Transportation from Vancouver port to airport

[meg8182000]

Hi there - taking my first west coast cruise in just 3 weeks from tomorrow from San Diego to Vancouver on the Wonder. So excited!!!

We will be flying out directly following the cruise and was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on the best and easiest way of getting from the Vancouver port to the airport (YVR)? I'm not even really sure just how far the port is to airport.

Do they have shuttles? Would it be best to try and get a taxi or reserve a car service? If by car service, any recommendations?

Any advise is welcome.

Thank you,

Mary

 

[disneyfaninaz]

It's a shame you can't stay a day or 2 after your cruise and enjoy Vancouver. It is a wonderful place to visit.

From the port it is an easy taxi ride to the airport. We took a taxi for about $40 USD. There are plenty of taxi cabs available outside the terminal and the Pan Pacific hotel. They literally line up for your business.

 

[xlxo]

Agreed.... the currency has collapsed and you can give yourself a 20% discount to any prices you see.

That $40 USD sounds kinda high.... you must be a good tipper or got trapped in traffic. It should be around $28 USD ($35 CDN).

Thoughts....

• if the cab line is long... walk out of the terminal and consider getting into the cab lines in front of the Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront hotels where the lines can be shorter.
• If you are mobile with your luggage... some like the subway. Look for the Canada Line. However some can be confused by trains to India (Surrey) or China (Richmond). Then there's the ticket machines... if you succeed.... the train ride is $4 ($3.20 USD) each. I prefer the cab for door to door convenience.
• you can book sedan's and larger vehicles.... however, I don't think it's worth double the cab rate.
• Check out the sushi and dim sum while you are waiting for your flight.
• What time is your flight? Hopefully it's after 12pm. You want to budget 3hrs for check-in, US customs, and security checks (weapons, WMD's, electronics, liquids, hand, body, carry-on, and cavity).

Otherwise.... Vancouver is a great place to be trapped without a plane.

 

[meg8182000]

Thank you both for your responses.

I really wanted to spend at least 1 night in Vancouver but it didn't work out so off to the airport we go. We have a 1:10 pm flight so hopefully that will give us plenty of time to make our flight.

If we get off the cruise by 8:30am - 9am would that give us enough time or should we try and be off earlier? How crazy is collecting luggage and going through customs at the port?

 

[xlxo]

Here's your timeline in reverse....

• 1pm wheels up
• 10am YVR arrival for your 3hr airport experience
• 9:20am get in cab... budget 30 to 40 minutes travel time by cab or walking to the subway
• 9am walk off... congestion is usually less by this time. It can be longer if there are multiple boats at the terminal that day. There may be delays if you are pulled for secondary screening. Leaving at your 8:30am will give you some contingency time for congestion/additional security searches.

Are you first or second feeding? This makes a difference which breakfast time you are assigned.

Looking for black/dark luggage in rows can be a challenge. I wasted 15 minutes walking back and forth for my dark luggage around everyone elses. I now have reflective tape on my luggage for better/quicker identification.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Agreed.... the currency has collapsed and you can give yourself a 20% discount to any prices you see.

That $40 USD sounds kinda high.... you must be a good tipper or got trapped in traffic. It should be around $28 USD ($35 CDN)

I reviewed my notes, I remembered incorrectly. It was $37 CSD from the port to the airport.

 

[RedSox68]

Just FYI -- we had a lot of problems with the taxis in Vancouver being big enough for all our luggage and the three of us. We kept asking for a van and they kept sending a car. In the end the doorman just got us two taxis so we had to split up and pay twice as much. Hopefully the hotel will have better success getting you exactly what you need.

 

[meg8182000]

We (my mom & I) are 2nd seating but we never go to the breakfast so that won't be a factor for us. Thanks for all the info - very helpful indeed.

Based on what I'm reading here, I'm going to be sure to get off the ship a little earlier than originally planned to make sure we have enough time. I'd rather be a little early than late and then be stressing over everything.

Do the taxis take US dollars?

 

[queendarvet]

We took Disney's transfers back to the airport in 2013. It was slightly more than a cab (I think 25 per person) but it was very easy. They dropped us off right in front of US Departures. We were not flying home that day but were staying at the Fairmont in the airport, which was also right near US departures.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Just FYI -- we had a lot of problems with the taxis in Vancouver being big enough for all our luggage and the three of us. We kept asking for a van and they kept sending a car. In the end the doorman just got us two taxis so we had to split up and pay twice as much. Hopefully the hotel will have better success getting you exactly what you need.

Yes, Priuses are very popular in Vancouver. However, we had 3 people with luggage for a 9 night cruise and were able to get the porter at the Pan Pacific to get us a van with no problems.

 

[Aby]

We like the simplicity of the Disney Transfers back to the airport. Nothing to worry about but get off the ship, find your bus, and that's it. 25$ per person, which I find is reasonable.

Aby

 

[xlxo]

Do the taxis take US dollars?

I recommend using your credit card for simplicity. When you see the driver.... let the driver know you will be paying by card and make sure the machine WORKS!

 

[xlxo]

find your bus, and that's it. 25$ per person, which I find is reasonable.

$25 per person????? compared to $28 US for the taxi carload? The transfer only works if you are travelling solo. For a family, I can't justify it.

 

[Aby]

You're right - it's not the right choice for everyone, but that doesn't mean it's not a valid choice. For the two of us, I'm happy to pay double for the Disney Transfers, and it's not going to break my bank. I feel it is a very fun way to end the cruise - extending the magic just a little bit by watching the Disney videos on the bus. The last few taxis I took in Vancouver drove like maniacs, and I felt I was lucky to get to where I was going in one piece, so that doesn't help my viewpoint. I know of plenty of larger families that take the transfers too out of convenience, and they are willing to pay for it like I am - "worth it" depends totally on the people you ask. To me - totally worth it!

Aby

 

[sc426]

I recommend the Disney transfer. Very easy and a reasonable price! Plus they pretty much have a bus ready to go when you walk off. They take care of your luggage (they have the space) and you don't have to worry about paying for it. Its already included in your final bill onboard. No tipping or pulling out your credit card. For every Disney cruise we have done, we do the Disney transfer.

 

[clten]

One thing no one has mentioned here is luggage off the ship. Just think you need to be aware that it is done differently in Vancouver than in Port Canaveral. In Vancouver, only one baggage tag group has their luggage out at one time. And they call you off by your baggage tag character/color. They do have an "early flight" group if your flight leaves before a certain time you go to Guest Services to get the tags (can't remember if it was 12 or 1; I know our flight was just after the cutoff time so they wouldn't put us in the early group). They don't really say in advance what order they call the tags so I didn't want you to be surprised if you put your luggage out the night before and then are one of the last groups called. You do always have the option to take all your baggage off yourself. But even when we were just past the "early flight" cut off, we put our bags out the night before, were one of the last groups called, took DCL transfers to the airport and still had plenty of time to get through customs at the port, get to the airport, check-in and get through US customs.

 

[RedSox68]

Yes, Priuses are very popular in Vancouver. However, we had 3 people with luggage for a 9 night cruise and were able to get the porter at the Pan Pacific to get us a van with no problems.

We were coming from the train station both times and even though the station manager called himself, we were told that the vans are only for handicapped -- which was a crock since vans were pulling up all around us and taking families and luggage. Very strange system there The time we came from a hotel was part of the land portion of our cruise, so transportation was pre-arranged and we got a van.

 

[meg8182000]

Oh thanks for the info on the luggage tags and needing to be called before you can depart the ship. Didn't know that.

 

[JMHDisney]

We used Vancouver Shuttle. They had a bus waiting outside the terminal just like Disney transfers but were much cheaper and (at least at that time) kids were free. You need to reserve in advance. It's basically the same as the Disney transfer in that you go out and they wait for the bus to fill and then you go and another bus pulls up. We were one of the first people out so waited maybe 15-20 mins before we left.