Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver

British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver is one of the world's most liveable cities and is the largest city in British Columbia. It is not however, the provincial capital. This honour goes to another beautiful city, Victoria, which is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Vancouver is one of the main entry points for visitors to Canada and is very close to the US border with Washington State.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver is built around the Burrard Inlet and the Straits of Georgia. To the north are the towering peaks of which Grouse Mountain is perhaps the most well-known. Vancouver is blessed with much milder weather than other parts of Canada, making it a year-round holiday destination. In both winter and summer, there is much to see and do!

Arriving in Vancouver

There are three main entry points into Vancouver: air, sea or land. Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is in Richmond,just south of the city. If you are travelling with children, the airport does provide unsupervised children's play areas and video games to help amuse younger travellers.
YVR also has a FasTrack check-in system that will help you avoid queues. The kiosks allow you to complete the check-in process and obtain your boarding pass in about 60 seconds! (We found the self-service check-ins did not always work for international travellers.)
BC Ferries operate several ferries which service Vancouver. Ferries from Vancouver Island arrive at either Tsawwassen (down near the US border) or Horseshoe Bay (North Vancouver). The ferries run regularly and take foot passengers and vehicles.
The Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen ferry offers bus transport into Victoria/Vancouver (depending on the direction of your travel). It is also possible to arrive in Vancouver via float plane (many land in the Burrard Inlet - check the arrival location with the operator). Many cruise ships (especially those which are Alaskan bound) berth around Canada Place in downtown Vancouver.
Vancouver is linked by rail with the east of Canada (Via Rail) and also with the US rail network (Amtrak). We have used Amtrak to travel down the west coast to California - it is a relaxing and scenic journey. The Vancouver-Seattle leg of the journey was by coach. Vancouver is well connected to the east with the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) and to the south with the Washington State's I-5 highway.

Arriving Vancouver BC Canada
Float Plane Vancouver BC Canada
Ferry Victoria Vancouver BC Canada
Sky Train Vancouver BC Canada

Ocean Liners Canada Place Vancouver BC Canada

Once you've arrived (or if you are planning ahead) you will need a place to stay. There's a variety of accommodation options to choose from and then there are the attractions to discover!

Vancouver BC from Grouse Mountain at Night

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