provincial Sales Tax) and the 5% GST (Goods and Services Tax). These have been replaced with a combined HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) of 12% since July 1, 2010.

Day trips

Bowen Island is a popular day trip or weekend excursion offering kayaking, hiking, shops, restaurants, and more. This authentic community is located in Howe Sound just off Vancouver, and is easily accessed via scheduled water taxis departing Granville Island in downtown Vancouver or by ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. A quick trip across on a cute little-boat-that-could ferry can be the most fun, traffic-free, and convenient way to get between various points on False Creek:

Maritime Museum in Vanier Park on the south shore,
Aquatic Centre at Sunset Beach on the north shore,
Hornby St on the north shore,
Granville Island and its famous Public Market on the south shore,
Yaletown/Davie St. on the north shore,
Stamp's Landing/Monk's and Spyglass Place on the south shore,
Plaza of Nations and Edgewater Casino on the north shore, and
Science World, the geodesic dome at the east end of False Creek.
Service is offered by Granville Island Ferries [21] with little blue boats and by Aquabus [22] with little rainbow boats. The two ferries run slightly different routes, and their docks on Granville Island are on either side of the Public Market. Current prices for adults start at $3 for short routes to $6 for long routes

Robson Street in the City Centre is home to many touristy shops. Although not technically part of the street, the neighbouring Alberni intersection is home to a variety of high-end shops such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès.
Pacific Centre has more than 150 shops, restaurants and services if you want to walk in an underground shopping centre. The shopping centre begins at Sears on the north end at Robson Street, and stretches all the way to Pender Street. There are many floors in the mall depending on where you are, and notable merchants include Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, Sport Chek, GAP, H&M and Apple Store; the mall is connected to the Bay (at Georgia and Granville streets), and Vancouver Centre (a small mall mainly consisting of a lotto centre, London Drugs, and a food court underneath Scotiabank).

Gastown - the original townsite of Vancouver and now the best place to find Vancouver kitsch
Gastown [48] is the oldest neighbourhood in Vancouver but is being reborn as a fashion and modern urban design district. Historic buildings house hip restaurants, galleries, and interior design and high-fashion shops.
Yaletown is also popular for its non-mainstream fashion boutiques and high-end salons. A few Popular Yaletown Shopping Streets are: Mainland St., Hamilton St., and Pacific Blvd.

Granville Island is a interesting place to go if you fancy the arts. The area boasts a Public Market, an art school (Emily Carr University of Art + Design), shops, restaurants, theatres, galleries, a hotel, boat docks and more.
Commercial Drive, especially the stretch between 3rd Avenue and Venables St. in East Van, is great for people-watching, produce (Santa Barbara Market), cheese (La Grotta del Formaggio), sausage (JN&Z Deli), etc.
Main Street, south of Broadway stretching to around 30th Avenue, has a vibrant and expanding collection of independent restaurants, cafés, high-end niche clothing stores and small boutiques.

East Hastings between Renfrew and Clark offers some of the best hidden delights in the city. There are many eclectic produce stores (Donald's Market). Sausage and salami producers here are some of the best in the city (Moccia's Italian Market [49]).

Chinatown around Main and Pender, and westwards down Pender from Main, is an old historic landmark with grocery and herbal medicine markets that mimic the ethnic flavors, sights and sounds of Eastern Asia. Other modern Chinatowns have sprung up around 41st Ave. and Victoria Drive, also in Richmond and Surrey.
Punjabi Market around Main, between 41st and 49th Ave. Good, cheap Punjabi food along with some Punjabi fashion; street signs are correspondingly in Punjabi.