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

[Diannah]

Does anyone know if you can use the long term parking even if you're not flying into or out of the airport?

 

[mellers]

Does anyone know if you can use the long term parking even if you're not flying into or out of the airport?

The website doesn't say it's prohibited, and how would they tell whose car is whose? There's a coupon here:

http://www.yvr.ca/en/getting-to-from-yvr/Parking/longtermlot.aspx

 

[bigAWL]

Avis & National are located at Canada Place Port.
I'm wondering the same thing about car rental. But I hear Victoria is a nice place to visit so it might be worth renting a car for the day to take a trip there.

I see a National location location at Canada Pl. The closest Avis site I can find is about 5-6 blocks away on Hornby St. Is that the one you're talking about?

 

[adedward]

I could use some help/advice from locals! We have a couple of days only after the cruise, then flying out of Seattle. We will have "done" Vancouver the three days before the cruise. Would like to get off the ship, go straight across to Pacific Rim park for a night, then down to Victoria for a night and over to Seattle to spend the night before our flight. Logistics to get to Pacific Rim and then Victoria? Don't want to rent a car in Vancouver because of high cost to drop it in Seattle. Would love some experienced local suggestions on the best way to do this. Thanks!

 

[megsablue]

Thought I'd post this just incase anyone wanted to do a whale-watching trip while in Victoria.

Groupon has a 1/2 off deal right now, but it's fairly limited in how many can purchase. http://www.groupon.com/vancouver/

 

[Perdita&Pongo]

Thought I'd post this just incase anyone wanted to do a whale-watching trip while in Victoria.

Groupon has a 1/2 off deal right now, but it's fairly limited in how many can purchase. http://www.groupon.com/vancouver/

We will be in Victoria pre-cruise and I am thinking about whale watching, but here's a question:

Will we see whales on the DCL cruise? If so, I'd rather not spend the money/time on whale watching in Victoria if we are probably going to see them while on the Alaska cruise.

Anyone have any input? Thanx!

 

[mellers]

I could use some help/advice from locals! We have a couple of days only after the cruise, then flying out of Seattle. We will have "done" Vancouver the three days before the cruise. Would like to get off the ship, go straight across to Pacific Rim park for a night, then down to Victoria for a night and over to Seattle to spend the night before our flight. Logistics to get to Pacific Rim and then Victoria? Don't want to rent a car in Vancouver because of high cost to drop it in Seattle. Would love some experienced local suggestions on the best way to do this. Thanks!

This is a good description of how to get from Vancouver to Vancouver Island: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...umbia:Getting.From.Vancouver.To.Victoria.html

From Victoria to Seattle, your best bet is the Victoria Clipper:
http://www.victoriaclipper.com

It's comfortable, fast, and will get you home quickly. The state ferries out of Sidney are cheaper, and much more scenic, but it is a long slog back to Seattle.

 

[smeecanada]

I could use some help/advice from locals! We have a couple of days only after the cruise, then flying out of Seattle. We will have "done" Vancouver the three days before the cruise. Would like to get off the ship, go straight across to Pacific Rim park for a night, then down to Victoria for a night and over to Seattle to spend the night before our flight. Logistics to get to Pacific Rim and then Victoria? Don't want to rent a car in Vancouver because of high cost to drop it in Seattle. Would love some experienced local suggestions on the best way to do this. Thanks!

Rent a car in Vancouver and drop in Victoria. Either fly to Seattle or take the Victoria Clipper (highspeed catamaran) from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle.

 

[BlackFrank]

Rent a car in Vancouver and drop in Victoria. Either fly to Seattle or take the Victoria Clipper (highspeed catamaran) from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle.

This is good advice. Although it might be doable, getting from Vancouver, to the Pacific Rim Park, to Victoria without your own car could prove to be quite challenging.

 

[890537]

This is fantastic - thanks for putting it all together.

 

[adedward]

I will check into a rental to drop in Victoria, thanks.

 

[richmo]

Does anyone know if you can use the long term parking even if you're not flying into or out of the airport?

That's exactly what I'm planning on doing. The coupon on the YVR site represents quite a saving over parking over Canada Place.

 

[nanaguide]

Question for locals. We live in Orlando, Florida. My grandson loves theme parks. Every vacation we take him (8 years old) we try to do 1 theme park so he can compare them to Disney/Universal/Sea World. He googled theme parks in Vancouver. I checked it out with him and I wasn't overly impressed. Any of you have information about the theme park there? It didn't sound like it was in a really good area and most of the rides sounded like roller coasters? We have lots of plans for Vancouver but I did tell him I would get the opinion of the disboard. Thanks in advance for any information you can share with us.

 

[disneydance]

Question for locals. We live in Orlando, Florida. My grandson loves theme parks. Every vacation we take him (8 years old) we try to do 1 theme park so he can compare them to Disney/Universal/Sea World. He googled theme parks in Vancouver. I checked it out with him and I wasn't overly impressed. Any of you have information about the theme park there? It didn't sound like it was in a really good area and most of the rides sounded like roller coasters? We have lots of plans for Vancouver but I did tell him I would get the opinion of the disboard. Thanks in advance for any information you can share with us.

I've visited Playland Theme park in Vancouver in the past and it's nothing more than a carnival with roller coasters. I wouldn't reccomend it personally it's really nothing that special. Here in the Pacific NW we don't really have alot of great amusment parks. Sadly, we all tend to flock to Playland or Wild Waves a little past Seattle which is a not so great Six's Flag's park. But it's all we have so we go

 

[disneydance]

This is a good description of how to get from Vancouver to Vancouver Island: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...umbia:Getting.From.Vancouver.To.Victoria.html

From Victoria to Seattle, your best bet is the Victoria Clipper:
http://www.victoriaclipper.com

It's comfortable, fast, and will get you home quickly. The state ferries out of Sidney are cheaper, and much more scenic, but it is a long slog back to Seattle.

I would recommend taking the Victoria Clipper also if you want to get straight back to Seattle, personally the state feries are perfect for us due to the fact we live near Anacortes but to get from Anacortes to Seattle after a good 2 1/2 ferry ride expect 2 1/2 more hours. Unless you want a scenic route and want to stop at Seattle Premium Outlets for some 'great' shopping as our Canadian friends would say or in Mt. Vernon I would say it's not worth your time.

 

[lmcarr]

I hope you read that you sign up for the yearly auto ship for these books. They will charge you $5.00 if you stop it. Just FYI




which entertainment book is it? seattle or vancouver? thanks in advance for the response! lc

 

[BlackFrank]

That's exactly what I'm planning on doing. The coupon on the YVR site represents quite a saving over parking over Canada Place.

I've used the long term parking at YVR a number of times. From what I recall, there's no checks to see if you're actually "using" the airport or not. As long as you pay the fee, I don't see why you couldn't use lng term parking for whatever.

 

[SteffyLou]

We are staying at the Pan Pacific. Can anyone tell me where the best place would be to buy wine for the cruise?

Thank you!

 

[BlackFrank]

We are staying at the Pan Pacific. Can anyone tell me where the best place would be to buy wine for the cruise?

Thank you!

There's a government liquor store in the lower level of Harbour Center mall (555 West Hastings Street), which is about 2 blocks from the Pan Pacific. The Harbour Center building is fairly unmistakable, as it has a revolving restaurant on top. It's essentially across the street from the Seabus terminal (the old, brick railway station). You essentially walk out of the Pan Pacific, hang and immediate left, take the first turn (on Howe street), take the next turn (on W Cordova Street), walk 2 1/2 blocks, and there you are.

(Do a search on google maps from Pan Pacific Hotel to Harbour Center).
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...23.109967&sspn=0.024186,0.064759&ie=UTF8&z=17

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

I hope you read that you sign up for the yearly auto ship for these books. They will charge you $5.00 if you stop it. Just FYI




which entertainment book is it? seattle or vancouver? thanks in advance for the response! lc

Vancouver book.
Or just buy an entertainment card on ebay for 3-4 bucks, punch the number into the website and download the coupon