Getting to Vancouver

By Air

Vancouver International Airport (www.yvr.ca [1]) is on Sea Island, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) south of Vancouver [2] city center. More than 16 million passengers pass through the terminal annually. The three-story International Terminal and adjacent Domestic Terminal hold coffee shops and restaurants, car-rental agencies, a post office, currency exchanges, newsstands, gift shops, and duty-free shops. Numerous information boards provide a quick airport orientation, and an information booth on Level 3 of the International Terminal offers tourist brochures, bus schedules, and taxi information.

The Canada Line (www.translink.ca [3]) is a 16-kilometre (10-mi) stretch of light-rail line linking the airport to downtown Vancouver, with 19 stations en route. The journey between the airport and downtown takes around 30 minutes and costs $6.25. The service runs every 4–10 minutes between 5 a.m. and a little after midnight. A cab from the airport to downtown takes 25 minutes and runs around $45.

By Rail and Bus

The VIA Rail (888/842-7245, www.viarail.ca [4]) terminus is Pacific Central Station (1150 Station St.), two kilometers (1.2 miles) southeast of downtown. This is also the main Greyhound (604/482-8747 or 800/661-8747, www.greyhound.ca [5]) bus depot, with daily service to points throughout western Canada and beyond. Also from here, Pacific Coach Lines (604/662-8074 or 800/661-1725, www.pacificcoach.com [6]) runs bus service to Victoria [7] and Whistler [8], while also picking up for both destinations from Vancouver International Airport.

Pacific Central Station is a $10 cab ride or just a few minutes on the SkyTrain from downtown. Inside you’ll find a currency exchange, cash machines, lockers, a newsstand, information boards, and a McDonald’s.

By Ferry

Vancouver [2] has two ferry terminals, with services heading out of the city to Vancouver Island [9] and the Sunshine Coast [10]. All ferries are operated by BC Ferries (250/386-3431 or 888/223-3779, www.bcferries.com [11]) and reservations (select routes only) can be made online or by phone. In high season (June–Sept.), the ferries run about once an hour, 7 a.m.–10 p.m. The rest of the year they run a little less frequently. Expect a wait in summer, particularly if you have an oversized vehicle (each ferry can accommodate far fewer large vehicles than standard-size cars and trucks).

Located 30 kilometers (18.8 miles) south of downtown Vancouver, ferries run from Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands [12]; Swartz Bay, 32 kilometers (20 miles) north of Victoria [7], Vancouver Island; and to Nanaimo [13], also on Vancouver Island. To get to the terminal from downtown, follow Highway 17 south — in summer this road gets crazy with traffic. Buses also link the ferry terminal with downtown; catch number 601 from downtown.

The other ferry route linking the mainland to Vancouver Island runs between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo. Horseshoe Bay is on the north side of Burrard Inlet, a 20-minute drive northwest of downtown. You don’t save any money on this route — the fares are the same — and the wait is often longer. This is also the departure point for ferries to the Sunshine Coast.