Vancouver Info if needed

[tdk1938]

Visiting Vancouver for half a day is to short. You should plan on spending at least 1 day at each end not including embarkation or debarkation day. To much to see in Vancouver in one day. Another opion is to take the Seattle to Vancouver Shuttle bus . Fares are about $100 round-trip from Seattle to Vancouver Hotels

 

Link to their site:

 

http://www.quickcoach.com/index.htm

 

They have runs a day northbound during cruiseing season. They will deliver you directly to your hotel. If you take the train you still will have take a taxi to your hotel. Depending on where it is the taxi could cost up to $20 each way.

The train runs to Vancouver once a day at 7:40AM all the other runs are buses. The train leaves from downtown , so you will need a shuttle or taxi to get there. Since it leaves that early you will need to flight to Seattle the day before and get a hotel. If you are in Northern Ca why not take the train all the way to Vancouver . Probably cheaper then flying .

 

 

Hi Putterdude and doopydozer,

Thanks for the quick answer. My DW is on same page with both of you. (She wants to stay an extra day on at least one end of the trip or both). Quickcoach is a great idea and I'll remember that when I go.

 

I have another quistion. Do we have ferry/tour bus to Victoria Island from Vancouver or Seattle. If we cruise from Vancouver they don't visit V I.

[LeftcoastBC]

If we ever go on a Alaska cruise, that's what I like to do.

 

Fly to SEA instead of YVR from Northern CA and go to Vancouver by train. We'll stay in a hotel for a night for pre-cruise and board the ship the next day.

 

When we disembark at Vancouver, we take a train back to Seattle and stay there for a night and fly home the next day.

 

It'll cost us $250 more for each person to fly to Vancouver compare to Seattle and my DW and I have 3 kids. We might invite my inlaws and my DW's niece and that will make us Eight is Enough.

The train will cost us $70 round trip and my DW likes to visit Vancouver and Seattle.

 

 

You think this is a good idea or too much hassle.

 

I recommend the train having used the service but you should keep in mind the schedule does mean extra nights coming and going and with added cabs, food, and those needs of kids and yourselves for extra time you may not actually save a lot.

 

I agree with Puter on beautiful Vancouver also....but to be fair we really enjoy Seattle also.

 

Getting to Vancouver Island without your own transportation means 3-4 hours each way from Vancouver. You could take a ferry from Seattle to Victoria but to see things there & get to your ship in Vancouver would likely mean an overnight there too. There are tours from Vancouver of course but the island and Victoria is pretty tight and rushed for one day.

 

Keep on planning,,You just need more time :)

[Urban trekker]

Grayline is no longer operating in Vancouver

 

The following companies have hop on hop off tours

 

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com

 

http://www.bigbus.ca

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Hi Putterdude and doopydozer,

Thanks for the quick answer. My DW is on same page with both of you. (She wants to stay an extra day on at least one end of the trip or both). Quickcoach is a great idea and I'll remember that when I go.

 

I have another quistion. Do we have ferry/tour bus to Victoria Island from Vancouver or Seattle. If we cruise from Vancouver they don't visit V I.

 

If you sail from Vancouver to Alaska then it is not likely that you will visit Victoria so you will need to make your own arrangements to visit Victoria if that is what you wish to do. That being the case then one of your options is to take the Victoria Clipper from Seattle and then take Pacific Coach Lines from Victoria to Vancouver via BC Ferries. Here are the links for your review.

www.clippervacations.com/

www.pacificcoach.com/

[Putterdude]

Hi guys....I've been reading most of your thread, lurking, for some time now....as our Hawaii cruise in 9/09 leaves from Vancouver.......when we were there a couple of years ago, we took a HOHO bus offerred by the Grayline Bus Tour system and got a discount for our online tix via AAA.

 

When I tried to find the discount link again, I can't even find a Grayline HOHO BUs in Vancouver at all - is it still offerred or not?

 

Thanks for your help on this and all of the other helpful posts I've been reading here :)

 

I concur with Ut, Grayline folded their tent here in Vancouver a few years ago; one can only speculate why but there is a lot of competition for the tour dollar here. I am not aware of any offering any AAA discount but it never hurts to ask....also AARP if you are a member (I am and use it frequently). The other tour company that I could recommend would be Vancouver Tours which sort of took over where Grayline left off, however they do not offer a HOHO service.

www.vancouvertours.com/

[cruising forever]

Good info - no WONDER I couldn't find Grayline HOHO in Vancouver LOL

[Kamloops50]

A new Vancouver Site came on-line this year. I found it very helpful

 

The link is

 

http://www.vancouver.com/

 

I found to be very helpful to get info. I grew up in Vancouver and now

live about 4 hrs away. Couldn't that crowds or rush hour traffic.

 

My family lives in Vancouver so I'm visiting at least 3 times a year and

on business at least twice.

[Urban trekker]

4 hours north of Vancouver? - Kamloops perhaps - not a bad place to move to and a little less busy than Kelowna.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Unless less of course you live on the Sunshine Coast.:D

[Kamloops50]

4 hours north of Vancouver? - Kamloops perhaps - not a bad place to move to and a little less busy than Kelowna.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

kamloops it is . This northern tip of the "Great Sonoran Desert" that extnds all the to Mexico.

 

:cool::cool:

[redbaroness]

Visiting Vancouver for half a day is to short. You should plan on spending at least 1 day at each end not including embarkation or debarkation day. To much to see in Vancouver in one day. Another opion is to take the Seattle to Vancouver Shuttle bus . Fares are about $100 round-trip from Seattle to Vancouver Hotels

 

Link to their site:

 

http://www.quickcoach.com/index.htm

 

They have runs a day northbound during cruiseing season. They will deliver you directly to your hotel. If you take the train you still will have take a taxi to your hotel. Depending on where it is the taxi could cost up to $20 each way.

The train runs to Vancouver once a day at 7:40AM all the other runs are buses. The train leaves from downtown , so you will need a shuttle or taxi to get there. Since it leaves that early you will need to flight to Seattle the day before and get a hotel. If you are in Northern Ca why not take the train all the way to Vancouver . Probably cheaper then flying .

 

We will be doing a 13 day Alaska cruise aboard the Mercury from Los Angeles ending in Vancouver. We'd like to spend a couple of days at the end of the cruise visiting the area.

 

I think it would be great to take the train back to LA. Biggest issue is, when leaving from Vancouver the bus to Seattle departs around 5:30 am. Not a huge problem for us being early risers, but we'd probably like to be staying not too far from the train station that last night simple due to the logistics of catching the bus really early in the morning.

 

I've only been to Vancouver once, and that was in the middle of a cruise-tour, so we really didn't get to see much of the city before boarding our ship. Any recommendations you can make as to good areas for hotels (we don't need 5-star, just a clean hotel in a safe area) would be appreciated.

[Putterdude]

I had responded to your post earlier but guess it got lost in space.

Regrettably Pacific Central Station where the Amtrak trains and busses depart from is in rather a seedy area so coming up with a hotel that even has a single star would be a hard job.;)

The closest hotels to the terminal would likely be the Sandman on W. Georgia St., the Hampton Inn on Robson St. and the Georgian Court on Beatty St. All would be less than 10min at that hour in the morning and should be less than a $15 cab ride. There is an Amtrak train departure at 5:45 pm daily and the popular thought is that there will be a second train next year but I have no idea how they connect up in SEA with the train for LA.

http://www.sandmanhotels.com/en/hotel/bc/vancouver_citycentre

www.hamptoninnvancouver.com

www.georgiancourt.com

[Urban trekker]

"but I have no idea how they connect up in SEA with the train for LA.

 

It is a direct connection in Seattle - get off the bus and onto the train - so they must take the early bus.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[redbaroness]

I had responded to your post earlier but guess it got lost in space.

 

Regrettably Pacific Central Station where the Amtrak trains and busses depart from is in rather a seedy area so coming up with a hotel that even has a single star would be a hard job.;)

 

The closest hotels to the terminal would likely be the Sandman on W. Georgia St., the Hampton Inn on Robson St. and the Georgian Court on Beatty St. All would be less than 10min at that hour in the morning and should be less than a $15 cab ride. There is an Amtrak train departure at 5:45 pm daily and the popular thought is that there will be a second train next year but I have no idea how they connect up in SEA with the train for LA.

 

http://www.sandmanhotels.com/en/hotel/bc/vancouver_citycentre

 

www.hamptoninnvancouver.com

 

www.georgiancourt.com

 

 

Thank you for all the valuable information. A ten minute taxi ride is plenty close for us and we'll definitely give consideration to your suggestions. Appreciate the help.

[LeftcoastBC]

Thank you for all the valuable information. A ten minute taxi ride is plenty close for us and we'll definitely give consideration to your suggestions. Appreciate the help.

 

For your consideration:

The train that Putter mentions leaves at 5:30 PM. gets into Seattle around 11 PM or so. That trip will be some of the best scenery you get along the trip south. We did the train North from Oakland.

 

I would suggest you take the train and get a room in Seattle and then catch that train south the Next morning rather than get up so early to catch a bus in Vancouver just to do I-5.

 

That second train is still only wishful thinking. Amtrak is on but there seems to be some hang up with things here in Canada. Not just sure who but it's still all on the back burner.

[clleste]

Hi all! We are scheduled to begin disembarkation at Ballantyne Pier next June 5 @ 7:00 am. Our flight is scheduled to leave same evening at 7:50 p.m. Would love to see the city's hightlights, and have a nice, but not extravagant lunch. Please give some economical suggestions on transportation from the pier; seeing the city, having lunch, and getting back to the airport (without a rental car).

[Putterdude]

Regretably there is no public transportation from Ballantyne pier and as it is in a rather seedy area we do not want you walking around there. So what I would suggest is a cab over to Canada Place @ <$15, checking your bags at CDS or with the bell desk at the Pan Pacific or Waterfront Hotel and then taking the HOHO trolley around the city. Public transit also works well but for a short day in the city it may prove ineffective for you. Your cab fare to the airport will run $35 or you can take the Airporter shuttle at a cost of $13.75 pp. Your drive to YVR via cab is about 35/45 mins in rush hour (longer via the shuttle) and remember that you must be at the airport at least 2 hours before flight time for an international flight. You will find many places to eat on your tour so it is a bit hard to come up with a recommendation.

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/

www.cdsbaggage.ca/

http://www.yvrairporter.com/

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

[EJNutz]

Hi all! We are scheduled to begin disembarkation at Ballantyne Pier next June 5 @ 7:00 am. Our flight is scheduled to leave same evening at 7:50 p.m. Would love to see the city's hightlights, and have a nice, but not extravagant lunch. Please give some economical suggestions on transportation from the pier; seeing the city, having lunch, and getting back to the airport (without a rental car).

 

You must be on the same cruise as us. Why not join our roll call at http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=211885

[clleste]

Hi all! We are scheduled to begin disembarkation at Ballantyne Pier next June 5 @ 7:00 am. Our flight is scheduled to leave same evening at 7:50 p.m. Would love to see the city's hightlights, and have a nice, but not extravagant lunch. Please give some economical suggestions on transportation from the pier; seeing the city, having lunch, and getting back to the airport (without a rental car).

[clleste]

Thanks a lot Putterdude! Very helpful information. Looking forward to seeing Vancouver at the end of our Alaskan Cruise.

[Grandma Rambo]

Hi to all my fellow cruisers. We are taking a cruise to Hawaii from San Diego, returning to Vancouver on HAL Zaandam, scheduled to arrive in Vancouver on May 7. Does anyone know which port HAL uses? We are staying in Vancouver for a week post cruise and want to ship back excess luggage after we get off the ship on our way to the hotel (Hampton Inn). We want to find a Mailboxes, etc. near the port.

 

Thank you.

Jennie

[Putterdude]

The Zaandam will be docking on the west side of Canada Place. The closest MBE or The Brown Store to Canada Place will be at 757 West Hatings St. about 3 blocks southeast of the pier. They also have a shipping outlet at 360 Robson St. which is very close to your hotel. Here is a link for your convenience:

http://www.ups.com/dropoff_CA/director?loc=en_CA

[cruiserdru]

We will be returning to Vancouver on the Radiance on Friday, 9/11 but not flying out until Saturday. Do any of the local hotels have early checkin?

 

We will be off the ship by 10 am and don't know what to do until we can get into a hotel. We will have a lot of luggage because we have two cruises and a land tour.

 

Any help?

[cruising forever]

Many hotels will store your luggage until your room is ready and you could go and enjoy beautiful Vancouver. Or, you may get lucky and a room could be available when you get there!

 

We had a similar scenario a few years ago after our Alaska cruise and we were staying at a (then) brand new casino hotel near the airport (River Rock?) and we were lucky enough to be able to check right in.

[Putterdude]

We will be returning to Vancouver on the Radiance on Friday, 9/11 but not flying out until Saturday. Do any of the local hotels have early checkin?

 

We will be off the ship by 10 am and don't know what to do until we can get into a hotel. We will have a lot of luggage because we have two cruises and a land tour.

 

Any help?

 

If you are staying out in one of the hotels in Richmond by the airport then rather than wasting an hour or more plus a $35 cab fare each way you would likely be better off to check your luggage at at the pier with CDS Luggage Service. Otherwise almost all of the downtown hotels will have baggage rooms where the belldesk can store your luggage so you can go off and enjoy Vancouver. That way can check in when you are ready latter in the day. You may also luck out and find that your room is ready by 10 or 10:30.:)

http://www.cdsbaggage.ca/CDS/Home.html