Getting To Vancouver

Canada is the world’s largest country and driving from A to B can involve several days driving along a single highway. Vancouver is served by the Trans Canadian Highway from the east and by I-5 from the south and Seattle. Daily trains arrive from the east and from Seattle, although taking a train from the likes of Toronto takes several days and is not recommended if you are on a tight schedule, as is the case with travelling by Greyhound coach. The easiest way to get to Vancouver is by aeroplane. Vancouver International Airport is served by most major airlines and is situated only a few miles south of downtown Vancouver.

By car

Canada is massive and you would need to allow five days to travel to Vancouver from Montreal; 12 hours from Calgary; and 3 hours from Seattle, USA. If you are approaching from Seattle to the south, head north on I-5, which becomes Highway 99; this highway runs through the centre of Vancouver and onto Whistler in the north. From all points east of Vancouver, Highway 1, also known as the Trans-Canada Highway, provides access from many major towns and cities, and joins with highway 99 in Vancouver.

By rail

You can travel all the way from Toronto in Ontario to Vancouver aboard VIA Rail’s Canadian. This is the only Canadian service that runs to Vancouver, which pulls into Pacific Central Station daily. This service also calls at Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper and Kamloops before reaching Vancouver and is one of the greatest train rides in North America, passing spectacular scenery. If you are travelling from Seattle, Amtrak’s Cascades service runs to Vancouver daily in 4 hours.

By bus

Several major bus companies operate services to and from Vancouver and the rest of Canada and from some US destinations, with bus companies including Greyhound Canada, which comes in from the east and north of Canada as well as Seattle; Pacific Coach Lines; Perimeter; and Quick Coach Lines. Most coach services run to the main Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, which has excellent facilities, while others run to Victoria Station. Amtrak also operate three buses per day between Seattle and Vancouver.

By air

Vancouver International Airport is Canada’s second airport and is a modern facility that receives numerous daily connections with many major world airlines. Millions of people use the airport and its excellent facilities every year, and transport connections with downtown Vancouver are frequent and reliable. An airport shuttle bus, the Airporter, departs the airport every 15 minutes and runs to downtown Vancouver, as do several other scheduled bus services. Shuttles and taxis are also available for transfers.

By ferry

The ferry route between Vancouver and Vancouver Island is a very busy, year-round service, with BC Ferries running frequent scheduled passenger and vehicle services. BC Ferries also serves the Gulf Islands and other provincial destinations. There is also a ferry service between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo, which is run by Harbour Lynx, while cruise ships operate between Canada Place and Alaska.

Vancouver International Airport

Located just a few miles to the south of downtown Vancouver, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Canada’s second busiest after Toronto, providing important access to the west coast of North America. Flights come in from all over the world, including from many US and Canadian cities, to the tune of over 15 million passengers per year.

Vancouver International Airport is a very modern airport with three terminals and excellent passenger facilities. Cash machines and bureaux de change are spread throughout, while other passenger facilities include a broad selection of shops and restaurants and Wi-Fi internet access throughout the airport.

Transportation from Vancouver International Airport

Getting to downtown Vancouver from the airport is straight forward by car or by public transport. Highway 99 is just to the north of the airport, across the Arthur Laing Bridge, and it runs direct to the city centre.

The Airporter runs to the centre of Vancouver every 15 minutes from the airport, making stops at the main bus station, the cruise ship terminal and many major hotels en route. Ask the tourist information staff at Vancouver Airport for further information on the Airporter.

There are additional scheduled bus services that run from the airport to the city and around, serving major hotels in downtown Vancouver and many other neighbourhoods on the outskirts of town including Langley, Whistler, Vancouver Island and Seattle. In addition, visitors who are booked into established hotels may have an airport transfer service included via a courtesy shuttle bus.

Visitors who require fast access to Vancouver and hotels can make use of taxi or limousine services. Taxis are controlled by the government and have excellent standards.