To and From the Airport

Vancouver Intl (YVR):

Location: 15 km/9 Miles SW of the City centre.
Website: Vancouver Airport
Airport Overview: 2 terminals, one International, the other domestic. The domestic terminal has 3 levels. The upper level is for departures, the lower level for arrivals & Airporter Buses & the basement level for Rental Cars, hotel shuttles and public buses. The Intl has 2 levels: The upper level is for departures, the lower level for arrivals & all ground transport.
Driving directions: The airport is linked to Vancouver via the Arthur Laing Bridge and then Highway 99/Granville St. Follow signs for Highway 99 South, and then the airport.
By Taxi: Taxis can be found on the arrivals level of both terminals. To the City Centre CAD$28-32/20-30 mins. To Richmond $15-28. To Burnaby $31-45. To North Vancouver $44-55. To Surrey $50-70. To Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal $80. Yellow Cab +1 (604) 681 1111 or 1 800 898 TAXI, MacLures Cabs (604) 731 9211, Queen City Taxy (604) 526 1166. North Shore Taxi, (604) 986 1111 serves North Vancouver.


By Limo:
General: To Downtown Vancouver $45-50, Cruise ship terminals ~$55, Horeshoe Bay Ferry $75, Tsawwassen Ferry $60. To South Vancouver & Richmond ~CAD$31. To Whistler CAD$ 300 + 5% tax. To Seattle $360 + tax.
Limo Companies: Limojet Gold runs limos to the city centre and beyond. Contact: Tel 1 (604) 273 1331 or 1 800 278 8742

By Helicopter: Helijet runs 4 flights Mon-Fri from the airport (South Airport/5911 Airport Rd South) to Victoria Harbour Heliport (79 Dallas Rd). Takes30 mins. Helicopters leave Vancouver Airport South Mon-Fri at 0715, 1220, 1600 & 1755. A pick up service from the terminals is available. Call (604) 273 7588. For helicopter reservations call 1 800 665 4354.


By Local Bus:
City Center Shuttle: Contact: +1 (604) 729 2552.
YVR Airporter Bus to city: Route 1: Airport Intl Terminal (Bay 3 arrivals level) - Domestic Terminal Arrivals level (2 mins) - Best Western Drake - Residence Inn (28 mins) - Wall Centre - Hotel Vancouver (33 mins) - Pan Pacific - Hyatt - Sutton Place - YMCA (42 mins) - Century Plaza - Holiday Inn Downtown - Ramada Inn (47 mins) - Granville/Broadway - Granville/41st St (55 mins) - Airport. Once in the city centre, passengers may change to Routes #2 or #3 for further hotels. Timings: Buses leave the Intl terminal at 0820 then every 20-30 mins until 1850, 1935, 2005, 2035, 2105 & 2135. Departures from the domestic terminal are 5 mins later. Buses leave the Residence Inn at 0727, 0757, 0827, 0857 then every 20-30 mins until 2012. Buses leave the Waterfront Centre (Fairmont & Pan Pacific Hotels) at 0737, then every 20-30 mins until 2022. Buses leave the Ramada Inn at 0803, 0833, 0903, 0933 then every 20-30 mins until 2048. Buses leave the Granville/41st St at 0812, then every 20-30 mins until 2057. Travel Time: Takes 28-45 mins to the city centre. Cost: Adult one-way CAD$13.75, adult return $21.50, Child one-way $6.50, child return $13. Discounts for seniors and airport employees. Tickets can be bought from the driver or from staff at the bus stop.
Trans Link Bus#N10 (Night Bus) to Downtown Vancouver & Richmond: Route: Downtown Vancouver (Howe/Dunsmuir) - Granville/41st St - Airport Domestic Basement level - Airport Station (Bay 2) - Richmond. Timings: Runs only at night. Buses leave the airport domestic arrivals heading to Vancouver city nightly at 0131, 0201 & 0231. Buses leave the airport domestic terminal heading to Richmond nightly at 0239, 0309 & 0339. Buses leave Vancouver city (Howe/Dunsmuir) heading to the airport nightly at 0209, 0239 & 0309. Buses leave Richmond (Anderson/Three Rd E) heading to the airport nightly at 0112, 0142 & 0212. Cost: Prices for public transport are $2.75/$4/$5.50 for 1, 2 or 3 zones. Airport - Downtown or Airport - Richmond is 2 zones. Contact: Tel (604) 953 3333 or www.translink.bc.ca
Other: Free shuttles provide services to the long-term car park, local hotels and other locations around the airport. These generall depart from the basement level of the domestic terminal.

By Long Distance Bus:
Perimeter's Whistler Express: Route: YVR Airport (Intl arrivals bay 5) - Downtown Vancouver (includes hotl pick-ups) - Whistler Ski Village. Timings: Only runs during the ski season (approx early November - Late April), buses usually leaving the airport every 2 hrs 0930-1930 & 2200 daily. Departures from Whistler are usually every 2 hrs 0600-1800 daily. Check website for next season's timings. Takes ~2 hrs 30. Cost: Adult one way CAD$ 67. Child (5-12 yrs) CAD$ 45. Under 5 free. Contact: Tel 1 (604) 266 5386 or (604) 905 0041 (Whistler) or www.perimeterbus.com.
A door-to door Condo service is also offered, which takes passengers onwards from Whistler Village to outlying accommodations. Cost from YVR Airport is Adult CAD$ 73, Child $48. Reservations needed.
YVR Whistler SkyLynx to Whistler: Route: Runs daily from the airport to Whistler, picking up and dropping at hotels. Timings: Buses leave the Intl terminal lower level (bus stop 5) daily at 1000, 1200, 1600 & 1900. Buses leave Whistler daily at 0530, 0800, 1030, 1530 & 1700. Travel Time: Takes 2:45.
Pacific Coach Lines to Victoria: Route: Runs daily from the airport to Victoria via the BC Ferry. Airport (Intl arrivals bay 5) - Tsawwassen (1 hour 20) - Ferry - Swartz Bay (2 hrs 50) - Victoria (3 hrs 40). Other services include Nanaimo. Timings: Buses leave the Intl terminal lower level (bus stop 2) daily at 0740, 0940, 1140, 1340, 1540, 1740 & 1940. Tickets can be bought at the bus stop 10 mins before departure. Cost: To Victoria: Adult one-way $ 45.50, return $89. Child one-way $22.75, return $44.50. Contact: Tel (604) 662 7575 or 1 800 661 1725, or www.pacificcoach.com.
Quick Shuttle to Seattle: Route: Downtown Vancouver (includes hotels, Broadway/Granville & 41st St/Granville) - Vancouver Airport/Level 2 Intl arrivals Bay 4 - South Surrey (40 mins from YVR airport) - Bellingham Airport, WA/main entrance outside the terminal, 24 hrs notice needed (1:45) - Everett Train Station/Bus bay #A4, 24 hrs notice needed (2:45) - Seattle Downtown/Best Western Executive Inn, 200 Taylor Ave N (3:20) - SeaTac Airport /South end of baggage claim (4 hrs). Timings: Buses leave YVR airport for Seattle daily at 0615, 0930, 1115, 1400, 1600 & 1905. Buses leave Sea-Tac airport for Vancouver daily at 0630, 0800, 1030, 1300, 1600, 1730 (Fri, Sat & Sun only) & 1900. Buses leave downtown Seattle heading North to Vancouver daily at 0700, 0830, 1105, 1335, 1630, 1905 (Fri, Sat & Sun only) & 1930. Travel Times: To Seattle ~3 hrs. Cost: From Vancouver airport to: Sea-Tac Airport: Adult one-way CAD$55 (return $98, child (5-12 yrs) $26/$47 return. To Seattle downtown: Adult one-way CAD$41 (return $73, child $20/$36 return. To Bellingham Airport: Adult one-way CAD$27 (return $44, child $16/$28 return. Contact: 1 800 665 2122 or (604) 940 4428 (Vancouver) or www.quickcoach.com.
Others: Scheduled bus services are available to major hotels and destinations in the city centre, Langley, Aldergrove, Abbotsford & Chilliwack.

By Shuttle Van:
H.T.N' T. SERVICE Helens Tours N' Travel: Going to and from Vancouver Airport, Ferry & Cruise Ship Terminals and the Railway station, serving White Rock, S. Surrey, Newton and Langley 7-days a week (0300-2100 from the airport) meeting arrivals inside the terminal. Call 604-538-8687 (Office hours 0900-1800 7 days a week). For personal door to door service and group rates call or email. helenstnt@gmail.com.

By Train:
Airport Train Link: The new train service to Richmond & Vancouver city centre has now opened (Aug 2009). The station connects directly to the international terminal.
Notes from a Traveller Oct13: The train is the best (or only, as tourist information staff said) way to get into town. Prices for public transport are $2.75/$4/$5.50 for 1, 2 or 3 zones. Airport - Downtown or Airport - Richmond is 2 zones. If you leave from the airport the ticket costs an extra $5 (that means $9 airport - downtown) but not on the way to the airport. It can be worth buying a day pass for $9.75 (this is also exempt from the $5 airport surcharge) for unlimited travel all day in all 3 zones.
TransLink 98 B-Line to Richmond & Vancouver: Route: This train now calls at the terminals. Route Details: To Vancouver City: Airport - Sea Island Centre - Templeton - Bridgeport (route divides here) - Marine Drive - Langara/49th Ave - Oakridge/41st Ave - King Edward - Broadway/City Hall - Olympic Village - Yaletown/Roundhouse Granville - Vancouver City centre - Vancouver Waterfront. To Richmond: Airport Terminals - Sea Island Centre - Templeton - Bridgeport (route divides here) - Aberdeen - Lansdowne - Richmond /Brighouse. Timings: Trains run daily 0416-0144 every 6-15 mins. Travel Time: To Vancouver city centre from the Airport Station 25 mins. Cost: From the airport to the city centre Adult $4. To Richmond Adult $4. Day passes available for $9.75.

Rental Cars:
On-Airport Rental Car Providers: ALAMO +1 (604) 231 1400, AVIS 606 2845, Budget 668 7000, Hertz 606 3785, National (604) 207 3730 & Dollar/Thrifty 681 4869 have desks and cars in the car park opposite the lowest level of the domestic terminal.
Off-Airport Rental Car Providers: Discount & Enterprise have desks in the upper levels of the car park opposite the domestic terminal, but run shuttles to their off-airport sites.

Car Parking: Long term parking is on the airport access road. CAD$ 9.50 per day. Short term car parking is opposite both terminals.
Airport Tax: Airport Improvement Fee is added to ticket prices and is not payable on departure.
Transfer between terminals: A walkway links the 2 terminals.
Baggage Storage: CDS Baggage Storage available across from carousel 6 on domestic arrivals level 2. Prices as follows: Coats & small camera bags $3.50 per day, small (carry-on) bags $4.50, large cases, bags & fishing roda $5.50, large trunks, boxes, skis etc $7. Opening hours 0500-2300.
Airport Hotels: There are many hotels near the airport including: Hampton Inn Vancouver Airport 1 (604) 232 5505 offers free airport shuttle. Fairmont Vancouver Airport (604) 207 5200, is in the International terminal. Sandman Hotel (604) 736 4388, has an airport shuttle. Quality Hotel Airport South (604) 244 3051, has an airport shuttle. Comfort Hotel (604) 278 5161, has a free airport shuttle. Travelodge Hotel Vancouver Airport (604) 278 5155, has a free airport shuttle.
Notes: ATMs/Cash Machines in both terminals. Hotel Booking board in arrivals.
Airport Website: www.yvr.ca.
Airport Tel No: +1 (604) 207 7077.
Updated Nov13 M Kraemer. Last Visit Jun08


Vancouver - Coal Harbour Floatplane Terminal (CXH):

Location: In the very centre of downtown Vancouver, on the waterfront.
On Foot: Follow Thurlow St towards the water. On reaching Hastings St or Cordova St, there are plenty of signs indicating the temporary walkway to the seaplane terminal. As a result of construction work, not expected to be complete until 2009, this temporary routing is in place.
By Taxi: Blacktop (604) 731 1111, Yellow Cab (604) 681 1111 & Van Taxi (604) 871 1111 are all based close by. North Shore Taxi, (604) 986 1111 serves North Vancouver.
By Shuttle Van: Following the arrival of flights, shuttle vans operated by the airlines depart from the covered car park behind the terminal. They run along Nelson, Howe & Burrard to downtown hotels and are complimentary for seaplane passengers. Passengers from one airline may use the bus of another airline.
Rental Cars: No rental car companies have desks at the terminal, however the following companies can easily arrange for cars to be delivered: AVIS (604) 606 2869, Budget (604) 683 5666 or 668 7000 & National (604) 609 7150.
Car Parking: There is a covered car park at the rear of the terminal. Self Park: $2.50 per 30 mins. Daily maximum $17.50. Valet Parking Rates (Mon-Fri only): 1 hour $4, 2 hrs $8, 3 hrs $15, 24 hrs $21, 48 hrs $42, 3 days $63 etc.
Notes: This terminal is used by Baxter Aviation, Harbour Air Seaplanes (604) 274 1277 or 233 3505 & West Coast Air (604) 606 6888. Flights run to Victoria, Nanaimo, the Gulf Islands & sightseeing tours. No ATM/Cash machine at the terminal.
Updated Nov13 ADV. Last Visit Jun08




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