Must Do's in Vancouver and family accomodation

[zaccy]

Hi Canadians

We are going to Disneyland from Australia in September and we got an airline deal to and from Seattle with stopovers in LA and San Francisico - the 2 cities we most wanted to visit. Seeing Seattle is so close to Canada we are planning on going to Vancouver for a few days - maybe by ferrie one way and train the other don't have those details finalised yet.

So what are the must do/see things in Vancouver for 2 or 3 days, we have two children 9 and 6 also can anyone recomend family friendly accomodation not too expensive (have looked at the YWCA but our dates are not available).

Looking forward to your responses

 

[aristocat65]

Sounds like an exciting trip

There is not a ferry that goes from Vancouver to Seattle that I know of. There is a bus that goes from Seattle Airport to Vancouver Downtown (and various stops in Vancouver) Here is the link:http://www.quickcoach.com/

There is a train also and here is the link for that:http://www.amtrakcascades.com/

Another fun option that might work is a cruise ship. In September the ships reposition after their Alaska season and some start with 1 day overnight cruises from Seattle to Vancouver or the reverse. If the dates worked out for you it would take care of one night accommodation, food and your transportion. They are usually dirt cheap. Possibly cheaper than a train. Holland America and Princess Cruises are both doing them this September.

As far as accommodation in Vancouver, I had a relative stay at the Hampton Inn in Downtown Vancouver and it was great. The price was reasonable, included breakfast and was very centrally located for downtown. Another hotel I've heard good things about is the St. Regis. It is an older hotel downtown that has been completely redone in a boutique style and very nice. Keep in mind that Vancouver downtown is very expensive at that time of year as it is still cruise season. If you want to stay out of the city to save on cost, there is a Holiday Inn Metrotown which is nice (my mom stayed there for 2 weeks waiting for her new apartment to be ready). It is by a HUGE shopping mall and there is the Skytrain which will take will take you downtown in 20 minutes.

As far as Vancouver, there are so many things to see! Your kids will love Stanley Park, and while there you can visit the aquarium. Science World is also great for kids. You could go down to the waterfront and see the Olympic Torch, and a few blocks over catch the seabus to North Vancouver, which is a cheap ride and a great way to see the harbour area.

I'm sure others will have lots of great ideas for you also.

Have a great Trip

 

[smeecanada]

Must do with kids in Vancouver: Vancouver Aquarium/Stanley Park, Science World, Grouse Mountain (only go if a clear day) - incredible view. The Aquarium, Science World, Grouse all have really good websites.

Must do with kids in Seattle: Space Needle/Pike Place Market

 

[Gigi22]

In the Disney Cruise Line Forum there is a lengthy Vancouver FAQ thread (you may have to search the thread) that you may find helpful. It discusses Vancouver-Seattle transportation, where to stay, things to do for the family, and so on.
Enjoy Vancouver! It is one of the nicest cities I've ever visited!

 

[c&m]

For reasonably priced hotels in Vancouver, use Priceline.com's Name Your Own Price feature. I had to book a hotel room in downtown Vancouver once due to a wedding we had to attend. I got the Hyatt Vancouver (a 4*) for $65USD for the night.

For places to go with the kids, most have already mentioned some of the key places...

1. Grouse Mountain (go to their website to see what events they have planned this summer); take the gondola up and enjoy the view, as well as the ride.
2. Stanley Park (rent bikes and go around the seawall)
3. Capilano Suspension Bridge
4. Drive up to Whistler for a day trip and kayak/canoe down the River of Golden Dreams (google that for more info). The drive is about 1.5 hours each way. This is a really fun excursion.

In SEATTLE, I highly recommend the Seattle Science Museum (much larger than the one in Vancouver and so much more to see/do), and they have a beautiful butterfly room that is really amazing. Also, the kids and adults may also enjoy the Music Museum founded by Paul Allen (of Microsoft fame).

Have fun planning your trip!

 

[ABCanada]

You may want to consider Victoria over Vancouver.
I think it is much easier to get both to and around.
There is a passenger ferry that I believe goes downtown to downtown.
http://www.clippervacations.com/promotions/

Also accomodation in Victoria can be very reasonable. A decent, centrally located, two double room can be as low as $80 a night. Obviously something like the Fairmont Empress is more, but even they sometimes have very good deals.

 

[zaccy]

Another fun option that might work is a cruise ship. In September the ships reposition after their Alaska season and some start with 1 day overnight cruises from Seattle to Vancouver or the reverse. If the dates worked out for you it would take care of one night accommodation, food and your transportion. They are usually dirt cheap. Possibly cheaper than a train. Holland America and Princess Cruises are both doing them this September.

Thanks so much for this information - have just had a look and there is a cruise that would fit in with our trip

Thanks for all the other information there is plenty there to follow up on and keep us busy

 

[Sue M]

All great suggestions. don't know if anyone mentioned Granville Island too.
There is a ferry that goes from Seattle to Victoria but not to Vancouver.
For Hotels, I'd try Hotwire,com They tell you the star level, what area hotel is in, and ammenities, and price of course. You get to see name of hotel after you've booked. I've used it for Orlando and Gulf coast hotels, I usually go for 3 or 4 star. I got Hyatt Place Suites for $40/night in Orlando.
http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/

 

[aristocat65]

Thanks so much for this information - have just had a look and there is a cruise that would fit in with our trip

Oh Good Coming in under the Lions Gate Bridge (to the port) or going out under it gives you a great view of the city. Hope it works out for you.

By the way, the weather in September is usually great here too

 

[GrtWtNorth]

In the Disney Cruise Line Forum there is a lengthy Vancouver FAQ thread (you may have to search the thread) that you may find helpful. It discusses Vancouver-Seattle transportation, where to stay, things to do for the family, and so on.
Enjoy Vancouver! It is one of the nicest cities I've ever visited!

Here's the thread on Vancouver. It's massive, but all the critical details are in the first post. Have fun!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2283011

 

[Cdn Gal]

Capilano Bridge is my fav. attraction in Vancouver. Also check out UBC Mus. of Anthropology- wonderful and amazing Haida artifacts and art... and various types of totem poles in the back. I love Vancouver- it is so beautiful there!!

 

[GrtWtNorth]

If you're planning to go to Stanley Park, you might want to check the cruise ship schedule here: http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/about/cruiseandtourism/cruiselineschedules.aspx
This shows the dock schedule, but you can assume that the ships will pass under the Lions Gate Bridge shortly before and shortly after their dock times.

If you can time it right, you can watch them sail through the channel from the Sea Wall or Prospect Point.

view from Prospect Point
(Here's another photo, too big to display on this forum.)

view from Sea Wall

 

[GrtWtNorth]

Also check out UBC Mus. of Anthropology- wonderful and amazing Haida artifacts and art... and various types of totem poles in the back.

Make sure you call ahead and catch a tour. Unlike most museums, there's very little explanation with the exhibits, and no self-guided tour materials that I'm aware of. (The exhibit labels are just catalog details like name of artifact, materials used, location found, etc. No context, no story.) I've had a great tour, and a very disappointing visit when we missed the tour.

 

[CarolynU]

Got a great deal on Hotwire. Stayed for one week at the Pan Pacific. Wonderful location and hotel is right on the waterfront and yet easy walk to shops etc. Worthwhile checking that site out.

 

[megsablue]

Everyone has given you some great ideas - Granville Island, Science World, Stanley Park, the Aquarium... if you are staying downtown, try taking the Aquabus if you get a chance - they link from "downtown" to Granville Island and Science World. It's really fun for kids - whenever my niece & nephew visit, they want to take the Aquabus over to Granville Island (we live in downtown Vancouver). If you decide you want to take a picnic into Stanley Park (it's a great place to picnic in the city), there's a local gourmet grocery store called Urban Fare, that has picnic type food ready to go. They're not a cheap deli, but the food is always good and they'll have some kid-friendly options.

Another fun thing to do is rent bikes and bike around the Seawall in Stanley Park (the whole loop is around 10k, but there's trails through the park that can cut that down if you don't want to do the whole thing). There's MANY places to rent bikes along Denman St (near the entrance to Stanley Park, you can google map it ). Most bike rental places will also give you maps and such as well.

One thing I would point out though, is if you decide to head out to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, pay attention to your time frame if you're going to take public transportation. It can be CRAZY to try and get a bus to UBC (from downtown) during the times of 8-10am and from UBC from about 4-6pm during September. The busses are frequent during this time, but also VERY packed (I used to do this everyday ), so if you don't want to be crammed into a bus, try the off peak hours.

If you take the train up, the train drops you off in a not so nice area of town, so try to schedule your trip to drop you off before dark if possible. If you take a cruise ship up/down, the cruise ship will most likely drop you off at Canada Place (in the downtown core), which is a nice area.

As for accommodations, I'd also recommend the Priceline option. If you can, uncheck the option for the Granville St. area when you're searching - it's the "entertainment" district and has a lot of clubs and bars, so with a family, you're probably not going to want to stay there. The West End, Coal Harbour, Yaletown areas are all nice areas if you see those options and all are very family friendly. I've had family stay in the Coast Hotel, the Sylvia Hotel, Pan Pacific and the Westin Bayshore and they all felt like they were family friendly.

If you're going to take public transit, the Translink website (I don't think I can post outside links, so you'll have to google it) will give you schedules and route information and have a handy feature to map out your route. If you have a question about some of the routes, let me know - I'm a frequent rider of the transit system here

 

[zaccy]

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to reply - your suggestions and information has been really helpful and we can't wait to visit your beautiful city

 

[GrtWtNorth]

Just one cautionary note about the science-related attractions.

Science World is likely similar to science centers you find in virtually every major city. The exhibits might differ slightly, but you might not learn anything that you couldn't learn at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

The Vancouver Aquarium may be the best aquarium in Canada, but it's still just an aquarium. There are a few interesting, but small exhibits of coastal environments and local wildlife. There is also a very good permanent exhibit of Amazon wildlife. However, the rest: dolphins, beluga whales, seals, sea lions, jellyfish... I don't think they are that unique. If you've been to a good aquarium anywhere in the world, the Vancouver Aquarium may not impress you.

FYI, there's a small but brilliantly designed display of local coastal fish and and habitat in the international wing of the Vancouver International Airport. The Vancouver Aquarium is a bit bigger, but not significantly.

There are plenty of attractions that are truly unique. Grouse Mountain (including its new viewing platform inside the giant wind turbine), the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Stanley Park, and the UBC Museum of Anthropology fall into this category.