World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Vancouver  - Getting Around
Getting Around

Public Transport

The Coast Mountain Bus Link, under the name TransLink (tel: (604) 953 3333; web site: www.translink.bc.ca), operates city buses and the SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express services.

Vancouver's clean and efficient SkyTrain is a metro system with four underground stops downtown and an elevated track for the rest of its 28km (17-mile) journey to the suburbs. Trains depart every three to five minutes (0600-2430). Transfers can be made at most stations to the reasonably priced bus services and at Waterfront station to the SeaBus, a catamaran ferry, which connects downtown with North Vancouver every 15 minutes during the day and 30 minutes in the evening (travel time - 12 minutes).

Fares for all three modes of transport are based on a zone system and transfers are valid for 90 minutes from the start of the journey (cost: C$1.75 for one zone or for any number of zones after 1830 on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday; C$2.50 for two zones; C$3.50 for three zones on weekdays). Exact change is required on buses. Regular service is from approximately 0500-2400 and is supplemented by the limited 'Owl' night bus service.

Day passes are available for C$7. A book of ten tickets may be purchased for C$16 (for zone one; fares are higher for outer zones).
Other transportation options include the West Coast Express, a commuter rail service connecting Waterfront SkyTrain station with a number of cities in the Fraser Valley. The Downtown Historic Railway connects Granville Island with Science World (return trip: C$2).
Connecting a number of points on either side of False Creek are tiny passenger ferries operated by two private companies: Aquabus (tel: (604) 689 5858; web site: www.aquabus.bc.ca) and False Creek Ferries (tel: (604) 684 7781; web site: www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca).

Taxis

Taxis are readily available at taxi stands or by telephone, and can easily be hailed in the downtown area (but can be difficult to find elsewhere in the city). The main taxi firms are Yellow Cab Company (tel: (604) 681 1111) and Black Top & Checker Cabs (tel: (604) 731 1111). Minivan taxis are available upon request. Fares start at C$2.30 and increase by C$1.25 per kilometre. A tip of 15% is customary.

Limousines

Limojet Gold
(tel: (604) 273 1331 or (800) 278 8742; web site: www.limojetgold.com) offers airport transfers to numerous destinations (including Whistler; C$240 one way), as well as sedan cars and ultra-stretch limos for C$50-90 per hour and C$500-900 per 12-hour day respectively. Other providers include Classic Limousine (tel: (604) 267 1441; fax: (604) 267 1447; web site: www.classiclimo.net), who charge C$60-75 per hour and Vancouver Limousine Service (tel: (604) 421 5585; web site: www.vancouverlimousine.com) at C$55-100 per hour.

Driving in the City

Because Vancouver is spread out over a series of islands and peninsulas, the main traffic bottlenecks are the region's many bridges, notably during rush hour (0700-0900 and 1600-1800). There are no highways in the centre of the city, so driving is slower and more time should be allowed to reach a destination. It is usually easier to take public transport and/or walk in downtown Vancouver. Parking is readily available in underground and multi-storey car parks in the downtown area.

Outside of downtown, north-south roads are named Streets and east-west roads are numbered Avenues. It is easy to locate addresses on north-south streets: subtract 16 from the beginning of the address to find the corresponding block (eg 2630 Main Street would be between Tenth and 11th Avenues). Ontario Street divides the city into East and West (all of downtown's streets are West).

Car Hire

All of the major car hire companies are represented in Vancouver, including Alamo (tel: (604) 684 1401; web site: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: (604) 606 2868; web site: www.avis.com), Budget BC (tel: (604) 668 7000 or (800) 299 3199; web site: www.bc.budget.com), National (tel: (604) 738 6006 or (800) 227 7368; web site: www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: (604) 606 1695; web site: www.thrifty.com). Rent-A-Wreck, 1083 Hornby Street (tel: (604) 688 0001 or (888) 665 3777), is usually cheaper than the majors.

In general, an International Driving Permit is not required unless the driving licence is not in English. Drivers under 25 years of age may face certain restrictions and those aged 19-21 may have to pay a surcharge of around C$20 per day. All drivers are required to pay the Passenger Vehicle Rental Tax (C$1.50 per day) and there is a surcharge of 13.75% for airport rentals. Economy car rates start at around C$40 per day, not including taxes or incidentals.

For excursions into British Columbia's wilderness, a motorcamper or motorhome (known as an RV or Recreational Vehicle) offers a great deal of flexibility. Westcoast Mountain Campers (tel: (604) 279 0550; fax: (604) 279 0527) has rates starting at C$55 per day for a two-person camper and up to C$208 per day for a five-person motorhome in peak season. Traveland RV Rentals (tel: (604) 530 8141 or (800) 513 9434; fax: (604) 530 9576; e-mail: travelandrv@telus.net; web site: www.travelandrvcanada.com) is another option.

Bicycle Hire

The best place to hire a bicycle (or the ever more popular rollerblades) is around Robson and Denman Streets, near Stanley Park. Bayshore Bicycle & Rollerblade Skate Rentals, 745 Denman Street (tel: (604) 688 2453; web site: www.GlobaLynx.net/Bayshore), is open daily 0900-2100 (0930-dusk in winter). Rates are C$5.60 per hour (C$19.80 for eight hours) for 21-speed mountain bikes and C$5 an hour (C$18.50 for eight hours) for in-line skates. Spokes Bicycle Rentals, 1798 West Georgia Street (tel: (604) 688 5141; web site: www.vancouverbikerental.com) offers guided tours in addition to bicycle hire.

Along the seawall and within Stanley Park, cyclists should watch for signs indicating whether trails may be shared with pedestrians or are pedestrian-only. Elsewhere, the city has a well-marked system of bike paths, although hills and heavy traffic on the bridges may be challenging for inexperienced riders. Bicycle helmets are required by law and the same traffic rules for automobiles apply to cyclists.



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GETTING THERE
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GETTING AROUND
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