Talk to me about Vancouver

[nsshel]

Have a cruise leaving from Vancouver, would like to know about things to see and do. What is the best way to get to downtown hotel from airport? We are there for a day before the cruise. thanks

[judyfssw]

We took a taxi from the airport to the Renaissance Hotel. It wasn't that expensive and we saw some of neighborhoods.

We planned to take a tour of the city but Mom was too tired out to do it. There are many things to see. Ask the Concierge at your hotel.

[Happy ks]

A cab is the quickest way, not very expensive, around $25 CAN as I recall from last year. You will love Vancouver, it is a beautiful city. They have a trolley tour that is a good choice since you only have one day. We ended up taking a van tour of the city that dropped us off at our cruise ship the day of the cruise. I would have to say, out of the 15 people in our group, the favorite place to see was Granville Island.

 

 

Go to the Alaska board for more info, make sure you have a couple of hours to kill before you click on that board, though, you may get lost!

[mii]

We are on the Infinity next month and one of our stops is Vancouver so we are also taking the Vancouver trolley ride that goes all ovr the city. Their web site is www.vancouvertrolley.com It has all sorts of info.

 

Marilyn

[mahdnc]

We spent a couple of days in Vancouver after our Alaska cruise 5 years ago. There is quite alot to do there. Since we brought our kids, we spent time at the Aquarium in Stanley Park and at the free public waterpark at Granville Island.

 

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency and found that surprisingly the best method of transportation between the Hyatt and the airport was by stretch limo which was $35CAD total for the 4 of us plus tip. I just checked Limojet's website and it looks like the rate has increased to $39. Here is the website

of the company we used: Limojet Gold

 

For in town transportation, we ended up buying an inexpensive 2 day pass on one of those double decker buses (Gray Line) which served as a tour bus as well as transportation. One of the stops included the Hyatt. I originally had a car rental lined up but dropped it after I saw how busy traffic was downtown.

[MamaQuack]

Vancouver is clean, safe and beautiful. THe public park - Stanley is amazing, but there are many, many gardens to see. Granville Island was one of our favorite non-park places - so much to see and so much going on there! We also loved that there seems to be a sushi or raw bar on about every corner! Great food, great shopping, friendly folks, the waterfront is beautiful. We walked everywhere. We return in June for 5 days before our Alaska cruise and cannot wait. We take taxis from the airport also - quick, easy.

[Cruise Cat]

Mama - I have to disagree in part. The half of the city over near Canada Place is nice, safe and beautiful, but the other half of the city near the Ballantyne Peir is an absolute slum;not just by the peir, but that whole half of the city.

 

Nsshel - Yes, go a day or two early and enjoy. Just make sure you stay in the right part of town. Try this link for some good info. A link within this page also has the cruise ship schedule to see where your ship docks.

 

http://www3.telus.net/cruise_watch/info.htm

[caviargal]

I love Vancouver. I was lucky enough to travel there on business regularly for 2 years so know the city well.

 

Lots of natural beauty, great food, clean as a whistle. Yes, there is a seedy area but it is a big city after all.

 

Stanley Park is terrific and a great place to walk or run. Granville Market is amazing!

 

Yes, cab to hotel is the best way. Lots of great restaurants on Robson. Personal favorites are CinCin, LaPasta (casual), Bread Garden (healthy breakfast and lunch), Kamei Sushi, Salmon HOuse on the Hill (awesome views). Also Pink Pearl has wonderful dim sum if you are a fan.

[sparks]

We also did a few days pre-cruise in Vancouver & loved it. The Indian restaurants are wonderful & Stanley Park was very pretty. Very easy city to get around in. My only tip is that we used priceline for accomodations & stayed at the Westin Bayshore for $80 a night. The hotel was wonderful & I liked the location. It is a great walking city.

[yfraser]

I am from Vancouver and of course I absolutely adore the city. A wonderful way to start your day in Vancouver would be to head to Granville Island in the morning for breakfast. The island has a wonderful indoor farmer's market with numerous food vendors selling everything from coffee, pastries, and ethnic foods... no major fast food companies here just delicious savory and sweet ways to begin your day (an added benefit of starting early in the day is you miss the crowds that begin to swell as the day wears on). Granville Island also has buildings that house local artisans. They include First Nations artists etc.

 

The afternoon could be spent wandering around Stanley Park. The park includes a wonderful aquarium, fabulous fish 'n chip stands (an absolute must in our family), a beach, and a sea wall that you can stroll around the park, but be warned it is a very very long walk (but even a short walk is wonderful as the sea wall as the name implies, is on the water front and the views are spectacular). There are also numerous nature trails within the park that are spectacular. Oh and the gardens... beautiful.

 

You could also spend the afternoon in Gastown shopping or on Robson street, both great locations for some shopping. A wonderful French restaurant on Robson is Herve's... a hidden gem but one of the very best. If looking for a good burger consider the local's favourite... White Spot. Order the Original! You won't regret it! There are numerous White Spot restaurants in the Vancouver area.

 

If looking for a First Nation's museum, you could also consider the Anthropology Museum at the University of British Columbia and while there you could hike down to Wreck Beach (the only nudist beach in Vancouver) an absolutely gorgeous beach if you don't mind nudity.

 

If looking for a day at the beach, you can't beat Spanish Banks and their fish 'n chips and the views of downtown Vancouver are impecable...

 

So there are just a few of our favourite things to do when we have a day free to play in Vancouver... enjoy!

[Bruin Steve]

Vancouver is a beautiful city...all the way around...

We did a 2-night post-cruise there after a 13-night Alaskan Cruisetour on the Summit this past July...

 

We opted for a post-cruise hotel package through Celebrity...

It was only $169 per person for TWO nights at the Sutton Place...which also included transfers from the ship to the hotel and hotel to the airport...At that price, we figured it wasn't worth messing around with trying to do it on our own to save a few dollars...

 

Anyway, we found the Sutton Place to be just about perfect...

http://www.vancouver.suttonplace.com/default.htm

 

First, the hotel was extremely elegant...and the rooms were ample, attractive, comfortable and well decorated...

 

But, best of all, the location was absolutely unbeatable...

It is right at the intersection of Robson and Burrard...Burrard is pretty much the "main street" of Downtown Vancouver and Robson is the fashionable shopping/restaurant street...

 

I was there with my wife and two college aged daughters...and after a lengthy 13 night cruisetour, all they wanted to do was shop, eat and relax...

 

And all the shopping and eating you would care to do in Vancouver was within close walking proximity to the hotel...literally, fall out of bed and you're there...

 

We did walk to Granville Island for lunch one day...but we took a cab back...The walk wasn't that bad, but, you needed to catch a ferry at the end...and the cost of the cab ride home was only a few diollars -- not much different than the cost of the ferry for four...

 

Other than that, we spent most of our time on Robson...(We'd been to Vancouver a couple of times before...and had seen Stanley Park, etc. and we were just too exhausted at that point)...But, I guess the thing is, that with only a day or two in Vancouver, there's more than enough to see and experience - even if you don't get that far from the hotel...

 

Have fun...

[RodPat]

We were on Infinity from Vancouver in 2002. We stayed a day before and a day after at the Pan Pacific. It is a beautiful hotel right at Canada Place where Infinity was docked. Granville Island is really nice and so is Stanley Park. Gastown was lovely to shop at and have a drink outdoors. This is a very clean and friendly city. I think you will love it. Pat

[papadave]

Rent a car that you can pick up at the airport and drop off in the city near the cruise port or near your hotel. It will give you the flexibility to get around -- Grouse Mountain is nice all times of the year and a short drive up the coast and back is breathtaking. Stanley Park is recommended; both the aquarium and the fancier restaurant (I believe it is called The Tea House) plus nice things like a water park for children. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is excellent and has an enormous collection of totem poles and other similar artifacts. There is a suspension bridge (I can't recall the name) along the drive up to Grouse Mountain.

 

Personally, I find Granville Island a bit overrated. It is quite interesting from an urban plannning viewpoint -- industrial center turned into shops and restaurants -- but in many ways it is just a really nice shopping mall. Having eaten at several restaurants on Granville Island without going to the same one twice I'll term the food there good overall, but far from memorable.

 

If you just want to hang out where the locals hang out you may try Kitsalano Beach.

[pinkrosesdeb]

We are seriously considering a "land cruise" to Vancouver area next year. Since my dad died I have to find out what he saw in Canada. His last words to my mom before he passed were "I'll be waiting for you in Canada." I think he thought he found heaven there. His mom's name was Louise so Lake Louise held special interest. Would love to fly into Vancouver and drive to Banff area if that isn't too hard to do. Any ideas for a fla. girl who has never been that far north?

[yfraser]

A land cruise of the interior of British Columbia and Alberta is an absolutely devine idea - having done it myself! It is wonderful and there is so much to see between Vancouver and Lake Louise!

 

As far as Granville Island - I disagree with Papadave. I am definitely not a Mall person and I go out of my way to avoid malls.... so from that perspective... Here is just another point of view from someone who spent many many hours exploring the island (not just visiting for a few hours).

 

Granville Island was designed to bring local artisans together - artists who create jewellery, paintings, carvings, theatre, music etc. You will find artists of all backgrounds including First Nations. In addition, on the island you will find artists studios that you can visit and watch the artists create. For instance in the past you could watch Haida artists carve a totem poll, glass artists blow glass work, etc. There is also a theatre. In the summer you will find musicians out on the dock singing... not just the invited musician with their hats out waiting for donations but invited groups as well. There is much more to the eye than a glorified mall, you just have to explore the other buildings. As far as the food, the best that I have had come from the various stands inside. I buy some cheese from this fabulous cheese stand. The bread from this wonderful baker. Some pastries from around the corner and don't forget the chocolate. Ohh and then the fruit... those raspberries are so massive and the blueberries as well.. Then to top it off some wonderful coffee... Now take all your goodies outside on that dock.. and that wonderful musician I told you about will be outside playing for you as you gaze out on the boats that sail by!

 

I know that I will be visiting there for a couple of early mornings this summer...

[MamaQuack]

yfraser-I agree with you completely about Granville Is. I too am not a mall person and despise shopping unless its online, that said, I love the overall experience at Granville Island. My hubby can get meat snacks here and fruit there, my son and I can get bread here and veggies there and seafood at another spot. We all enjoy the exploring, the many kinds of art and meeting others who are there to share. It is definitely not a 1 hour experience for us - we go and spend the day and never, ever come back to the hotel with the same experience as the trip before.

 

 

MamaQuack

[papadave]

I've been there a dozen times and there are many things to do there. I just think you could be miss a lot more that is available in the region (such as the Anthropology Museum at UBC) by spending a lot of time there. If you do spend time at Granville Island look for the local artisans, the local winery and other things that make the place special.

[SeaDays]

We stayed for two nights prior to our last departure from Vancouver. Rented a car, and drove up to Whistler for a day. (It wasn't snow season).

 

Whistler will host an upcoming winter olympics, and is a great place to wander around, drink coffee, have lunch, etc.. The ski lifts operate for scenic views.

 

Additionally, the ride to Whistler and back is scenic, with many overlooks to pause at.

[yfraser]

Papadave I formally lived at UBC and spent many an afternoon at the Anthropology Museum so I appreciate this area of Vancouver as well. In addition to visiting the many treasures found inside the museum, you can wander around outside and visit a number of other totem poles and a long house found in the rear of the museum. In addition, if you don't mind nudity you can follow the trails found near the long house, you can walk down to a wonderful beach - Wreck Beach - it is absolutely gorgeous with many tide pools, logs, and miles of beach to stroll waiting for you. On the walk down if it happens to be in late June through early August you may be able to enjoy some of the native Salmon berries and huckle berries that are found on ladened bushes surrounding the trails. And just one more adventure - once you have finished your walk down to the beach, you can cross the street from in front of the Anthropology Museum and visit a wonderful Japanese garden.

 

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is another beautiful location - my grandmother graduated from there, my husband graduated from there and all my children were born there... so it is a place that we are all very fond of!

 

So thank you Papadave for another recommendation... oh and on the drive back to the city after you have visited UBC drive along the waterfront (Spanish Banks). You will find another wonderful spot to stop. Spanish Banks another beach (not nudist although it ultimately does connect at low tide to Wreck beach) with the best fish and chips! Great for sun sets! And to watch cruise ships depart!

[nsshel]

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts. I wish that we had more than one day.

[arby70]

had more than one day too. We stayed at a hotel (The Times Square Suites) on the corner of Robson and Denman. We were right in the middle of the action so to speak. The is the edge of the high rise residential section of the city and Stanley Park was only a block or two away. Gorgeous place, lovely walks, and a terrific aquarium (they have beluga whales). I walked to Coal Harbor and English Bay I think it's called. Wonderful restaurants, shopping and numerous coffee houses. They do like their coffee. There was a great one on the first floor of our hotel called BoJangles and they had scrumptious desserts and coffees. I loved both Granvillle Island and Gastown. Both had their great attributes. Gastown had brick streets, gorgeous baskets of flowers hanging from the neat old English looking street lamps, and it had the coolest feel to it. There was a great steam clock there as well. Granville Island is under the Granville Bridge? They had great shops and I agree with the poster earlier about the farmer's market. I have never seen produce like that in my life; berries and numerous fruits of unbelievable size and yumminess. They had numerous vendors with local food delights to try. I had something called a "sugar tart" I believe. It was so good I got another. Okay, I'll admit that I have a sweet tooth like no other. Prices were very good there for eats. I know you won't have time, but if you ever get back to Vancouver, take the luncheon cruise up the Indian Arm Fijord. I believe they're called Harbour Cruises. Absolutely breathtaking scenery and the salmon was to die for (I don't really like salmon but theirs was great)! We also took the ferry to Bowen Island - not much on Bowen but the views getting there were worth every penny. Don't waste you time in Chinatown - you don't have much time to experience Vancouver so I'd hit the higher points of the city. We also used the double decker bus pass to get around town. It has numerous stops that take you throughout the city. They even had a sop at Granville Island, and the pass allows unlimited rides for the two days on the doubledeckers. If you haven't guessed by now, Vancouver is my very favorite city. I loved the whole feel of this city, and the people were very nice (not always typical of a U.S. city). Yes, I know there are seedier sides of this great city, but the vast majority of it is very beautiful. Enjoy this great city and I hope to get back very soon. :D ;)

[MamaQuack]

arby70-great post - wonderful info and insight - thanks so much!!! our trip in June will be our 4th - we try to include something new each visit - Granville Is and Queen Eliz park are repeats but we hope to include a luncheon cruise this time - we agree with you, Vancouver folks are friendly and it is one of our top 3 favorite cities ever!!!

[negc]

Rent a car that you can pick up at the airport and drop off in the city near the cruise port or near your hotel. It will give you the flexibility to get around -- Grouse Mountain is nice all times of the year and a short drive up the coast and back is breathtaking. Stanley Park is recommended; both the aquarium and the fancier restaurant (I believe it is called The Tea House) plus nice things like a water park for children. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is excellent and has an enormous collection of totem poles and other similar artifacts. There is a suspension bridge (I can't recall the name) along the drive up to Grouse Mountain.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is the one you were thinking of and well worth a visit. Also, if you have enough time, a day excursion to Victoria including a stop at Butchart Gardens, is wonderful. It includes a nice roundtrip ferry ride between the mainland where the city of Vancouver is located, and Vancouver Island where you will find the provincial capital of Victoria. We have been to Vancouver twice, each time at the end of a cruise and can't wait for our next opportunity to visit. Both cruiselines, Princess and RCI provided complimentary city tours of Vancouver, to while away the time until we could check into our hotels. Great overviews of the city highlights. We especially enjoyed our visits to Stanley and Queen Elizabeth Parks.