Vancouver Transportation

[poohs_hunny]

Does anyone have recommendations for a car service from the Vancouver airport to my hotel (Pan Pacific) pre-cruise and from port to airport after the cruise? It's just my husband and me. Thanks!

 

[xlxo]

In general..... I like the cab. Lots lined up and the wait is minimal

• $35 CDN ($26 USD) plus tips

You can pay more for Aerocar which operates next door to the taxi's. In general, you are paying double the price for the same route.
http://aerocar.ca/rates/flat-rates/

 

[OhKenada]

Have you considered taking the skytrain? It's pretty convenient, no transfers. You would be taking the Canada Line from one end (YVR airport) to the other (Waterfront). Takes about 30mins, which would be pretty similar to the time taken to drive at a fraction of the cost.

 

[sharksfinatic17]

We took cabs (there were 10 of us) to the airport. We did walk-off which was super convenient and fast.

 

[xlxo]

Takes about 30mins, which would be pretty similar to the time taken to drive at a fraction of the cost.

Thoughts.....

• in the evening.... the subway has a frequency of once every 12 to 20 minutes. Add another 25 minutes travel time, plus luggage drag compared to the cab convenience.
• the subway is not a dedicated train.... with cruise luggage it can be tricky if you don't get a spot at the train ends. During rush hour, people will need to walk around and possibly over your luggage.
• The train is $9 per adult going from airport to downtown. As you add additional passengers, the cost approaches the cab.
• did you hear prices on the train is going up at the end of the week? Apparently the transit system is not charging passengers enough.

 

[DVC Doc]

Thoughts.....

• in the evening.... the subway has a frequency of once every 12 to 20 minutes. Add another 25 minutes travel time, plus luggage drag compared to the cab convenience.
• the subway is not a dedicated train.... with cruise luggage it can be tricky if you don't get a spot at the train ends. During rush hour, people will need to walk around and possibly over your luggage.
• The train is $9 per adult going from airport to downtown. As you add additional passengers, the cost approaches the cab.
• did you hear prices on the train is going up at the end of the week? Apparently the transit system is not charging passengers enough.

It's going up by $0.10 on July 1, so it's $9.10 per person from YVR to Canada Place. I think for two people the Skytrain is probably the way to go unless you are traveling with more than one suitcase per person. Rush hour traffic can be very heavy in a Vancouver, and the train will likely get you there much faster.

 

[laceltris3]

We used Aerocar for our family of 5. We pre paid for a limo for all of us to the Pan Pacific for half the cost of DCL transfers. The kids still talk about the limo ride.

 

[bumbershoot]

I prefer the cab, too. Just didn't care for the skytrain experience with bags. And the learning curve for buying tickets was steep and fraught with stress as the line got longer behind us.

Vancouver cabs are nice and inexpensive and I like the street view of things rather than the views we got from the skytrain.

And then you still have to get the bags and yourself from the station to the Pan.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Cabs are easy and they're plentiful.

Our luggage has wheels -- very convenient for airports, but not so much on trains and buses.

 

[tink1970]

I've taken cabs without a problem. The Pan Pacific is lovely and I'm looking forward to my next visit

 

[poohs_hunny]

Have you considered taking the skytrain? It's pretty convenient, no transfers. You would be taking the Canada Line from one end (YVR airport) to the other (Waterfront). Takes about 30mins, which would be pretty similar to the time taken to drive at a fraction of the cost.

I did read about this, but we will each have a large suitcase plus two carry on bags. Not exactly convenient on a train.

 

[poohs_hunny]

It looks like a cab will be my best bet. Stupid question - do they take credit cards? We typically don't travel with a lot of cash, and what we do have will be in USD. Thanks!

 

[jdb in AZ]

It looks like a cab will be my best bet. Stupid question - do they take credit cards? We typically don't travel with a lot of cash, and what we do have will be in USD. Thanks!

Yes, they do.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

This is great information for our cruise next year! I can't see us on the train with bags and my kids are older.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Thoughts.....

• in the evening.... the subway has a frequency of once every 12 to 20 minutes. Add another 25 minutes travel time, plus luggage drag compared to the cab convenience.
• the subway is not a dedicated train.... with cruise luggage it can be tricky if you don't get a spot at the train ends. During rush hour, people will need to walk around and possibly over your luggage.
• The train is $9 per adult going from airport to downtown. As you add additional passengers, the cost approaches the cab.
• did you hear prices on the train is going up at the end of the week? Apparently the transit system is not charging passengers enough.

This is what I was going to say. I wanted to try the skytrain, not just to save money but for a new experience for our family. But if a cab for four of us is 35, the sky train would be 36 at 9 per person. Will take longer, more of a hassle, and will cost more.

AND - I just assumed they would take USD. Not sure why, I just did and they DO NOT. We ended up using a CC for everything, which was fine but there was a foreign transaction fee. I would see if any of your CC's do not charge a foreign transaction fee. I know Alaska Airlines CC does not, so we will use that for everything.

 

[xlxo]

It looks like a cab will be my best bet. Stupid question - do they take credit cards? We typically don't travel with a lot of cash, and what we do have will be in USD. Thanks!

In general YES credit cards are accepted. However, they sometimes say the machine is broken or various other excuses.

Before loading luggage or getting into the cab.... tell the driver you plan to pay with credit card. In the old days, credit card purchases can be called in to dispatch. Takes longer, but that's their fault their credit card machine does not work.

I think there's a complaint line somewhere that you can report cabs with non-working credit card machines.

 

[Racer X]

Just got back, and ditto on the cab. Very easy to navigate as there are people that will direct you to the cab line. Considered the skytrain, but for a few extra dollars and not walking from station to hotel the $35 was a no brainer and money well spent.