ACI – Vancouver

I am planning to fly into Vancouver Airport this January. I won’t have a car so I need to find transportation to Whistler-Blackomb ski area. I am trying to find one of the cheapest ways to get up there. I saw an ad in their guide for a luxury motor coach that was $61 one way. Is there anything cheaper than that? I only need transportation to and from the mountain, I do not need it while I am there. I will have my ski equipment with me too.

I believe the only service that goes directly from the airport to Whistler is Perimeter coach lines:

http://www.perimeterbus.com/

As of 2000, when I worked in tourism, it was the only service which made the direct trip. If you’re willing to go into the city, the other options (Greyhound, etc.) will be available to you too. But if it’s essential that you go straight from the airport, then Perimeter is what you want.

Can anyone give me an estimate of how much it would be taking a taxi from Vancouver’s International airport to the broadway skytrain station? and if possible would you happen to know of the street name the skytrain station is on? or maybe the name of a street close by to it?

Hi’….the fare from Vancouver Airport which is actually in Richmond B.C will be between $25.00 and and $ 35.00 and take approximately 20 mins to get to the Broadway Station which is short of actually going all the way to downtown Vancouver.

You don’t need to contact any taxi company’s as there are taxi’s at the airport, They are originally held in a holding lot and called up to the Arrivals level ,( both Domestic and International) and line up depending on the demand !

I may as well add that you can take public transit to the Broadway Station also and this in on the Domestic Arrivals levels ! Just ask the driver or drivers what bus you need and "Broadway Station" is good enough, everyone knows it’s on Broadway and Commercial so it’s pretty easy to get to !

Hope that helps ya ! *S* (Micghael C…)

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Arghhhhhh…for God sakes "old lady"…it’s not a 100.00. it’s only 65.00 from downtown to either Tsassawan ot Horsehoe bay …please from now on if you are going to answer after someone gives the correct answer kindly get your facts right before you zip in constantly !

…and "old lady" it’s the "Canada Line" and not the "Gateway Line" that will operate from Richmond and the Airport and is not operational as yet…only a small part in Richmond for testing purposes ,which won’t assist the asker whatsoever !

"Gateway" is a stop on the "Expo Line"!

I feel stressful every time when I come back to Vancouver.

P.S. They once sent me to a room and searched over my luggages, and one of the officers dropped down my passport ‘s number(Canadian Citizen) . Why? Does it mean that I am already in the bad list or sth.

I’m afraid that they are not paid to be be "customer service"agents. They have a function which is actually very serious and important to ensure national security

I have also had my bags pulled out a couple of times for no apparent reason, but at the end of the day they are doing their job and if they stop someone who is genuinely bringing something illegal into the country (etc) then it’s worth it

I do agree that they could be a little more ‘friendly’ but I have yet to meet one that is – that’s includes in the US and also throughout Europe. Indeed I got my passport checked & stamped when returning to my own country last year. I asked him why and the answer was "because I want to!"

As they say, c’est la vie………….. that’s life!

Hi there,
I need to get a bus from Whistler to Vancouver Airport on 4th March 2010. I have three pieces of luggage. What is the cheapest bus fare that you can find?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
With kindest regards,
Jamie

The cheapest, but inconvenient way is to take Greyhound from Whistler to Vancouver(Pacific Central Station). $28.40
Then the Skytrain to Granville Street station.$3.75
Walk to , the Canada Line station at Robson Street and Granville Street.(one block).
Take the Canada Line Skytrain to the airport(YVR).
Total cost $32.15

More direct and convenient is Pacific Coach Lines’ SkyLynx, which costs $51.45 (one way).

We are going on a cruise to alaska and I am having trouble finding out how far it is from the airport to the port for the cruise ship. Does anyone know the distance in vancouver from the airport to the port of vancouver? Thanks!

There are a couple of places that cruise ships dock. They’re not far from each other and are both right downtown in Vancouver, on the south shore of Burrard Inlet. Canada Place terminal is at the north foot of Burrard St, closest major intersection being about Burrard and Pender, and the Ballantyne Pier terminal is a mile or so east of that. It’s about 8 miles from the airport to either one, but it’s city traffic the whole way so it’s a good 1/2 hour drive, or more depending on traffic.

Found this, lots of useful info here:

http://www3.telus.net/cruise_watch/info.htm

I’m going to be departing on a cruise out of Vancouver but wanted to tour Victoria first, and probably stay overnight there. What’s the cheapest option?

Not necessarily the cheapest but the best, in terms of value, simplicity and time, is to take Pacific Coach Lines from the airport. The bus will drive onto the ferry, you get off for the ferry ride, then you get back on the bus when the ferry arrives and the bus takes you into downtown Victoria. When you need to come back to Vancouver, do the same but take the bus right to the cruise terminal or into downtown Vancouver. The city bus is cheaper but will take much longer and is more of a nuisance especially with luggage. Check the PCL website for schedules and fares.

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and the third largest in the UK, it is also the top shopping destination outside of London.  The city is known to be Scotland’s best place for live music and it is home to the national side and the two biggest football clubs in Scotland.

Transport

There is no shortage of transport options available in Glasgow with Scotland’s only subway system in operation in the city centre.  The international airport is the largest in Scotland and operates direct services to many destinations such as Dubai, New York and Vancouver.  There is another airport close by at Prestwick which operates many low cost flight to multiple European destinations via Ryanair.

There are two railway stations which are only a few hundred meters away from each other in the city centre.  There are direct services to other Scottish cities such as Inverness and Edinburgh and also to various locations in England.  You can but tickets at the station or book them in advance on Scotrail’s website.

Buchanan Bus Station is the main bus depot in Glasgow and the busiest in Scotland, you can get direct services to all of the other cities in Scotland from here.  There is an efficient bus service that runs throughout the city centre and it offers a cheap and effective way to get around the city centre, with buses running every few minutes.

Shopping

There is a mixture of indoor shopping malls, outdoor markets and high street stores to choose from in Glasgow.  Everything from bargain stores to designer clothes can be bought here.  A couple of the main indoor shopping centres are the St Enoch Centre and Buchanan Galleries offer hundred of stores.

The main outdoor shopping areas are Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street which are all pedestrianised and run parallel to each other in the city centre. The most popular market is the Barras Market which operates at the weekend and offers a unique shopping experience.

Attractions

A football match is a must if you are in Glasgow, this is the city where the first ever official international football match was held in 1872 between Scotland and England.  Hampden Park has is where Queens Park and the national team play, but you can also watch either Celtic or Rangers at Celtic Park or Ibrox.

If you are looking for live music then the S.E.C.C hosts many of the latest music acts with tickets available from their website.  There are other smaller music venues throughout Glasgow and Hampden park hosts larger music acts such as Oasis and U2 when they perform in Glasgow.

If you are looking for a cultural experience then the Gallery of Modern Art houses a temporary exhibitions and workshops and it is the most visited art gallery in Scotland.  There is also Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which recently underwent a £28 Million pound refurbishment program.  There are many exhibitions on display changing on a monthly basis, check their website for the latest additions.

Accommodation

There is no shortage of luxury accommodation in Glasgow, two of the top hotels are the Hilton and Radisson hotels both of which are in the city centre of Glasgow.  The price for a room at either hotel starts from around £100 per night.

There are mid range hotels which offer good value accommodation at a more moderate price with the Jury Inn and Thistle Glasgow Hotel.  Both have rooms for under £65 per night and have excellent city centre locations.

The lowest cost accommodation is a hostel and there are dozens around the city centre of Glasgow.  This is the most basic accommodation but ideal for those on a tight budget just looking for a bed for the night.  The cost per night starts from as low as £12 and you usually have access to self catering facilities, internet and washing machines.

Niall Buchanan
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/glasgow-accommodation-and-general-information-712270.html

I would like to know how to get to the oakland airport from Vancouver Airport but I don’t know how to look up airlines.

The first answer is correct. Alaska Airlines.

Chicago, Arlington House Youth Hostel, Friday, October 21, 6:05 am

So here I am again, on another short excursion away from home. I’ve been awake for an hour already and decided the best thing is to get up and put my first impressions on paper. Since there is only a one hour time difference between Toronto and Chicago I decided yesterday I wasn’t even going to change my watch over. So when I came down this morning to use the free computer at the Arlington Youth Hostel in Chicago, I realized it’s not 7 am, but actually only 6 am. Well, even better, that’ll give me more chance to explore.

A trip to Chicago has been in the works for a while. I have been here twice before, once in 2001 with 3 of my friends, and once in April of 2003 to meet my friend Linda who I have known from back home in Austria since we are 10 years old. You realize you are getting old when you can say to someone that you have known them for 30 years…

So Linda, who now lives in Indiana, and I decided to reunite in Chicago again, so she is planning to come in today at 10:25 with the South Shore Railway Line. I, on the other hand, decided to fly this time, instead of driving or taking the train (15 hours from Toronto!!!) as I did the last two times.

As I’ve done several times this year already in my trips to New York City and Vancouver/Victoria, I decided to use my Airmiles to come down to Chicago on a free flight, and what a great decision that was since the flight is just over an hour long. With the help of Airmiles, this is shaping up to be a really reasonable and cost-effective weekend getaway in a great city that will allow me to keep my costs as low as possible.

Yesterday, I flew out of Pearson International Airport at 4:45 pm and arrived at 5:30 Chicago time. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is the world’s busiest airport, and judging by the size of the terminals, I can only concur. After walking what felt like miles I reached the level where the subway trains depart, and I bought a 3-day visitor ticket for US$12.00. Chicago, similar to New York City, has a great transit system, with a large network of interconnected buses, subways and elevated trains. I am fascinated by the “el-train” system that runs through the downtown area and the “Loop” as it is called. The train on stilts has been in existence since the early 1900s, and it allows you to see some of the beautiful architecture that Chicago has to offer.

My destination was the Arlington House Youth Hostel, a place I had already stayed at during my earlier two trips. At US$56.00 per night for a private room for 2 people (albeit with a shared bathroom), you can’t beat the pricing. The Arlington House is located in the beautiful neighbourhood of Lincoln Park and literally just 15 minutes from downtown by el-train or bus. It took me 45 minutes by train to get to the Washington Station downtown where I changed over to the red line which just took about 10 to 15 minutes to get me to Fullerton.

I am usually pretty proud of my ‘highly developed sense of orientation’, but when I left the Fullerton el-train station it was dark already and I promptly ended up walking westwards on Fullerton, in the opposite direction of where I was supposed to go. I managed to successfully delay my arrival at the youth hostel by about 45 minutes due to walking in the wrong direction and not being able to connect with anyone who might have known where the youth hostel is. None of the DePaul university students that I asked had any idea of where the intersection of Lincoln and Fullerton was, they were probably all new in town themselves. I finally arrived at the next larger intersection “Ashland” and realized I had walked about 2 or 3 km westwards, in the wrong direction.

Pretty tired from rolling my suitcase around I decided to catch the bus back east on Fullerton and arrived at the Arlington House not much later. The Arlington House with its large entrance hall full of young (and older) travellers and its absolutely spartanic rooms (no closets, no night tables, no table lamps, no chairs, no desks – just a metal bunk bed for our private room) is always an experience. But I love it, it makes me feel young again to hang out with all these world travellers and adventurers of different ages.

I had originally planned to head downtown, but due to my detour I was pretty pooped and decided to just go and eat something locally. I strolled south on Clark Street which has many lively little restaurants and plopped myself down in a place called Ranalli’s where I had an extremely filling soup, salad and tiramisu dinner. After all this running around it was nice to sit down, read the paper, including the events calendar and try to figure out what adventures could be in store for this weekend.

Today I got up early, actually an hour earlier than I thought since I want to do some exploring before my friend Linda comes into town. I am planning to meet her at 10:25 at the Randolph Street train station, so I have a few hours for exploring before she comes into town.

I might take a bus north, or go south into the Old Town Neighbourhood, close to North Street.

It’s going to be interesting…..

Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-chicago-part-1-first-impressions-98544.html

I’m considering a job offer that would allow me to live in Washington, though most of my business would be conducted in Western Canada, which means I would travel frequently to Vancouver and Vancouver’s airport. Can anybody tell me if this is a difficult commute? Does the Nexus pass simplify things?

Yes,the pass will help some bus during heavy travel periods such as the upcoming holiday season the boarder crossing will likely remain congested. Another option would be to use one of the many bus service operating between Bellingham & Vancouver, several of which stop at the Vancouver Airport. Some of the better know companies providing this service are; Quick Shuttle & CanTrail both of which also offer monthly commuter passes at a discount rate. Good Luck!