Despite my first idea for Vancouver lodging involving Priceline.com for reasonable rates, and despite my knowing that this is not a "3-star" motel, I want to at least mention that the City Centre Motel is safe enough, and just 3/4 of a mile away (albeit up a hill) from the train station.

McDonalds and Burger King are near to the train station if needed... and one could conveniently walk up to the City Centre, leave his bags in his room, and then take a city bus into the center of town for tourist activities, only to find it quite easy to return to the motel late at night via bus or taxi.

I wouldn't want to count how very many times I've stayed there, and there are even some decent views from some of the rooms on the upper floors of the motel.

I am not endorsing this as the answer to your quest, but merely offering it as an alternative or a last resort if lodging costs elsewhere are prohibitive.

You don't have to stay near the station. Sky Train http://www.translink.ca/en/Schedules-and-Maps/SkyTrain/SkyTrain-Station-Maps.aspx stops at the train station. The station is on the expo line and you can be anywhere in the city in a matter of minutes. There is a nice hotel that is very reasonably priced close to the Joyce (walking distance) skytrain station. http://www.cassandrahotel.ca/ I have friends who stayed there and were very pleased with it.

I've only been on the skytrain once many years ago and don't have much memory of the stations. How easy is it for a 71 year-old guy with a rolling suitcase, a backpack, and a large camera bag?

Skytrain is very easy. There is plenty of room for your luggage but I would avoid the rush hour7-9am and 4-6 pm approx. Skytrain now goes to the airport as wekk and people get on with a fair bit of luggage with no problem.

Easy to stay at any hotel in the downtown core and then hop
on the Skytrain to get to the station w/luggage. The area
around the station may not be dangerous, but it isn't the
most salubrious.

I agree with the others about staying downtown. When I took VIA Rail's the Canadian a few years back, I stayed at the Burrard Motor Inn downtown and walked to Burrard Sky Train stop which is only a few stops from Main St. Sky Train stop right next to Pacific Central Station. The inn was adequate for my purposes but probably 1 star at best so I'm not recommending to you, but being within 5 minutes walking distance of the beauty of English Bay Beach just had me loving life when I'd take my morning or evening stroll. I enjoyed also exploring the side streets of the nearby West End neighbourhood. Besides, from what I can tell looking at Trip Advisor, it doesn't look like there are any hotels within 10 minutes walk of the train station anyway, so downtown Vancouver seems pretty much as close as you can be. I've always been tempted to stay at the Sylvia Hotel due to its proximity to the juncture of English Bay Beach & Stanley Park. Have a great trip!

I've done the SkyTrain to the station and am about to do it again in a couple of weeks.

Dwooddon, please..what does your AGE have to do with this? I'm almost as old as you are.

Do you exercise every day? Have arthritis? need a scooter???

YES, you CAN do it and if not, take a TAXI!

Daniel - I love reading your trip reports and I know how much you love Vancouver and Victoria. You mention the Sylvia hotel. There is so much interesting history to it. It was a real treat when I was a kid and my parents took me to the Sylvia for a special dinner - "Dine in the Sky" But, I don't know if you have seen it or not but there is a wonderful book written by John MacKie and Sarah Reeder Vancouver the Unknown City. It is an excellent read - full of so much history of the buildings, the people etc. They had it at Barnes and Noble. I know there is a series of those books written by different authors but I just read this one as Vancouver is my home town.

Dukey - I'm fairly healthy for my age but do have heart problems so the reference to age was I need to avoid hauling a 50 pound suitcase and 20 pound backpack up stairs if I can. Walking is not an issue but climbing excessive stairs or hiking up hills pulling my suitcase is.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Even the HI Hostel has an elevator. http://www.hihostels.ca/westerncanada/169/HI-Vancouver_Downtown.hostel
Hostels are considered one stars but are clean places to sleep for one night and get a shower. DW and I took a taxi to one of the two HI hostels from the Vancouver Via Station.
Amtrak also runs 2 buses and 2 trains per day from Vancouver to Seattle.
I have taken the Canadian several times from Vancouver east to Jasper or even Winnipeg.

Tom: Thank you.

I knew about the other trains you mention. In fact, this trip will be an extended rail trip. I'll start in Irvine, Ca with a short hop to Los Angeles. From there, I'll be on the Coast Starlight to Seattle and a couple of days later, from Seattle to Vancouver. Then, I'll take the Canadian to Jasper. After a few days, I'll be on Via Rail's Skeena to Prince George and then Prince Rupert. After a week in Hyder, Alaska photographing bears, I'll do the same trip in reverse, this time stopping for a few days in Sacramento to visit friends and family.

Sounds like an amazing trip, dwooddon!

Traveller69-- I checked out "Vancouver the Unknown City" on Google Books. Looks like an interesting read on some lesser known facts about the city, such as the history of SeaBus to the failed Project 200. I'll give it a look before I visit again. Thanks! Daniel

dwooddon, the YWCA has hotel rooms. it is a fairly new facility. they have rooms w/ private washrooms i believe, but a less expensive and perfectly comfortable option is 2 single rooms w/ a connecting washroom. what we architects and builders call "jack and jill". it's a convenient downtown location and does have an elevator

cheers
AndrewDavid

Thank you all for the information. I'm going to research it and make reservations this afternoon.

Just to update those of you who were kind enough to provide advice, I picked the YWCA due to its proximity. It's close to the Skytrain and looks to be a fairly short taxi ride if I decide to do that. Thanks again to each of you who responded.