**** Vancouver FAQ Thread **** A few updates in main post!

[dizzyr]

My kids and I want to do some zip lining while in Vancouver. Is one place better than the other? We are also renting a car and going up to whistler.

A friend of mine just went - I'll find out which one she used and let you know.

 

[smiley_face2]

Great to have you here! Since you're a native, the bit of planning I have yet to do for our trip - which includes some time in Vancouver - involves food. We are staying at the Westin Grand (on Robson St., near Yaletown) and are looking for a couple of cool spots to have dinner. We do plan to hit Gastown, Granville Island, Grouse Mountain, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, and Stanley Park...maybe more if we can find the time (we have three full days).

So, given those geographic areas...where to eat? DH and I consider ourselves "foodies," so anything that you think is a must-eat works for us. We love Sushi, Indian, seafood, and a good gastropub. In fact, I'd say a place to grab an awesome Pacific Northwest craft beer, and a place to grab some awesome sushi would be our top two requests. The only thing we really don't like is chains...why eat exactly what you can get at home if you're visiting someplace new? Does anything in particular come to mind?

Dizzyr had some great suggestions! especially the Kobe Japanese Steak house! We are not big fans of Cactus Club though, prefer The Keg for that type of food and atmosphere. In Stanley Park there is The Teahouse which has outstanding food for "foodies" lol... a bit pricey but excellent! Also The Fishhouse, and the view and locations are just unreal. There is another spot there, in the park, for lunch only, more of a fish and chips and burger place, we don't like much, but the location is cool, like dining in a giant tree fort! There are so many good places to eat on Granville Island, you should just walk around and see what takes your fancy, It's an extremely popular trendy spot, you really can't go wrong with anywhere you eat there. And it is the home of the Granvillle Island Brewery (Cypress honey lager yummmm) they do tours and tastings. In the downtown core, there is Gotham Steakhouse, again pricey but OMG good! You can't go up Grouse mountain and not eat at The Observatory!! it is pricey but includes the price of the gondola ride up the mountain, so is actually a good deal. Just make sure to reserve ahead. In Gastown The Old Spaghetti Factory is fun to eat at, a real Gas Town institution, pretty standard food though. L'Abattoir is where to go for really good food. I will keep thinking and add more as I come up with them

 

[Mackie Mouse]

There will be some but they will all be on the 1st so if you leave that day you will miss them.

You may also be interested in Granville island - that's the next post I'm working on so be sure to check it out when it's done. Love love love Granville island

Can't wait to read it when it's done! I'm definitely looking forward to spending some time there. A friend of a friend who's a Vancouver native recommended the bistro (Bistro 101) run by a culinary school there for an amazing meal...definitely looking forward to that. Would love to hear what you have to say about good places to browse out there.

It's OK if we miss the fireworks - my thinking was that sometimes out here fireworks happen the weekend before the 4th of July, depending on the place, and that we might get lucky.

In seeking general advice, here's how I envisioned our three days looking. Let me know if this seems reasonable or if you have other suggestions:

Day 1 (Sat, June 29): Bus ourselves up to Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge; eat the expense because hey, we're tourists. (Supposedly the Grouse Grind would be somewhat doable for us, but I worry about a pulled muscle or an achy back kicking off our whole trip! I also know that there is another suspension bridge that's free nearby...but it's not as accessible without a car, as far as I can tell.) Head back downtown for dinner...somewhere.

Day 2 (Sun, June 30): Rent a bike and spend a ton of time in Stanley Park, rain or shine (hopefully shine). Maybe get lunch there, or back near our hotel (The Westin Grand), or in Gastown if for some reason we get an early enough start. Spend the late afternoon/evening exploring Gastown. Again, grab dinner...somewhere.

Day 3 (Monday, July 8 - after the cruise): Debark ship, check into our post-cruise hotel (The Sheraton Wall Centre), and spend the day on Granville Island. Do lunch or dinner at Bistro 101.

Thoughts? Input? Other things we should look into doing, especially in the evenings? Keep in mind me are traveling sans kids and are relatively young (late 20's/early 30's).

 

[Mackie Mouse]

Dizzyr had some great suggestions! especially the Kobe Japanese Steak house! We are not big fans of Cactus Club though, prefer The Keg for that type of food and atmosphere. In Stanley Park there is The Teahouse which has outstanding food for "foodies" lol... a bit pricey but excellent! Also The Fishhouse, and the view and locations are just unreal. There is another spot there, in the park, for lunch only, more of a fish and chips and burger place, we don't like much, but the location is cool, like dining in a giant tree fort! There are so many good places to eat on Granville Island, you should just walk around and see what takes your fancy, It's an extremely popular trendy spot, you really can't go wrong with anywhere you eat there. And it is the home of the Granvillle Island Brewery (Cypress honey lager yummmm) they do tours and tastings. In the downtown core, there is Gotham Steakhouse, again pricey but OMG good! You can't go up Grouse mountain and not eat at The Observatory!! it is pricey but includes the price of the gondola ride up the mountain, so is actually a good deal. Just make sure to reserve ahead. In Gastown The Old Spaghetti Factory is fun to eat at, a real Gas Town institution, pretty standard food though. L'Abattoir is where to go for really good food. I will keep thinking and add more as I come up with them

Awesome advice! We were definitely hoping to hit up the Granville Island Brewery Eating at the Observatory sounds like a great idea, actually, especially if it will save us money on the tickets to Grouse Mountain! How far in advance would I need to make a reservation?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the suggestions!!

Evening activities worth checking out would also be welcome

 

[smiley_face2]

Awesome advice! We were definitely hoping to hit up the Granville Island Brewery Eating at the Observatory sounds like a great idea, actually, especially if it will save us money on the tickets to Grouse Mountain! How far in advance would I need to make a reservation?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the suggestions!!

Evening activities worth checking out would also be welcome

Considering it's a long holiday weekend, I would book asap, you can always cancel if you change your mind! Then you can be assured of reserving a table with an awesome view too Sun sets pretty late in July, but if you can be having your dinner up there and catch the sunset it will be magical
Also by then the new Flyin Over Canada attraction (same as the Soarin over California ride at Disneyland's California Adventure) will be open so don't miss that! it's right at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal.
Oh...and I don't know if you know about the little "water taxi" type boats that you can catch at Granville Island and will take you to I think 3 different stops where you can get off see the sites then catch the next boat. One stop is the Vancouver Museum and Maritime Museum which are pretty interesting. Even just boating around the bay enjoying the sights and hopefully warm sunny day is awesome!

 

[Mackie Mouse]

Considering it's a long holiday weekend, I would book asap, you can always cancel if you change your mind! Then you can be assured of reserving a table with an awesome view too Sun sets pretty late in July, but if you can be having your dinner up there and catch the sunset it will be magical
Also by then the new Flyin Over Canada attraction (same as the Soarin over California ride at Disneyland's California Adventure) will be open so don't miss that! it's right at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal.

I went online just now and made the reservation through OpenTable, before you even responded

I also e-mailed, since it looks like the complimentary tickets might only be good for the time after our dinner. I really would love to see Grouse for the afternoon, and then have dinner (we could easily bring a change of clothes with us) - do you think this is possible, or would we lose out on the free ticket this way?

The Flyin' Over Canada attraction does look like fun...we'll have to check it out.

 

[dizzyr]

:
Also by then the new Flyin Over Canada attraction (same as the Soarin over California ride at Disneyland's California Adventure) will be open so don't miss that! it's right at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal.

I need more info on this!!

 

[smiley_face2]

I went online just now and made the reservation through OpenTable, before you even responded

I also e-mailed, since it looks like the complimentary tickets might only be good for the time after our dinner. I really would love to see Grouse for the afternoon, and then have dinner (we could easily bring a change of clothes with us) - do you think this is possible, or would we lose out on the free ticket this way?

The Flyin' Over Canada attraction does look like fun...we'll have to check it out.

Well they are open for dinner from 5 to 10, the skyride which is the gondola up the mountain, is included with your advance reservation. When you arrive at the base of the mountain, they will have a list with your names/reservation so up you go for free. You should head up at least 30 minutes before your dinner reservation time. The meals to have the free ticket start at 39. but when you factor in the fact that the ticket to get up the mountain on the gondola alone is $39. it's one of those wow things! lol and I do not believe there is a time limit on how early you can go up, as long as you have your advance dinner reservation. so yes taking a change of clothes would work!
edited to add the direct phone number for them in case you want to make sure your reservation through open table is showing with them so you get your free $39 tickets up the mountain!
1.604.980.9311

 

[Mackie Mouse]

I need more info on this!!

Here are some links:
http://www.flyovercanada.com/

http://www.hellobc.com/activitylist...nada.aspx?KWDS=&LOCID=3&NBY=False&FLID=3&PN=1

https://www.facebook.com/flyovercanada

The Facebook page in particular has some really cool updates.

 

[smiley_face2]

I need more info on this!!

I made a post on it a few pages back, but here is the link again to both their website and their facebook page
http://www.flyovercanada.com/
https://www.facebook.com/flyovercanada
Can't wait for this!!

 

[Mackie Mouse]

Well they are open for dinner from 5 to 10, the skyride which is the gondola up the mountain, is included with your advance reservation. When you arrive at the base of the mountain, they will have a list with your names/reservation so up you go for free. You should head up at least 30 minutes before your dinner reservation time. The meals to have the free ticket start at 39. but when you factor in the fact that the ticket to get up the mountain on the gondola alone is $39. it's one of those wow things! lol and I do not believe there is a time limit on how early you can go up, as long as you have your advance dinner reservation. so yes taking a change of clothes would work!
edited to add the direct phone number for them in case you want to make sure your reservation through open table is showing with them so you get your free $39 tickets up the mountain!
1.604.980.9311

Thanks! I'm hesitant to call as I would definitely be charged for making a call internationally, so hopefully they will get back to me via e-mail that we can show up early afternoon, enjoy the attractions for a few hours, and then change for dinner. The website recommended showing up "15-20 minutes before your dinner reservation" for the Skyride, which is what made me nervous about spending the day there beforehand. Makes it seem like the discount is just too good to be true! ...But apparently it's not!

 

[smiley_face2]

Here are some links:
http://www.flyovercanada.com/

http://www.hellobc.com/activitylist...nada.aspx?KWDS=&LOCID=3&NBY=False&FLID=3&PN=1

https://www.facebook.com/flyovercanada

The Facebook page in particular has some really cool updates.

Lol....you beat me to it!

 

[smiley_face2]

Thanks! I'm hesitant to call as I would definitely be charged for making a call internationally, so hopefully they will get back to me via e-mail that we can show up early afternoon, enjoy the attractions for a few hours, and then change for dinner. The website recommended showing up "15-20 minutes before your dinner reservation" for the Skyride, which is what made me nervous about spending the day there beforehand. Makes it seem like the discount is just too good to be true! ...But apparently it's not!

If you don't hear back soon, let me know and I will call for you!

 

[Mackie Mouse]

If you don't hear back soon, let me know and I will call for you!

You are way too kind! I just got a response (great customer service already - now I'm definitely on board with going):

"Hello Heather,

Greetings from the Peak of Vancouver!

Your Skyride tickets can be picked up at the Ticket Center by the
Skyride entrance or in Guest Services. As you have already made
reservations, they will have a list with the names that you have
reserved for and be able to provide you with your tickets. You are
welcome to visit as early as 3 hours before your reservation time.
However, they only get the reservations list at the base of the mountain
around 4pm so they may not see your name if you arrive earlier than
that. The worst case scenario if you arrive earlier would be for you to
purchase an admission ticket and they can reimburse the price of the
ticket through your meal at the restaurant. Please keep in mind that
each person will need to enjoy an entree at the restaurant in order to
cover the cost of the Skyride.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind Regards,

Ady Tang
Guest Services Representative
Phone: 604.980.9311
Fax: 604.984.6360"

The best of all possible answers! Thanks so much for this recommendation.

 

[smiley_face2]

You are way too kind! I just got a response (great customer service already - now I'm definitely on board with going):

"Hello Heather,

Greetings from the Peak of Vancouver!

Your Skyride tickets can be picked up at the Ticket Center by the
Skyride entrance or in Guest Services. As you have already made
reservations, they will have a list with the names that you have
reserved for and be able to provide you with your tickets. You are
welcome to visit as early as 3 hours before your reservation time.
However, they only get the reservations list at the base of the mountain
around 4pm so they may not see your name if you arrive earlier than
that. The worst case scenario if you arrive earlier would be for you to
purchase an admission ticket and they can reimburse the price of the
ticket through your meal at the restaurant. Please keep in mind that
each person will need to enjoy an entree at the restaurant in order to
cover the cost of the Skyride.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind Regards,

Ady Tang
Guest Services Representative
Phone: 604.980.9311
Fax: 604.984.6360"

The best of all possible answers! Thanks so much for this recommendation.

awesome!! have you looked online at their menu? This has me wanting to go again, it has been far too long! Hubby always get the "steak" and I always get the seafood, like now it's scallops, then we share and both have "surf and turf" lol.... have you looked online also at pictures from up there? such an amazing view!!

 

[Spart02]

We are staying at the Pan Pacific and planning on sending our luggage down, so will plan on tipping per bag for that. When we return from the cruise, we will be picking up a rental car at Canada Place. For those of you who have done that, can you please describe how that process works? Are there porters there that will handle our bags, or is it just easier if we do it on our own? Is it easy to find the rental car area? Also, what other uses of Canadian money can you think of that we would have? We hope to charge all dining on a Visa that does not have a foreign transaction fee.
Also, on the way to the Pan Pacific, we will be using the Skytrain to get from the Vancouver Airport to the Pan Pacific. I read that most of the Skytrain terminals have ticket machines that you can use a credit card to purchase your tickets. Would you please verify this for me?
Thanks for all of the info! We are less than a month away and it's beginning to get very real! We're trying to iron out all of the little details.

 

[dizzyr]

We are staying at the Pan Pacific and planning on sending our luggage down, so will plan on tipping per bag for that. When we return from the cruise, we will be picking up a rental car at Canada Place. For those of you who have done that, can you please describe how that process works? Are there porters there that will handle our bags, or is it just easier if we do it on our own? Is it easy to find the rental car area? Also, what other uses of Canadian money can you think of that we would have? We hope to charge all dining on a Visa that does not have a foreign transaction fee.
Also, on the way to the Pan Pacific, we will be using the Skytrain to get from the Vancouver Airport to the Pan Pacific. I read that most of the Skytrain terminals have ticket machines that you can use a credit card to purchase your tickets. Would you please verify this for me?
Thanks for all of the info! We are less than a month away and it's beginning to get very real! We're trying to iron out all of the little details.

You can definitely use credit cards on the skytrain machines but not on the buses so if there is a bus portion of your trip and you won't be starting at a skytrain have some change. (The actual ticket is good for both bus and skytrain for 90 min any direction)

 

[dizzyr]

Also if you are going to eat from any of the food trucks or street meat (hot dog vendors ) then you'll prob need cash for that too. Not sure they are all (if any) set up to take credit cards.

 

[mouselike-harrier]

Would you recommend exchanging US dollars for Canadian dollars? We will be staying in Vancouver 2 days before and 2 days after the cruise.

 

[msbiscuit]

Would you recommend exchanging US dollars for Canadian dollars? We will be staying in Vancouver 2 days before and 2 days after the cruise.

I didn't have any trouble in Vancouver using US dollars. Most places charged a little more due to the exchange rate, but willingly took the cash. When tipping, I added a few more dollars to make up the difference.