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

[Lollipop's Mom]

Thanks for the info! Is the trolley tour worth the money?

I honestly don't know sorry!

 

[LAWalz23]

I honestly don't know sorry!

Thats okay, thank you for answering.

 

[poohj80]

The latest flight for us was 2:15 on Southwest, so I just booked a hotel for the night in Seattle. I figured it really wasn't worth the stress of trying to make a flight.

Unfortunately, that's not an option as DD needs to be in school the next day. Someone did suggest we rent a car so we can leave as soon as we can disembark and not have to make all the stops of a Shuttle. It's about the same price as the Shuttle bus for all of us.

 

[PBader]

Pj I hope you all don't run into any issues and have plenty of time to make your flight. If ours would have been at 3, I think we probably would have tried for it. It sure would be cheaper than 3 rooms for the night in Seattle.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Unfortunately, that's not an option as DD needs to be in school the next day. Someone did suggest we rent a car so we can leave as soon as we can disembark and not have to make all the stops of a Shuttle. It's about the same price as the Shuttle bus for all of us.

You daughter looks pretty young, why not just pull her for the day of school? She will probably be exhausted anyway - I know I always used to let my daughter have a 'down day' at home after we got back from vacation!
I seriously would not chance it. You can priceline a hotel at seatac for $45 for a nice 3.5*.

 

[rsjj]

anyone here know about the "night market" in richmond? any details/info? a friend of mine mentioned it...just curious what exactly it was. tia!

 

[mellers]

anyone here know about the "night market" in richmond? any details/info? a friend of mine mentioned it...just curious what exactly it was. tia!

I'd be interested as well--I've been to Richmond several times and have not heard of it.

 

[tanyaewa]

The Night Market is a sort of Asian food and wares flea market.
It is set up on a big blacktop parking lot in the industrial area - right near IKEA
Richmond has a very large Asian population and this is a collection of vendors for them.

 

[rsjj]

The Night Market is a sort of Asian food and wares flea market.
It is set up on a big blacktop parking lot in the industrial area - right near IKEA
Richmond has a very large Asian population and this is a collection of vendors for them.

any good? worth going/checking it out? do you know the price for admission? or is it free? flea market...so i'm envisioning a mess/crowd? is this something for children? like a fun place to find little "knick knacks"/souvenirs? or maybe i'm totally off?

i read that there's a huge chinatown in vancouver!

 

[mellers]

any good? worth going/checking it out? do you know the price for admission? or is it free? flea market...so i'm envisioning a mess/crowd? is this something for children? like a fun place to find little "knick knacks"/souvenirs? or maybe i'm totally off?

i read that there's a huge chinatown in vancouver!

Richmond IS a huge, upscale Chinatown. It's bigger, and nicer for the most part, than Vancouver's Chinatown. (I know this because my husband's cousins who left Hong Kong live there)

 

[littleprince]

vancouver night market: http://www.vcma.shawbiz.ca/home_e.htm
Date: May 20, 2011 to Sep. 11, 2011. Every Fri., Sat. & Sun.
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Venue: Keefer St. / Main St.
(Between Main & Columbia St.)

 

[Perdita&Pongo]

Thanx for the info!

But now I'm confused.

Is there a night market both in Richmond AND in Vancouver?

 

[mellers]

PacificCoach has a service which will take you to the cruise terminal from Victoria or to Victoria from the cruise terminal:

http://www.pacificcoach.com/Travel-with-PCL/Vancouver-Cruise-Ship-Terminals-Service

 

[my three girls]

Is it better to take Amtrak or the Quick Shuttle from Seattle to Vancouver and back? TIA

 

[mellers]

Is it better to take Amtrak or the Quick Shuttle from Seattle to Vancouver and back? TIA

It depends. The QuickShuttle is usually quicker and less expensive than Amtrak, Amtrak is generally more scenic. The QuickShuttle is MUCH more likely to be on time, and leaves right out of SeaTac, whereas the Amtrak station is more convenient to the downtown hotels, and, quite frankly, you need to budget substantial extra time for delays. (Also, be aware, the train station is all torn up for renovations, and it is difficult to find the entrance.)

The QuickShuttle is more convenient to hotels near the Space Needle.

Amtrak wheelchair accessibility, ahem, stinks. (If this were not a family board, I would use another word ) If you have a wheelie in your party, don't even consider it.

Remember that with Amtrak, you will usually need to pay for transportation from the station to the hotel. The QuickShuttle will take you to YVR where you can pick up transportation to the airport hotels, or it will take you directly to most of the popular hotels in Vancouver--this is both an extra savings and an additional convenience. The QuickShuttle will also pick up and drop off directly from the port.

I believe you do not need to remove your luggage at the border with Amtrak, whereas you do with the QuickShuttle (unless you are in a wheelchair). You show your passport at the border, they scan your luggae, and they reboard the bus with you and your luggage, and continue on to Vancouver.

Both the QuickShuttle and Amtrak have a "fast track" at the border, so long delays will not slow them down as much as a car.

The QuickShuttle has no food or drinks available for purchase, and it is a long ride. If you take it from the airport, I would recommend getting a take-out meal and some bottled water, or at least some snacks and bottled water. Amtrak (as I recall) has food available. Get something from the port to take on the QuickShuttle to go home.

If you are desperate, and wind up at Sea-Tac before 8:30 a.m. on your cruise morning, take the QuickShuttle. They will drop you off directly at the cruise terminal, and you have a good chance of making your boat. (I don't recommend this as a plan--too much can go wrong;this is only if you're STUCK doing this.) Don't ever take Amtrak if you're pressed for time.

One quick hint--if you're taking the QuickShuttle from downtown, take a taxi to the Best Western Executive Inn, and pick the QuickShuttle up there. It's less expensive to go from the Best Western than Sea-Tac, and it's a much shorter taxi ride from downtown.

 

[my three girls]

Great info. Thanks!

 

[marlaymike]

thanks for the info!

 

[mellers]

Thanx for the info!

But now I'm confused.

Is there a night market both in Richmond AND in Vancouver?

Richmond is technically the city in which YVR is located--the night market is probably in Richmond, but there isn't much of a border between Richmond and Vancouver.

 

[mellers]

thanks for the info!

Great info. Thanks!

You're both very welcome!

 

[mellers]

It depends. The QuickShuttle is usually quicker and less expensive than Amtrak, Amtrak is generally more scenic. The QuickShuttle is MUCH more likely to be on time, and leaves right out of SeaTac, whereas the Amtrak station is more convenient to the downtown hotels, and, quite frankly, you need to budget substantial extra time for delays. (Also, be aware, the train station is all torn up for renovations, and it is difficult to find the entrance.)

The QuickShuttle is more convenient to hotels near the Space Needle.

Amtrak wheelchair accessibility, ahem, stinks. (If this were not a family board, I would use another word ) If you have a wheelie in your party, don't even consider it.

Remember that with Amtrak, you will usually need to pay for transportation from the station to the hotel. The QuickShuttle will take you to YVR where you can pick up transportation to the airport hotels, or it will take you directly to most of the popular hotels in Vancouver--this is both an extra savings and an additional convenience. The QuickShuttle will also pick up and drop off directly from the port.

I believe you do not need to remove your luggage at the border with Amtrak, whereas you do with the QuickShuttle (unless you are in a wheelchair). You show your passport at the border, they scan your luggae, and they reboard the bus with you and your luggage, and continue on to Vancouver.

Both the QuickShuttle and Amtrak have a "fast track" at the border, so long delays will not slow them down as much as a car.

The QuickShuttle has no food or drinks available for purchase, and it is a long ride. If you take it from the airport, I would recommend getting a take-out meal and some bottled water, or at least some snacks and bottled water. Amtrak (as I recall) has food available. Get something from the port to take on the QuickShuttle to go home.

If you are desperate, and wind up at Sea-Tac before 8:30 a.m. on your cruise morning, take the QuickShuttle. They will drop you off directly at the cruise terminal, and you have a good chance of making your boat. (I don't recommend this as a plan--too much can go wrong;this is only if you're STUCK doing this.) Don't ever take Amtrak if you're pressed for time.

One quick hint--if you're taking the QuickShuttle from downtown, take a taxi to the Best Western Executive Inn, and pick the QuickShuttle up there. It's less expensive to go from the Best Western than Sea-Tac, and it's a much shorter taxi ride from downtown.

Forgot to add--both have restrooms