Vancouver Transportation

Planning a Trip

Whether visiting Vancouver and Victoria for fun and frivolity, business or shopping, dining or dancing, skiing or snowboarding, beachcombing or backwoods trekking, here are some tips to help you plan your trip.

Traveling to British Columbia is easy, but there is one important thing to remember: If you are not a Canadian citizen, you will need a passport or appropriate travel document to enter Canada.

Getting There

By Plane

Daily direct flights between major U.S. cities and Vancouver are offered by Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com), Alaska Airlines (tel. 800/252-7522; www.alaskaair.com), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), Continental (tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com), Frontier Airlines (tel. 800/432-1359; www.frontierairlines.com), Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/447-4747; www.nwa.com), and United Airlines (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com).

Domestic travelers within Canada have fewer options. Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262) operates flights to Vancouver and Victoria from all major Canadian cities, connecting with some of the regional airlines. Cheaper and reaching farther all the time is the no-frills airline WestJet (tel. 888/WEST-JET or 800/538-5696; www.westjet.com), which operates regular flights from Vancouver and Victoria to Prince George, Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, and farther afield.

Direct flights between London and Vancouver are offered by Air Canada (tel. 0871/220-1111; www.aircanada.com) and the no-frills Zoom (tel. 866/359-9666 in North America, or 0870/213-266 in the U.K.; www.flyzoom.com). Other major carriers serving London (United, Continental, British Airways) make stops in the U.S. before continuing on to Vancouver.

Air Canada (tel. 0871/220-1111; www.aircanada.com) also flies to Vancouver from Sydney, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand.

By Ship& Ferry

Vancouver is the major embarkation point for cruises going up British Columbia's Inland Passage to Alaska. The ships carry more than one million passengers annually on their nearly 350 Vancouver-Alaska cruises. In the summer, up to four cruise ships a day berth at Canada Place cruise-ship terminal (tel. 604/665-9085; www.portvancouver.com).

The following cruises dock at Canada Place or the nearby Ballantyne Pier: Princess Cruises (tel. 800/PRINCESS; www.princess.com), Holland America Line (tel. 800/724-5425; www.hollandamerica.com), Royal Caribbean (tel. 800/398-9819; www.royalcaribbean.com), Crystal Cruises (tel. 866/446-6625; www.crystalcruises.com), Norwegian Cruise Line (tel. 800/625-5306; www.norwegiancruiselines.com), Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (tel. 877/505-5370; www.rssc.com), and Carnival (tel. 866/386-7447; www.carnivalcruise.com). Public transit buses and taxis greet new arrivals, but you can also easily walk to many major hotels (the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, perched directly atop the cruise-ship terminal, is the most convenient).

If you're arriving from Vancouver Island or Victoria, B.C. Ferries (tel. 888/223-3779 in B.C. only, or 250/386-3431; www.bcferries.com) has three daily routes.

By Train

VIA Rail Canada, 1150 Station St., Vancouver (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.com), connects with Amtrak at Winnipeg, Manitoba. From there you can transfer to the Canadian, the western transcontinental train that travels between Vancouver and Toronto, with stops in Kamloops, Jasper, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Sudbury Junction. For travel within Canada only, the 12-day Canrailpass (C$525/£262 off-peak; C$837/£418 peak) is available through www.viarail.com.

Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) offers daily service from Seattle, though there's currently only one train in the morning; otherwise, the Seattle-Vancouver route is covered by an Amtrak bus. Amtrak also has a route from San Diego to Vancouver. It stops at all major U.S. West Coast cities, and takes a little under 2 days to complete the entire journey. Through Amtrak, Canadians, U.S. residents, and international travelers can purchase a 30-day, two-country North America Railpass for C$709 (£353) to C$999 (£500) at peak season, and use it for rail connections to Vancouver.

By Car

You'll probably be driving into Vancouver along one of two routes. U.S. Interstate 5 from Seattle becomes Hwy. 99 when you cross the border at the Peace Arch. The 210km (130-mile) drive from Seattle takes about 2 1/2 hours. On the Canadian side of the border, you'll drive through the cities of White Rock, Delta, and Richmond, pass under the Fraser River through the George Massey Tunnel, and cross the Oak Street Bridge. The highway ends there and becomes Oak Street, a busy urban thoroughfare heading toward downtown. Turn left at the first convenient major arterial (70th, 57th, 49th, 41st, 33rd, 16th, and 12th aves. will all serve) and proceed until you hit the next major street, which will be Granville Street. Turn right on Granville Street. This street heads directly into downtown Vancouver via the Granville Street Bridge.

Trans-Canada Hwy. 1 is a limited-access freeway that runs to Vancouver's eastern boundary, where it crosses the Second Narrows Bridge to North Vancouver. When traveling on Hwy. 1 from the east, exit at Cassiar Street and turn left at the first light onto Hastings Street (Hwy. 7A), which is adjacent to Exhibition Park. Follow Hastings Street 6.4km (4 miles) into downtown. When coming to Vancouver from parts north, take exit 13 (the sign says TAYLOR WAY, BRIDGE TO VANCOUVER) and cross the Lions Gate Bridge into Vancouver's West End.

Car insurance is compulsory in British Columbia.

By Bus

Greyhound Bus Lines (tel. 800/231-2222 or 604/482-8747; www.greyhound.ca) offers daily bus service between Vancouver and all major Canadian cities, and between Vancouver and Seattle (at the border crossing, passengers disembark the bus and take their luggage through Customs). For information on Greyhound's cost-cutting Canada Pass, which allows for unlimited travel within Canada, and Discovery Pass, which allows for unlimited travel in the U.S. and Canada, consult their website. Pacific Coach Lines (tel. 604/662-8074; www.pacificcoach.com) provides service between Vancouver and Victoria.

Getting Around

By Public Transportation

Vancouver's public transportation system is the most extensive in Canada and includes service to all major tourist attractions, so it's not really necessary to have a car (especially if you're staying in the downtown area).

The Translink (otherwise known as B.C. Transit; tel. 604/521-0400; www.translink.bc.ca) system includes electric buses, the SeaBus catamaran ferry, and the light-rail SkyTrain. It's an ecologically friendly, highly reliable, inexpensive system that allows you to get everywhere, including the beaches and ski slopes. Regular service runs from 5am to 2am.

Schedules and routes are available online, at tourist information centers, at many major hotels, and on buses. Pick up a copy of Discover Vancouver on Transit at one of the tourist information centers. This publication gives transit routes for many city neighborhoods, landmarks, and attractions. The back cover of this book has a downtown Vancouver transit map.

Google Your Way There -- Translink, British Columbia's transit authority, and Google Transit have produced a comprehensive tool to help you plan your trips by public transit. All you have to do is visit the Google Transit site www.google.com/transit, plug in your starting point and destination, and you'll receive detailed instructions as well as a route plan on one of Google's maps. In many cases an address is not even necessary -- just type in the name of hotel, restaurant, or the attraction that you want to visit.

Fares -- Fares are based on the number of zones traveled, and are the same for buses, the SeaBus, and the SkyTrain. One ticket allows you to transfer from one mode of transport to another, in any direction, within 90 minutes. A one-way, one-zone fare (everything in central Vancouver) costs C$2.50 (£1.25). A two-zone fare -- C$3.75/£1.90 -- is required to travel to nearby suburbs such as Richmond or North Vancouver, and a three-zone fare -- C$5/£2.50 -- is required for travel to the far-off edge city of Surrey. After 6:30pm on weekdays and all day on weekends and holidays, you can travel anywhere in all three zones for C$2.50 (£1.25). DayPasses, good on all public transit, cost C$9 (£4.50) for adults and C$7 (£3.50) for seniors, students, and children. They can be used for unlimited travel on weekdays or weekends and holidays.

Tip: Keep in mind that drivers do not make change, so you need the exact fare or a valid transit pass. Pay with cash or buy tickets and passes from ticket machines at stations, tourist information centers, both SeaBus terminals, and convenience stores, drugstores, and outlets displaying the FAREDEALER sign; most of these outlets also sell a transit map showing all routes for C$1.95 (£1).

By Bus -- Both diesel and electric-trolley buses service the city. Regular service on the busiest routes is every 12 minutes from 5am to 2am. Wheelchair-accessible buses and bus stops are identified by the international wheelchair symbol. Some key routes to keep in mind if you're touring the city by bus: no. 5 (Robson St.), no. 2 (Kitsilano Beach to downtown), no. 50 (Granville Island), no. 35 or 135 (to the Stanley Park bus loop), no. 240 (North Vancouver), no. 250 (West Vancouver-Horseshoe Bay), and buses no. 4 or 10 (UBC-Exhibition Park via Granville St. downtown). From June until the end of September, the Vancouver Parks Board operates a free bus through Stanley Park, which stops at 14 points of interest. Call tel. 604/953-3333 for general public transportation information.

By Skytrain -- The SkyTrain is a fast, light-rail service between downtown Vancouver and the suburbs. The Expo Line trains operate from Waterfront to King George station, running along a scenic 27km (17-mile) route from downtown Vancouver east to Surrey through Burnaby and New Westminster in 39 minutes. There are 20 stations along this route; four downtown stations are underground and marked at street level. The Millennium Line, which opened in fall 2002, makes the same stops from Waterfront to Columbia, then branches to Sapperton, Braid, Lougheed town center, and beyond to Commercial Drive. All stations except Granville are wheelchair accessible; trains arrive every 2 to 5 minutes.

By Seabus -- The SS Beaver and SS Otter catamaran ferries take passengers, cyclists, and wheelchair riders on a scenic 12-minute commute across Burrard Inlet between downtown's Waterfront Station and North Vancouver's Lonsdale Quay. On weekdays, a SeaBus leaves each stop every 15 minutes from 6:15am to 6:30pm, then every 30 minutes until 1am. SeaBuses depart on Saturdays every half-hour from 6:30am to 12:30pm, then every 15 minutes until 7:15pm, then every half-hour until 1am. On Sundays and holidays, runs depart every half-hour from 8:30am to 11pm. Note that the crossing is a two-zone fare on weekdays until 6:30pm.

By Taxi

Cab fares start at C$2.70 (£1.35) and increase at a rate of C$1.60 (80p) per kilometer. In the downtown area, you can expect to travel for less than C$12 (£6) plus tip. The typical fare for the 13km (8-mile) drive from downtown to the airport is C$30 (£15).

Taxis are easy to find in front of major hotels, but flagging one down can be tricky. Most drivers are usually on radio calls. But thanks to built-in satellite positioning systems, if you call for a taxi, it usually arrives faster than if you go out and hail one. Call for a pickup from Black Top (tel. 604/731-1111), Yellow Cab (tel. 604/681-1111), or MacLure's (tel. 604/731-9211).

By Car

Vancouver's road system and traffic are easier to handle than those in many other cities, in large part because the city has no freeways. Traffic thus tends to move more slowly. If you're just sightseeing around town, public transit and cabs will easily see you through. However, if you're planning to visit the North Shore mountains or pursue other out-of-town activities, then a car is necessary. Gas is sold by the liter, averaging at press time around C$1.15 (55p) per liter; a gallon of gas costs approximately C$4.25 (£2.10). Car insurance is compusulary in British Columbia. Note: In Canada, speeds and distances are posted in kilometers. The speed limit in Vancouver is 50kmph (31 mph); highway speed limits vary from 90 to 110kmph (56-68 mph).

Rental Cars -- Rates vary widely depending on demand, style of car, and special offers. If you're over 25 and have a major credit card, you can rent a vehicle from Avis, 757 Hornby St. (tel. 800/879-2847 or 604/606-2868); Budget, 501 W. Georgia St. (tel. 800/472-3325 or 604/668-7000); Enterprise, 585 Smithe St. (tel. 800/736-8222 or 604/688-5500); Hertz Canada, 1128 Seymour St. (tel. 800/263-0600 or 604/606-4711); National/Tilden, 1130 W. Georgia St. (tel. 800/387-4747 or 604/685-6111); or Thrifty, 1015 Burrard St. or 1400 Robson St. (tel. 800/847-4389 or 604/606-1666). These firms all have counters and shuttle service at the airport as well. To rent a recreational vehicle, contact Go West Campers, 1577 Lloyd Ave., North Vancouver (tel. 800/661-8813 or 604/987-5288; www.go-west.com).

Parking -- All major downtown hotels have guest parking, either in-house or at nearby lots. Public parking is found at Robson Square (enter at Smithe and Howe sts.), the Pacific Centre (Howe and Dunsmuir sts.), and the Bay department store (Richards near Dunsmuir St.). You'll also find larger parking lots at the intersections of Thurlow and Georgia, Thurlow and Alberni, and Robson and Seymour streets.

Street meters accept C$2 (£1) and C$1 (50p) coins. Rules are posted and strictly enforced; generally, downtown and in the West End, metered parking is in effect 7 days a week. (Note: Drivers are given about a 2-min. grace period before their cars are towed away when the 3pm no-parking rule goes into effect on many major thoroughfares.) Unmetered parking on side streets is often subject to neighborhood residency requirements: Check the signs. If you park in such an area without the appropriate sticker on your windshield, you'll get ticketed and towed. If your car is towed away or you need a towing service and aren't a CAA or an AAA member, call Unitow (tel. 604/251-1255) or Busters (tel. 604/685-8181). If you are parking on the street, remove all valuables from your car; break-ins are not uncommon.

Special Driving Rules -- Though photo radar is no longer in use in B.C. (the new government got elected partially on its pledge to eliminate the hated system), photo-monitored intersections are alive and well. If you're caught racing through a red light, fines start at C$100 (£50).

Auto Club -- Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) can get assistance from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), 999 W. Broadway, Vancouver (tel. 604/268-5600, or for road service 604/293-2222; www.caa.ca).

By Bike

Vancouver is a biker's paradise. Along Robson and Denman streets near Stanley Park are plenty of places to rent bikes. (For specifics,) Paved paths crisscross through parks and along beaches. Helmets are mandatory and riding on sidewalks is illegal except on designated bike paths.

You can take your bike on the SeaBus anytime at no extra charge. Bikes are not allowed in the George Massey Tunnel, but a tunnel shuttle operates four times daily from mid-May to September to transport you across the Fraser River. From May 1 to Victoria Day (the third weekend of May), the service operates on weekends only. All of the West Vancouver blue buses (including the bus to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal) can carry two bikes, first-come, first-served, free of charge. In Vancouver, only a limited number of suburban bus routes allow bikes on board: no. 351 to White Rock, no. 601 to South Delta, no. 404 to the airport, and the no. 99 Express to UBC.

By Miniferry

Crossing False Creek to Granville Island or beautiful Vanier Park on one of the zippy little miniferries is cheap and fun. These small, covered boats connect various points of interest; they are privately operated, so your public transit pass or ticket is not valid. It's well worth the extra money, though.

The Aquabus (tel. 604/689-5858; www.theaquabus.com) docks at the south foot of Hornby Street, the Arts Club on Granville Island, Yaletown at Davie Street, Science World, and Stamp's Landing. Ferries operate daily from 6:40am to 10:30pm (9:30pm in winter) and run every 15 minutes to half-hour from 10am to 5pm (later in May and June). One-way fares are C$2.50 (£1.25) for adults and C$1.25 (60p) for seniors and children. A day pass is C$12 (£6) for adults, and C$8 (£4) for seniors and children. You can take a 25-minute scenic boat ride (one complete circuit) for C$6 (£3) adults, C$4 (£2) seniors and children.