Jump to content

Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite (part 2)


Recommended Posts

this has been a great thread for a long long time, For those who need and want information in the region.

thanks to all the regular posters. (And the Original Poster , too)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi where is the Nearest Grocery to Canada Place. I want to get some gatorade and other non alcoholic drinks to take onboard.

 

Also where do people buy flowers before boarding? (I'm used to the Seattle "pike place market" for flowers but don't know about Vancouver.

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the first thread had such great info, I know I will get some good advice here.

 

I'm wondering how close the stadium/Chinatown station is to BC place? I will be traveling alone with my 9 yo daughter so safety is a concern also (neighborhood okay?)

 

We are staying at the Hyatt on Burrard pre cruise and are going to the Taylor Swift concert on 8/1. It doesn't look like a super long walk but if the train would save some time or energy that would be fine too. We will be spending the whole day sightseeing.

 

Also, if we walk are there any fun kid friendly eating places that would be on our route?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi where is the Nearest Grocery to Canada Place. I want to get some gatorade and other non alcoholic drinks to take onboard.

 

Also where do people buy flowers before boarding? (I'm used to the Seattle "pike place market" for flowers but don't know about Vancouver.

Thanks.

Closest would be a variety store right at the pier - but prob quite a markup on gatorade there, so I'd recommend one of the close-by supermarkets or drug stores instead. Urban Fare for the former, Rexall for the latter. Walking route that goes past both is here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the first thread had such great info, I know I will get some good advice here.

 

I'm wondering how close the stadium/Chinatown station is to BC place? I will be traveling alone with my 9 yo daughter so safety is a concern also (neighborhood okay?)

 

We are staying at the Hyatt on Burrard pre cruise and are going to the Taylor Swift concert on 8/1. It doesn't look like a super long walk but if the train would save some time or energy that would be fine too. We will be spending the whole day sightseeing.

 

Also, if we walk are there any fun kid friendly eating places that would be on our route?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jen

Skytrain is very convenient for to/from the concert - no need to change lines so very easy. Many people will be coming in from the burbs for the gig, so there should be plenty of foot traffic, but the default Google directions forget that you can exit at the bottom of the station as well as the top on foot and are not the best. Leaving through the lower exit brings you out onto Expo Blvd, which you can follow to the right, cross at the lights onto Griffiths and be right at BC Place - ignore door suggestions, just walk in the closest one and circle around the interior.

 

Just walking the whole way is under a mile - route here (and Google's recommended route, with the blue dots, is the one I'd also recommend as it goes basically straight down Robson one of our busiest streets so safety is not going to be a concern).

 

Everywhere to dine at or close to the stadium will be pretty busy on a concert night - and the kid-friendly ones are going to be PACKED with all the Swifties I wager. I would get dinner en route from the hotel instead then head down for the concert.

 

Following Google directions you'll walk right past the sit-down Japadog - their other 'branches' are little carts. This is one of very few uniquely Vancouvery food options, is definitely fun and kid friendly. For dessert I suggest BeardPapa cream puffs from next door. If you just can't bring yourself to eat hotdogs for dinner, VietSub just the other side does outstanding Banh Mi sandwiches - and if you want something a tad more substantial, Memphis Blues BBQ is the next block down and also offers messy, kid-friendly dinners that I'm sure TayTay would approve of being a part-time Tennessee gal...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm wondering how close the stadium/Chinatown station is to BC place? I will be traveling alone with my 9 yo daughter so safety is a concern also (neighborhood okay?)

 

We are staying at the Hyatt on Burrard pre cruise and are going to the Taylor Swift concert on 8/1. It doesn't look like a super long walk but if the train would save some time or energy that would be fine too. We will be spending the whole day sightseeing.

 

Skytrain is very convenient for to/from the concert - no need to change lines so very easy. Many people will be coming in from the burbs for the gig, so there should be plenty of foot traffic, but the default Google directions forget that you can exit at the bottom of the station as well as the top on foot and are not the best. Leaving through the lower exit brings you out onto Expo Blvd, which you can follow to the right, cross at the lights onto Griffiths and be right at BC Place - ignore door suggestions, just walk in the closest one and circle around the interior.

 

Just walking the whole way is under a mile - route here (and Google's recommended route, with the blue dots, is the one I'd also recommend as it goes basically straight down Robson one of our busiest streets so safety is not going to be a concern).

 

Everywhere to dine at or close to the stadium will be pretty busy on a concert night - and the kid-friendly ones are going to be PACKED with all the Swifties I wager. I would get dinner en route from the hotel instead then head down for the concert.

Some thoughts...

  • The Griffith entrance (East Airlock) is for staff. You want to enter the stadium from Beatty street when exiting the Skytrain.
  • If the 9yr old is able to walk... I recommend walking. Skytrain will be super busy, especially post concert with fireworks patrons coming into the city.
  • I too like Robson street
  • I expect Japadog to be VERY busy that night. My guess there will be NO place to sit and food may take 30 minutes to get to you. Maybe White Spot is a better choice for a pirate pack along Dunsmuir as a backup plan? Personally, I would make reservations along West Robson (near hotel) for dinner that night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so between Rexall and Nesters for last minute Groceries which is the best option for walking. I am planning on coming from Grand Station(Amtrak) train station and getting on the Sky train.

 

 

Oh , and thank you both for the suggestions!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know Vancouver has several companies offering hop-on hop-off bus/trolley tours. Which one is considered the best and most comprehensive? Do they all visit Stanley Park and Granville Island?

 

Sadly, we only have one day in Vancouver and would like a good overview. We are staying at the Marriott Pinnacle on Hastings.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know Vancouver has several companies offering hop-on hop-off bus/trolley tours. Which one is considered the best and most comprehensive? Do they all visit Stanley Park and Granville Island?

 

Sadly, we only have one day in Vancouver and would like a good overview. We are staying at the Marriott Pinnacle on Hastings.

 

Thanks!

 

None of the hop on hop offs really do much more than the downtown core, Stanley Park & Granville Island, maybe a 2 mile radius. There's a lot more to see in Metro Vancouver, like Grouse Mountain, Capilano and/or Lynn Canyon, Steveston, etc etc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is the best way, I can make phone calls in Vancouver. I have t-mobile and the rates for Canada is .48 cents per minute. That seems high to me. Should I get a calling card? If so, which one? Thanks in advance for the response.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some thoughts...

  • The Griffith entrance (East Airlock) is for staff. You want to enter the stadium from Beatty street when exiting the Skytrain.
  • If the 9yr old is able to walk... I recommend walking. Skytrain will be super busy, especially post concert with fireworks patrons coming into the city.

No, Beatty Street route is for people who enjoy huge queues or simply don't realise there are multiple entrances all around the stadium. If you're already on Robson it's quicker to make your way through the hordes on the plaza outside A/H and work your way around toward C, but if you're in Stadium-Chinatown circling around via Beatty adds extra walk time plus the hassle of getting around all the people queuing for Will Call and Gate A.

 

From Skytrain it is significantly quicker to walk along Expo and up the stairs from Griffith - Gate C signage is so huge and obvious it never even crossed my mind anyone would both miss that and also attempt to sneak in through the staff-only doors... It's also under cover of the awnings outside Costco and viaducts so if it's raining this is a more pleasant route.

 

If the kid is still good to walk home again, great - but if not Skytrain will if anything be quicker than normal post-concert. Fireworks start at 10pm so anyone coming in to see them will be off the Skytrain system no later than 9:30pm and the vast majority of people arrive much earlier to find a decent viewpoint. A concert with two support acts that starts at 7pm will not be finished until at least 9:30pm even if it starts bang on time - most gigs we watch people begin streaming past our window, a few minutes walk from BC Place en route to Main Street, after 10pm.

 

Since there are extra trains on specifically for the fireworks crowds both coming and going and it takes more time & effort to take those trains out of service than just keep them running the enhanced level of service will be on from late afternoon until midnight - your concert timing puts you right in the sweet spot of maximum trains but minimum people using them.

 

I do agree that Japadog is always busy, but on fireworks and concert night I don't think there wil be anywhere downtown that's likely to be quiet except in areas that I would not recommend a mother and 9 year old to be wandering to...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know Vancouver has several companies offering hop-on hop-off bus/trolley tours. Which one is considered the best and most comprehensive? Do they all visit Stanley Park and Granville Island?

 

If you look at the maps.... Vancouver trolley will circumnavigate the park (including Prospect Point). Others will only take you to the parking lot.

Actually all HOHOs now do Stanley Park and have done at least the last two summers.

 

Since the others added their park loops to match the Trolley, the Trolley have added some additional stops at the east end of the circuit which the others don't go to - Science World and Vancouver Urban Winery.

 

Unfortunately for this year the Trolley have returned to their old and confusing Two Loop system - so you cannot simply stay onboard and see everything, you have to change vehicles at Canada Place (the only shared stop on both loops) and fight the rest of the hordes to get a seat, or get off at one of the stops close to the other route and walk a block or two (e.g. Wall Centre/Residence Inn red to Holiday Inn green).

 

If that is too much hassle, then WestCoastSightseeing/Big Bus offer a single loop, including multiple Stanley Park stops, without having to change vehicles any more - not quite as many as Trolley in total, but fewer hotel stops.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so between Rexall and Nesters for last minute Groceries which is the best option for walking. I am planning on coming from Grand Station(Amtrak) train station and getting on the Sky train.

 

 

Oh , and thank you both for the suggestions!! :)

First, unless you're traveling light don't take Skytrain - the line that goes past Pacific Central station (not Grand Central - that's on the opposite coast in a different country!) is a commuter train with zero luggage storage.

 

Second, as the maps above should have made clear Rexalls is closer than Nesters. However if you were planning to walk through Gastown, a popular spot, Nesters definitely wins in convenience (the London Drugs xlxo mentioned is inside the same complex as Nesters).

 

For minimal walking if you were still planning to do Skytrain though, the Urban Fare or London Drugs in the athlete's village are even closer than Rexall at 600metres from Main St station. You'd have to be able to schlep your luggage and your gatorade all at once though...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it true that it is an easy short walk with wheeled luggage from Canada place where we get off the ship to Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel?

 

Is this a nice hotel?

 

Is cab the best way to get to the Amtrak at 5:30am from this hotel?

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hoping for some help planning our upcoming trip to Vancouver in July pre-Millennium northbound Alaska cruise! I tried reading through the old thread but had difficulty finding answers to everything that would apply to us! :)

 

We will be staying at the Hyatt for 3 nights pre-cruise. Things we would like to do/see include the aquarium and Stanley Park, Granville Island, the fireworks on July 29th, and Grouse Mountain with zip-lining. What else should we add to our list? Beaches? Gastown? Yaletown? Any suggestions on the best order to do these things in?

We're in our late 20's/mid 30's and are both first-timers to Vancouver!

 

What's the best way to get around? I know the skytrain is relatively easy to use to get from YVR to the Hyatt but I think we'll stick with a taxi due to all of our luggage. I have read quotes in the range of approximately $30 - does this sound right? It'll be around 1pm or so on a weekday if that makes a difference.

 

We're considering a 2-day HOHO trolley ticket - is this worth it? We'd like to enjoy our stay and see the city but hopefully not break our legs from too much walking in the process - we'll need them in Alaska! ;)

 

Also what's a good place to see the fireworks that won't be very rowdy, not be difficult to leave from afterwards, and not necessitate staking out all day to get a decent spot? And how do we easily get back to the hotel from there?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With regard to the fireworks - you will have to walk back after, but it is a pleasant walk to wherever, and to your hotel.:D You can stake out a spot anytime in the early evening. We usually walk down to the end of Denman St. in the West End and watch from a spot in front of the Sylvia Hotel.

 

I would get just one day HoHo, and do the bus trip up to Capilano on the other day. Kind of expensive but a great experience through the tree tops. Rent a bike to go round Stanley Park, perhaps. Bike rentals on Denman. The beaches are a good idea, as is Gastown though it is a tourist trap.;) If you go to Yaletown you can get the little water taxi across to Granville Island.

 

There is lots to do in and around downtown Vancouver, and lots of great places to eat, something to suit every taste.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it true that it is an easy short walk with wheeled luggage from Canada place where we get off the ship to Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel?

 

Is this a nice hotel?

 

Is cab the best way to get to the Amtrak at 5:30am from this hotel?

Thanks

Yes it's an easy walk and quite feasible to roll luggage, but be advised that there is no Renaissance Hotel any more - that hotel left the chain and became the Pinnacle (not the be confused with the Marriott Pinnacle across the road or the Pinnacle at the Pier in North Van). So while the infrastructure of the hotel is I believe still basically the same, be careful to only pay attention to reviews of service, staff, food etc. from very late 2014 & 2015 so you can assess whether it's good, bad or indifferent in comparison to when it was a Renaissance.

 

No local poster has been able to give a review yet - there are a couple of threads about this (search for Pinnacle) with some visitor posts, but most are still referring to the hotel when it was still Renaissance. Tripadvisor, Expedia etc. will be much more useful than CC under the circumstances...

 

Cab is definitely the way to go to Amtrak regardless of time of day - the only alternative transport would be bus or Skytrain, both of which lack luggage space (the Canada Line to the airport is excellent for luggage, but other lines are designed with commuters in mind not tourists).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hoping for some help planning our upcoming trip to Vancouver in July pre-Millennium northbound Alaska cruise! I tried reading through the old thread but had difficulty finding answers to everything that would apply to us! :)

 

We will be staying at the Hyatt for 3 nights pre-cruise. Things we would like to do/see include the aquarium and Stanley Park, Granville Island, the fireworks on July 29th, and Grouse Mountain with zip-lining. What else should we add to our list? Beaches? Gastown? Yaletown? Any suggestions on the best order to do these things in?

We're in our late 20's/mid 30's and are both first-timers to Vancouver!

 

What's the best way to get around? I know the skytrain is relatively easy to use to get from YVR to the Hyatt but I think we'll stick with a taxi due to all of our luggage. I have read quotes in the range of approximately $30 - does this sound right? It'll be around 1pm or so on a weekday if that makes a difference.

 

We're considering a 2-day HOHO trolley ticket - is this worth it? We'd like to enjoy our stay and see the city but hopefully not break our legs from too much walking in the process - we'll need them in Alaska! ;)

 

Also what's a good place to see the fireworks that won't be very rowdy, not be difficult to leave from afterwards, and not necessitate staking out all day to get a decent spot? And how do we easily get back to the hotel from there?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

Taxis are now fixed rate inbound from YVR - Hyatt is in the $31 zone, so that's what you'll pay including tax (tip is up to you).

 

HOHO is a great value compared to any other bus tours, and depending where you're going it might just be possible to use for transport - e.g. an early dinner. Remember loop directions though, spending an hour going the long way seems foolish compared to saving $5-10 on cab fare IMO.

 

Transit in general is frequent and goes most anywhere downtown, but we have such a compact downtown core that the vast majority of attractions are quite walkable from each other. If you can walk five miles you could circle the whole of downtown. Bike rental is also popular, especially for Seawall/Stanley Park - you can get to anywhere that you could reach on foot and there are plenty of secure bike racks to lock up using the always-provided bike locks.

 

Best order and which places to prioritise depend on you and how you decide to travel - if using HOHO, do the places in order the HOHO visits to save backtracking inefficiently for example. Gastown & Yaletown (plus Chinatown, Kitsilano, Commercial Drive and other neighbourhoods) offer things to see, places to eat, shopping etc. but without more idea of your budget, tastes in food, desire to go buy lots of stuff etc. it's hard to say which areas would be best for you. Beaches are beaches, I guess if you want to sunbathe or swim in the ocean you should do it here instead of anywhere in Alaska!

 

Do have bad weather plans - while statistically July is dry and sunny, it's still the PNW so rain is always possible. Be flexible in when you hit indoor attractions, go do Grouse on the first clear day to ensure you maximise your value with good views.

 

Fireworks-wise the best viewing areas around English Bay on both sides start filling up around breakfast time. I've cycled past dozens of RVs all parked with picnic tables and loungers set up by 8am or earlier - July 29th being the midweek Wednesday show fewer locals have the luxury of coming down before 5pm or so as they have to work of course, and as Lizzie mentioned you can always find somewhere you can see the show from, but avoiding the hordes of other viewers including some who have perhaps partied a little too hearty can be tricky.

 

Personally I always found the most tolerable place to go that did not involve being at least an hour early is Burrard Bridge - cops patrol it throughout the event (motorists are forbidden to stop or even slow down to ensure they won't clog the bridge - the motorcycle cops literally drive over & back constantly to ensure this happens). When cops are around the drunken idiots tend to go somewhere else!

 

Really low fireworks might be hard to see, but the vast majority are clearly visible - plus, the Aquabus ballet occurs right below. Not as extensive the Victoria one you can find youtube footage of, but they circle around 'dancing' in formation a few times after dark, which gives you something to watch before the fireworks start.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...