Vancouver Info if needed

[marilynbn]

Can anyone recommend a reputable floatplane tour in Vancouver. Something that is priced well for the tour you get. Thanks....love this 72 page thread!

 

~Marilyn:D

Edited January 5, 2012 by marilynbn

[cruisecrzy]

OK, if you had the choice between the Best Western Plus on Drake or the Days Inn Plus Downtown for a 2 night post cruise stay which would you choose for a couple of seniors? Prefer not to get rental car, and want to have close easy access to the tourist sites.

[DesertGirl28]

Does anyone have a recommedation regarding Hop On Hop Off tours? I've ruled out the Big Bus, but still undecided regarding Big Pink and the Trolley Co.

 

Does Vancouver get cruise ships in every day or just on certain days? We arrive on Sunday, but if Monday is lighter in cruise ships we can delay a day and schedule Victoria for Sunday.

 

Thanks in advance,

[Putterdude]

Can anyone recommend a reputable floatplane tour in Vancouver. Something that is priced well for the tour you get. Thanks....love this 72 page thread!

 

~Marilyn:D

 

Both Harbour Air and West Coast Air offer tours....as for price well you will have to decide:

 

http://www.westcoastair.com/tours.php

 

http://www.harbour-air.com/tours.php

[Putterdude]

OK, if you had the choice between the Best Western Plus on Drake or the Days Inn Plus Downtown for a 2 night post cruise stay which would you choose for a couple of seniors? Prefer not to get rental car, and want to have close easy access to the tourist sites.

 

Bit of a toss up, the Days Inn is a more central location but is a remodel of a much older hotel....I got my first real job in the building next door in 1964 and it was a old hotel then. Best Western-Downtown is a bit south of centre ice but still a good location and good accommodation. I think I would go with the BW if I was in town for 2 nights.

[Putterdude]

Does anyone have a recommedation regarding Hop On Hop Off tours? I've ruled out the Big Bus, but still undecided regarding Big Pink and the Trolley Co.

 

Does Vancouver get cruise ships in every day or just on certain days? We arrive on Sunday, but if Monday is lighter in cruise ships we can delay a day and schedule Victoria for Sunday.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

The Big Pink is a relatively new entity that entered the market place last year and we really haven't had any feedback on it. The Vancouver Trolley is the pioneer HOHO service in Vancouver, has live narration and is known to be a good operator.

[scottbee]

Does anyone have a recommedation regarding Hop On Hop Off tours? I've ruled out the Big Bus, but still undecided regarding Big Pink and the Trolley Co.

 

Does Vancouver get cruise ships in every day or just on certain days? We arrive on Sunday, but if Monday is lighter in cruise ships we can delay a day and schedule Victoria for Sunday.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

I personally think a better recommendation is buy an all-day transit pass vs taking the HoHo. The HoHo tours stick to just the downtown core, whereas with a transit pass it's easy to visit places like QE Park, Grouse Mountain, Capilano Canyon or Lynn Canyon.

 

Also, getting to and from Victoria on a Sunday can be very busy; and just a reminder that it's 4-5 hrs each way (downtown to downtown).

[Putterdude]

Desert Girl; I just realized that I didn't answer your question re which day has more ships in port than others. The 2012 cruise ship schedule is not up yet but ordinarily Mondays are lighter than Sundays and traffic to the Island should prove a bit lighter on a Monday....though during the summer you would never know it.

[cruisecrzy]

Thanks Putterdude!

[DesertGirl28]

Thanks Putterdude & Scottbee!

[bobhsv]

I know you are all going to laugh at this question, but I am wondering what the difference is between 'uptown' and 'downtown' re hotels. I am assuming downtown is right in the centre of the city, or does it mean uptown is upmarket/classy. Be kind, as we are aussies.

Jen (I can hear you laughing....lol)

[Putterdude]

I know you are all going to laugh at this question, but I am wondering what the difference is between 'uptown' and 'downtown' re hotels. I am assuming downtown is right in the centre of the city, or does it mean uptown is upmarket/classy. Be kind, as we are aussies.

Jen (I can hear you laughing....lol)

 

Well throw another shrimp on the barbie and I will be right down....I have to confess that as a native of Vancouverite I have never heard the term "uptown" in terms of Vancouver...."downtown" is easy it is in the downtown core. Uptown to me would be out of the downtown business core and up in what we refer to as the "Broadway Corridor" which would be about 1.5 miles south of downtown. If you had a link to what you are referring to maybe we could help you better. But no laughs from this camp.

[bobhsv]

Thanks Putterdude for that explanation. The two terms come from several aussie travel magazines relating to booking hotels in Canada/USA. I get what it means now. btw we don't call them shrimps down here, known as prawns or king prawns. I think the wording was Americanised back when Paul Hogan was doing tv ads for Australian travel, directed towards the USA people. Just a bit of trivia for you!

Many thanks again....helps with our choice of hotels across your beautiful country. Can't wait to see it.

Jen

[Putterdude]

OK then, I will just have to tip a Fosters in your honour as you sail by my front door.:D

[Kamloops50]

Downtown refers to the hotels that mainly around the Hotel Vancouver Area . Uptown are hotels that are near Davie St and the Granville street bridge. It's also called Yale town .

 

That is what was told me by a front desk person at one of the big hotels near Canada Place.

[Putterdude]

Downtown refers to the hotels that mainly around the Hotel Vancouver Area . Uptown are hotels that are near Davie St and the Granville street bridge. It's also called Yale town .

 

That is what was told me by a front desk person at one of the big hotels near Canada Place.

 

Fascinating bit of information and I have no doubt that is what you were told. However having lived in Vancouver for some 60 years and been involved in commercial real estate for almost 40 years I have never heard the term "Uptown" in Vancouver. Just out of curiosity I was speaking with one of my sons this evening who is a VP of a major international commercial real estate company this evening and asked him .... he had never heard the term either....his guess was pretty much the same as mine, that area south of the Granville and Cambie bridges which is known as the Broadway Corridor. Uptown really is not an term that is used in Vancouver.

[scottbee]

Uptown in Vancouver is generally considered the area around Broadway and Main; there's a few things nearby, but it's not an area I would consider prime for visiting Vancouver

 

Best Western Uptown: http://www.bestwesternvancouver.ca/

Uptown Village Assoc: http://www.uptownvillage.com/

 

Stick to the downtown core, which is the small peninsula, and stick to west of Cambie street. There is a large range of new and old hotels in every price range; and you're right in the heart of the action.

[Putterdude]

While I don't disagree with the advice...the Uptown Village Association appears to deal with an association of merchants in Vancouver, Washington which is about 305 miles south of Broadway and Main St, in Vancouver, BC.

[bobhsv]

Thanks Putterdude and Scottbee. Your info and attachments have been helpful. It seems the more known downtown is a better area to stay, more central. My guess is that there will be many more unusual wordings we have to learn before arrival....bonus is, if we get lost we end up seeing more! I appreciate you both trying to explain, thanks.

Jen

[scottbee]

While I don't disagree with the advice...the Uptown Village Association appears to deal with an association of merchants in Vancouver, Washington which is about 305 miles south of Broadway and Main St, in Vancouver, BC.

 

Hilarious. I knew the Best Western called itself uptown, and when I listed 'Merchants' on the Uptown Village Association, the 1st few were main and Broadway addresses http://www.uptownvillage.com/Uptown_Village/Merchants.html ; which is exactly where the Best Western is..

[Urban trekker]

Having lived in Mt Pleasant for some thirty years Uptown has been used to describe that area and if I am not mistaken isn't one of the major developers using that term to promote a development in the area BUT we are getting away from the question.

 

SOMA or South Main appears to be the current buzz word for that area.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

Edited January 9, 2012 by Urban trekker

[Putterdude]

"Mount Pleasant" I would have no trouble associating the Broadway & Main area with but Uptown is certainly new on me. In fact here is a link to a Vancouver communities web site wherein there is a link to a City map that delineates the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. However, neighborhoods can often on colloquial descriptions of their own....for instance when as a small child we lived in Vancouver Heights mom would go "downtown" to shop at Woodward's or Eatons's (remember them)or "uptown" to shop in the commercial area of Hastings St. in Burnaby, when we moved to the North Shore "downtown" was the Lonsdale area and the city was "over-town". Now in Sechelt we go "downtown" to the village to shop and going to Vancouver is going to "town"...which requires a ferry ride and I have made this truly a cruising topic.

 

http://vancouver.ca/community_profiles/mount_pleasant/

Edited January 9, 2012 by Putterdude

[whizkidcat]

We need help finding a restaurant in Vancouver downtown, if possible.

We would like something with Mediterranean cuisine with B'stella on the menu.

I have dined at Marrakesh in DC and it was wonderful!

Thanks!

[dectjc]

Putterdude,

Which golf course would you recommend, dont want to spend a fortune, muni courses are fine

[Kamloops50]

There are a number of Par 3 golf courses in Vancouver.

The one closest to downtown is in Stanley Park . There is one at Queen Elizabeth Park. Both are readily accessible with public transit and a short walk.

Clubs (putter & wedge) can be rented at the course. They also sell golf balls.:cool: When I was growing up we kids used to play these course daily during summer except on week-ends:cool: