Vancouver Info if needed

[Putterdude]

Shoppie,

We will be in Vancouver in Sept what are your thought on going to Victoria for the day? I hear the place to get the Ferry is pretty far away.

We were thinking about staying at the Hampton Inn on Robson. Your thoughts on this hotel? Any suggestions on where to eat close to this hotel for dinner?

Thanks

 

You do need a full day to get back and forth to Victoria. The ferry is about 45mins from downtown Vancouver and on the Victoria side it is about 35/40 mins from downtown Victoria and the sailing tme between the two terminals is 1hr & 35 mins. If you don't have a car your best bet is Pacific Coach unless you want to go by seapalne at a cost of $250 pp. rtn.

The Hampton on Robson is in a good location just east of the downtown business core. They have a free shuttle to the cruise terminals and offer a free hot breakfast. There are lots of restaurants on Robson the closest moderately priced one to the hotel would likely be Rosies on Robson, then just down on Georgia St is Moxie's and just west of there is a White Spot. Both Moxies and White Spot would be just a notch above Applebie's. About 5 blocks to the west of you on Thurlow just north of Robson is Joe Fortes which is a steak, chop and seafood house and across the street is a Keg Steakhouse which is a mid-priced steakhouse.

http://pacificcoach.com/

www.joefortes.ca/

http://en.kegsteakhouse.com/locations/British_Columbia/Downtown_Vancouver/Thurlow_Keg

http://www.elephantcastle.com/content/locations/vancouver

[Urban trekker]

PD - mentioning all those fine restaurants and I haven't had breakfast yet.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[urkidn]

The Hampton on Robson is in a good location just east of the downtown business core. They have a free shuttle to the cruise terminals and offer a free hot breakfast. There are lots of restaurants on Robson the closest moderately priced one to the hotel would likely be Rosies on Robson, then just down on Georgia St is Moxie's and just west of there is a White Spot. Both Moxies and White Spot would be just a notch above Applebie's. About 5 blocks to the west of you on Thurlow just north of Robson is Joe Fortes which is a steak, chop and seafood house and across the street is a Keg Steakhouse which is a mid-priced steakhouse.

 

http://pacificcoach.com/

 

www.joefortes.ca/

 

http://en.kegsteakhouse.com/locations/British_Columbia/Downtown_Vancouver/Thurlow_Keg

 

http://www.elephantcastle.com/content/locations/vancouver

 

 

I live in this neighbourhood. Joe Fortes is more like 10 blocks away from the Hampton Suites. A good place to go from your location for a great dinner is Yaletown. There are a lot of excellent restaurants with a wide range of choices and some great shopping to boot. If you want something similar to Joes Fortes, try Goldfish Pacific Kitchen. I believe its owned by the same people.

 

Here's a link:

 

http://www.foodvancouver.com/restaurants.php?neighborhood=16

 

I'm not exactly sure of Yaletown's borders but it roughly covers the area south of Smithe and east of Granville, an easy walk or short cab from your location.

 

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.english-vancouver.com/british-columbia/img7.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.english-vancouver.com/british-columbia/page3.html&h=1043&w=785&sz=429&tbnid=uVrNjzH29d4J::&tbnh=150&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmap%2Bdowntown%2Bvancouver&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=1

[triplecrownprincipal]

Putterdude, I really am enjoying your most informative "posts" in regard to Vancouver, Victoria, etc. I am making notes to bring along with me for our September visit to Vancouver. In a previous post you mentioned Pacific Coach for the Vancouver-Victoria Ferry ride and tour. I have schedule this tour with "LandseaTours. In your opinion, is this tour company reputable and will provide a good tour? Thanks in advance for you input.

 

Triple Crown

[Putterdude]

I live in this neighbourhood. Joe Fortes is more like 10 blocks away from the Hampton Suites.

 

Quite right it is closer to 10 blocks than 5 blocks but it is a very pleasant walk and a great restaurant.:)

[Urban trekker]

Land Sea tours are a good company - there have been around the Vancouver tourist scene for a number of years.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

In a previous post you mentioned Pacific Coach for the Vancouver-Victoria Ferry ride and tour. I have schedule this tour with "LandseaTours. In your opinion, is this tour company reputable and will provide a good tour? Thanks in advance for you input.

 

Pacific Coach or what used to be known as Pacific Stage Lines has been in business of running coachs back and forth to Victoria for as long as I can remember, like more than 50 years (actually I older than that...it's just as far as I can remember). Land Sea or Vancouver Tours has been around for I would guess about 15 or 20 years and I suspect they were the ones who drove Grayline out of the Vancouver market.

In my mind it would be a pickum situation. I would just compare the costs and the intinerarys and then choose the one I liked best, you can't go wrong with either one.:)

[travel_lover]

Hello we're staying in Vancouver 1 night on May 8th but we will have the whole day to spend their after we disembark our Cruise the 8th. What is the best hotel you could suggest, inexpensive and close to the Cruise Port so maybe we can walk with our luggage to the port?

 

Thank you!

[Putterdude]

Hello we're staying in Vancouver 1 night on May 8th but we will have the whole day to spend their after we disembark our Cruise the 8th. What is the best hotel you could suggest, inexpensive and close to the Cruise Port so maybe we can walk with our luggage to the port?

 

Thank you!

 

Probably the best value that we have seen this season is the Hyatt Regency on Burrard at Dunsmuir about 5 blocks from Canada Place. It has been on promos and Priceline for about $125, the rack rate would be about $250. There are a couple of hotles on Robson St., The Blue Horizon and the Pacific Palisades that have been bid on Priceline for about $150. Both of these are good hotels in good locations but the Hyatt Regency is much better value at $125. The good news is that you have lots of time to watch and bid on Priceline and check for promos.

If you have any other questions just come on back with them.

[duffyrn]

we will be in vancouver aug 9-11, post cruisetour. i am trying to find hotel for dh, myself, dd, ds and bil. i am currently looking at 1)l'hermitage 2)fairmont..NOT the waterfront one....3)delta suites and 4)le soleil. i am thinking of them in the order listed. many other places are sold out and many places only allow 2 people to room. we will be having 3 and 3 to each. also, on priceline......how would i bid for these hotels? if i bid on rooms then i don't know if i could get a suite, which is what we would like, especiallly if it would accomodate all 5 of us. dh, ds and husband's brother in one room and dd and i in another. i'm afraid i'm going to be deliberating this too long and rates will go up (they have from yesterday). expedia has actually given the best rates on these hotels.

thanks for any info or opinion that anyone can add!!

beth

[Putterdude]

we will be in vancouver aug 9-11, post cruisetour. i am trying to find hotel for dh, myself, dd, ds and bil. i am currently looking at 1)l'hermitage 2)fairmont..NOT the waterfront one....3)delta suites and 4)le soleil. i am thinking of them in the order listed. many other places are sold out and many places only allow 2 people to room. we will be having 3 and 3 to each. also, on priceline......how would i bid for these hotels? if i bid on rooms then i don't know if i could get a suite, which is what we would like, especiallly if it would accomodate all 5 of us. dh, ds and husband's brother in one room and dd and i in another. i'm afraid i'm going to be deliberating this too long and rates will go up (they have from yesterday). expedia has actually given the best rates on these hotels.

 

Hi Beth;

It is my understanding that Priceline only guarantees 2 people to a room so you may want to do some more due diligence on this.

For what it is worth, of the ones that you have listed I think I would choose Fairmont's Hotel Vancouver, it is a grand old hotel but in the style and fashion of Fairmont. You just can't get more centre ice than the Hotel Vancouver. After that it probably really doesn't matter but I my preference would be Le Soleil because again of its location.

They are all good hotels in good locations but those would be my first two choices followed by Delta suites and then l'Hermitage.

[duffyrn]

thank you for your recommendations. it helps from someone there, not just a person's one good or one unfortunate experience. i'll continue my quest. the fairmont looked nice to me, but i like the thought of the old hotel thing. we could book 3 rooms there, as i believe they only have 2 to a room. is there a way to bid on it specifically on priceline? i have been through all the sites, ie expedia, orbitz, kayak, travelocity, and other more obscure ones several times.

again, thank you

beth

[Putterdude]

If you are bidding on Priceline what hotel you get is the luck of the draw, at least within the * level you are bidding. Sites like Orbitz, Expedia, etc do let you put in the number of people staying in a room. My thought would be to get the best rate you can then call the hotel, ask for the reservations manager or supervisor, tell them what you are able to do on such and such site and often they will match price and accommodate your special request.

[Shopinpat]

Thanks PD and UT.

What would we do without you?????

 

Thanks Again....

[a1moty]

I notice that there is about a $700 difference between flying in/out of Vancouver and flying in/out of Seattle---does anyone know if there is a shuttle between the two ports?? We are, of course, planning to leave from Port of Vancouver---but find the air fare to Seattle much more to my pocketbooks' liking---I am thinking that the hike would be too much--lol.:eek:

[Putterdude]

I notice that there is about a $700 difference between flying in/out of Vancouver and flying in/out of Seattle---does anyone know if there is a shuttle between the two ports?? We are, of course, planning to leave from Port of Vancouver---but find the air fare to Seattle much more to my pocketbooks' liking---I am thinking that the hike would be too much--lol.:eek:

 

Regrettably what you are running into is a full second set of fees, like taxes, NAVCAN, US Customs, landing fees, etc imposed by the Canadian government. It is to bad that they can't be harmonized and shared but alas everyone wants their share of the pie. However I would keep looking because $700 sounds like a lot to me.

To your question, there is a shuttle and Amtrak runs one train and several buses each day. Here is the link to the shuttle & Amtrak..

www.quickcoach.com/

www.amtrak.com/

[Urban trekker]

"I would keep looking because $700 sounds like a lot to me"

 

Is that for one person or two or more.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Deeg67]

Hey there. I'm going on a NCL Alaska trip that departs t 5:30 PM. I was thinking of flying into Seattle a day early and taking the Amtrak Cascades up the next day. Here's my worry. The train is scheduled to arrive at 11:35 - should be plenty of time for my 5:30 cruise, right? Given Amtrak's on-time record, would you feel pretty secure in pursuing that plan? As I understand it, the Amtrak terminal is a quick SkyTrain ride away from Canada Place (where I believe I'm departing from - do all NCL leave from there?) so even if it were a couple hours late, I'd still be OK...

 

Thanks for the advice!

Dan

[Putterdude]

I am guessing that you are going on the Norwegian Sun and yes it does leave from Canada Place. You have got the rest of it correct and you should be just fine with Amtrak, lots of people use it with great success. By the way you will need Canadian funds for Skytrain but there is an ATM in the Pacific Central Station where the train comes in. If there was a hickup somewhere and the train was late you could always grab a cab, you are < 15 mins away and the fare will be <$15. Have a great time!:)

[Deeg67]

Thanks - yes, it is the Norwegian Sun. Really appreciate the input.

 

Dan

[cruisingrightalong]

Question:

Have been to Vancouver before...seen the Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain and Granville Island and seen town somewhat....we are planning to come in 1 day early but could come 2...is there anything else to tour that is special except Stanley Park???? We are not shoppers....we are sightseers???

 

Lou

[TCF]

Here are some ideas:

Museum of Anthropology at UBC....has a wonderful collection of First Nations artifacts.

Nitobe Memorial Garden...is just down the road from the Museum and is said to be the most pefect Tea Garden outside of Japan in the world.

UBC Botancial Garden...not a great botanical garden but it is just a ways past the Nitobe Garden on Marine Dr.

San Yet Sen Garden...is a traditional Chinese garden right in the heart of China Town...which in itself is a fun walk-around.

Steveston...a fishing community south of Vancouver at the mouth of the Fraser River (south arm). Cannery Museum and some nice restaurants...there are also whale watching excursions from Steveston.

Budhist Temple...on the Steveston Hwy...is a wonderful place to visit. Built in traditional Chinese architecture this is gorgeous building with gardens as well.

Queen Elizabeth Park (caller Little Mountain by the locals) is a gardedn built in an old stone quarry. It has beautiful vistas of vancouver and the mountains....also a conservatory that is most interesting to spend some time in.

Van Dusen Botanical Garden on Oak street.

and...

The Vancouver Museum and Plantetarium...as well as the Maritime Museum which houses the RCMP St. Roch, the first ship to crusie through the North West Passage (one of my favourites).

Hope this gives you some ideas.

[Kamloops50]

If you have time you could take the Whistler Mountaineer railway to Whistler either overnight or as a day trip. See link to railway.

 

http://www.whistlermountaineer.com/

 

A day trip to Victoria is also a possibility.

 

:cool::cool:

[Putterdude]

How about a walk in the Seymour Demonstation Forest or a drive or even a busride along Marine Drive in West Vancouver out to Horseshoe Bay & back.

http://www.findfamilyfun.com/sdf.htm

 

http://tripplanning.translink.bc.ca/hiwire?.a=iTripPlanning&.s={$SID}

[cruisingrightalong]

Great ideas...thanks...bookmarking these!

 

Lou