Granville island market

[Kelli0927]

Are credit cards accepted everywhere in the market or should we bring CAD? Also, I understand there is a ferry taxi. Does that accept credit? Trying to decide if we need to bring any cash at all for our 1 day in Vancouver. 

[martincath]

Credit cards* are accepted by most of the market vendors, certainly all the ones with their own shops/large counters - there may be some really small stalls that are cash only but I can't think of any offhand. The little ferries only take cash or prepurchased tickets onboard, but you can usually find someone to sell you tickets with credit cards at the major stops (Granville Island is definitely one of these, there's usually a ticket-selling staff member on the pier). Buskers are cash only though, and if you're sitting having lunch watching them it's kind of a d*ck move not to contibute some cash, but USD will generally be gracefully accepted as it will be for bell staff in hotels and other 'cash tip' situations.

 

*Visa/MasterCard are widely accepted, anywhere that takes cards at all will virtually aleays take both. AmEx is notably less commonly taken, and folks taking Discovery are basically just superswanky hotels, restos, stores.

[Kelli0927]

Thanks.  I think we'll take a small amount of cash, just in case. 

[liptastic]

Sorry to change the subject of the topic here, could I ask how to get to Granville Island by the ferry taxi. We last went to Granville Island in 2003, and I am sure we took the bus?  We will be back for our 4th Alaska cruise next month, and plan to go back to Granville Island. What are the choices of transport to there?

Thanks for any info,

Jean. 

[martincath]

The 50 bus still takes you closest to GI in terms of public transit on land. Taxis can drive onto the 'island' and you'll also find them hanging around to pick people up (the GI hotel and outside the theatre are the usual places to find one). Aquabus/False Creek Ferries have some separate stops, others joint, so depending which hotel you are in you may find that the nearest jetty serves one or both of those - the price is pretty much identical, about $3 for a one-way ride from the closest stops to GI.

 

Maps of piers and routes are found on both websites I linked above - while Google Maps has all the bus/SkyTrain/Seabus routes integrated, they are not as good with the little ferries and only ever show certain routes so it's best to just use Google to route you to the jetties, not all the way to GI.

[liptastic]

Martincath thanks very much, you are always a wealth of knowledge .

Jean.