Vancouver Travel Forum

Hi,
I am meeting my 3 girlfriends at Vancouver. They are from Spore while I am flying to Vancouver from Fort St John. The problem is that the 3 of them are gonna be in Canada from April 10 to April 20 but they are traveling all over the place (Vancouver-Calgary-Vancouver-Seattle) that I can only afford to join them in Vancouver so i am only gonna be there w them for 3 days (April 10-April 12). I think it's quite a waste of my air ticket ($470 to fly to Vancouver from FSJ) so I was thinking of arriving in Vancouver, maybe 2 days earlier like on April 8 and do sightseeing on my own. During the 3 days that we are all together, we be going to Grouse Mountain, Granville, and do all the city sights (stanley pk, gas town. chinatown, The Lookout & etc). So the 2 days on my own, i am thinking of doing the following. Bear in mind that I’m pretty much a timid traveler, can't drive and my criteria for the 2 days itinery must be safe.

1. Take Whistler Shuttle Bus to Whistler. Bear in mind that I absolutely hate skiing & snowboarding so not going to do these at all). I was thinking of just spending a day there @ Whistler Village, do some sightseeing & any activities (e.g, dog sledding) that doesn’t require skills on my end.
2. Take a Quick Shuttle's Bus to Seattle on early morning (estimated arrival time 9am) and take the shuttle back late in the evening (estimated departing time at 8pm from seattle). During the 10 hrs in Seattle, just visit the premium outlet, the pikes fish mkt & some other day sightseeing

Would welcome any ideas or opinions on my plan….or do u guys think that it might even be just cheaper for me to join my 3 friends for their itinery to begin with. And their plan is fixed, cannot be changed & is as follows:

April 10-April 12: Vancouver sightseeing
April 13: Drive to Okanagan & do vineyards
April 14: Drive to Banff and do sightseeing & stop at Calgary
April 15: Fly from Calgary to Vancouver
April 16-April 20: Vancouver & Seattle Sightseeing

Thanks guys..

A one day to Seattle is not a good idea. The Outlet mall is 25 miles North and not convenient to a day tour by bus.
I think you should join your friends in Vancouver and fly back to FSJ or Dawson Creek from Calgary. That can give you more time with them. It does not give you Seattle though.

Definitely not the one day to Seattle. On the bus its pretty much 4 hours each way eith the border stop. That would only leave a couple of hours in Seattle. I agree with the previous post about flying home from Calgary. That would give you a couple of extra days with your friends without adding a substantial cost to the trip.

If your friends and you are not going to visit Victoria, that is one place I would suggest that you do. Taking the ferry over to Vancouver Island and then doing a day in Victoria (Parliament Buildings, BC Museum, shopping and sightseeing) is worth it. It also only takes a half day to see and do all of these in Victoria. Whistler is pretty, but other than the winter activities, there isn't that much to do there. The village can be seen in about an hour and it is mostly stores. Unless you are into winter sports, I would suggest to leave this one and do Victoria itself. As for Seattle (I go there often enough to know), while it is a pretty city like Vancouver, there isn't a whole lot different than what you can find to do in Vancouver. If you are going because you have never been, but are just wanting to see a different place, then by all means. It won't take you all day to see Pike Place Market and the downtown area.If you do go, there are some nice places for lunch. I prefer Granville Island in Vancouver over Pike Place, but that is my opinion!

Hi Get to Vancouver a few days prior to your friends. Some places to visit. Day trip to Victoria, Vancouver island, you will love it. Things to do in Vancouver, visit Stanley Park, they have a free tram ride around it, hop on hop off. You could catch the ferry to North Vancouver then bus to Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and then walk down the canyon. Free entry. We had 7 days in Vancouver, you are welcome to view my Vancouver and Vancouver Island/ Victoria pages which may give you some ideas.

We had 7 days Banff including Lake Louise and Jasper, however you need more than a day to see this location.

Good Luck,
Mike

hi guys,
thanks for all the info. Took everything into consideration & has decided more or less what to do for the 1st 2 days that i am alone there.

1st day : Take a Capilano Suspension Bridge & Grouse Mountain Tour (6 hrs from 11am pickup @ hotel to 5pm) organised by Landsea Tours @ $125.
2nd day : Metrotown Mall & Robson Street.Tonight, my friends will arrive in Vancouver.

3rd Day : drive to Seattle and stay overnight
4th Day : Pike Market & drive back to Vancouver
5th Day : Stanley Park/Granville Island Market/Gastown/Harbour Centre/
Chinatown
6th Day : I fly back to Grande Prairie early morning

A few more questions.
1. As my tour on 7th ends at 5pm and they will send me back to hotel, i wouldn't want to stay in the hotel by myself and would like to venture out to do some shopping. I was thinking of Pacific Centre Mall which is withijn walking distance from YWCA Hotel (where I am considering staying at), but they close at 7pm. Is there anywhere else nearby that's safe and allows me to stay out safely to roam and shop till abt 9pm? How abt Robson street? Does the shops there close late? And i would take a cab back to hotel. Is it ok to flag down cab on the roads or do i have to call the cab company?

2. MY friends would only arrive at abt 11pm night on the 2nd day so i really want to be out the whole day...Would Robson street, followed by Metrotown be enough? I checked. Metrotown close at 9pm so i guess, by the time i gat back to hotel, it be at least 9.30pm? Or shd i take another half day tour in the morning?

3. If we are going to Stanley Park/Granville Island Market/Gastown/Harbour Centre/Chinatown, what shd be the most efficient sequence (which one to go first, 2nd and 3rd & etc) to go about it?

4. Anything i have missed out, please let me know....thanks!!! ^_^ This forum is super helpful...

How abt a evening visit to Canada Place?

Hi e took a Landsea tour to Vancouver Island, Victoria day trip, a very good company.

Robson Street always has something happening at night, many shops , open in the evening. Safe to walk.

Enjoy Vancouver, we had 7 days June 2007.

Good Luck,
MIKE

awesome!!! Thanks Mikebb^_^

Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain are easily accessible by city bus. I would recommend doing it on your own.

Pacific Centre Mall closes at 9pm.

Hi We went to Grouse Mountain by ourselves, ferry across to North Vancouver ( 10 minutes) then bus up to Grouse Mountain, the bus depot is across the road from the Ferry Terminal. Then pay $35 entry fee which gets you the Gondala Ride up the mountain and you enjoy the park and its free entertainment, details on my Vancouver page.
Mike

i wish it close at 9pm but they close at 7pm on tuesday...but well, i have decided to be super nice to myself and stay at the Blue Horizon Hotel instead...it seems like a really nice & safe hotel for a timid traveller like me...lol^_^ so i could walk around robson street late at night on my own w/o worrying abt getting back to my hotel since Blue Horizon is just on Robson street...

Blue Horizon Hotel a great choice, central on Robson Street, huge rooms and views from top floors. We walked to Stanley Park from here, only 20 minutes walk, also to the Ferry Terminal to North Vancouver, a little longer but plenty to see on the way. Photos of rooms on my page, the size will amaze you, luxury beds.

Good Luck,
Mike

Cool Mikebb!!...thanks......and hey, i stayed in perth for 2 yrs too ^_^....missed it there...gonna make a trip there someday too.....^_^