Would it be better to drive or take public trans?

Definitely drive. You will be "under" the Granville ST. Bridge and will sort of loop around left using 4th Ave.?, following the signs to the Granville St. Bridge northbound which will take you downtown. If I was driving I would take the first exit off the bridge which I believe will say Pacific Blvd. (I do it automatically so I don't follow the signs). I would then enjoy again going under the brige, but this time on the other side and following the water until I am in English Bay & Denman St. Denman St. will take me to Georgia St. where I will turn left and take the right exit into Stanley Park. I would follow the signs to the Aquarium. An alternate, very straightforward way to go would be to take Seymour ST. off the Granville ST. Bridge and then make your left onto Georgia ST. Follow Georgia ST. past Denman and into the Park. There is nothing to be nervous about, they are all city streets and not more than about 15-20 mins. apart.

Driving is definitely more direct and quicker, just be aware that parking in Stanley Park (where the Aquarium is) can be a real pain. Especially during the tourist season. But the good news is that if you have to park far away from the Aquarium, walking through (or around) the park is one of the nicest things to do on a good-weather day.

There is a free bus (trolley?) picking up people all over and taking to the Stanley to horse-drawn carriage and aquarium. We used it, was on time. And on the way back it takes you through the park so you can see the Totem poles. There is a map, a list of pick-up points and the schedule on the internet.

If you like to walk, take the Aquabus from Granville Island across to the Aquatic Centre and walk from there around the seawall - a very nice walk

Thanks everyone!

I agree with Darlene - walk. Unless it's raining, but ditch the car and walk.<BR><BR>Granville Island's parking is a nightmare at best, mostly because the "island" is so tiny and crowded with one-way lanes. Plus, none of the parking is free. Granville Island's definitely pedestrian friendly.<BR><BR>Take the AquaBus as Darlene mentioned. Here's their website:<BR><BR>http://www.aquabus.bc.ca<BR><BR>They'll take you across False Creek to the south side of downtown. The ride takes 2 minutes at the most.<BR><BR>If you look at the map of downtown Vancouver here...<BR><BR>www.english-vancouver.com/british-columbia/img7.gif<BR><BR>...Granville Island is in the bottom left hand side of the map at the south end of the Granville Street Bridge. That little orange dotted line in the water - that's the Aquabus route. It'll take you right underneath the Burrard Street bridge to the other side of False Creek. The green-coloured "seawall/promenade" all along the west coast of downtown is where you'll walk... all the way to Stanley Park. You'll loop around Lost Lagoon to the eastern side of Stanley Park, and you'll see that the Vancouver Aquarium is marked by the number "19" in a dark blue circle.<BR><BR>If you have a car, it would be faster to drive of course, but you'd be paying for parking both at Granville Island and at Stanley Park. But you'd also be missing one of the most scenic parts of the downtown seawall. <BR><BR>I'd opt for walking... you'd enjoy it the most, take my word for it.

I too vote for walking-you'll see some of the best of Vancouver and lose the hassle of parking.

Robyn stated "Granville Island's parking is a nightmare at best, mostly because the "island" is so tiny and crowded with one-way lanes. Plus, none of the parking is free. Granville Island's definitely pedestrian friendly."<BR><BR>Parking on Granville Island is really not that bad. I go there EVERY day and never have problems finding parking.The secret is not to keep driving around but just to go into one of the parking areas and sit and wait. There are so many people using the market that there are always spaces opening up. Also, almost ALL of Granville Island is FREE parking --limited to two hours. You can pay for parking indoors if you want, but not necessary.<BR><BR>An alternate suggestion to walking ( it is a fair hike from Granville Island to the aquarium ) is to rent a bike just outside Granville Island ( Reckless Bike Rentals ), take it across False Creek with you on one of the little ferries, then bike the seawall through the park to the aquarium --and while you are at it, bike the rest of the park.<BR><BR>cheers, enjoy<BR>

All of these suggestions sound good!<BR><BR>We will be coming over from V. Island for 1 night to see the fireworks. I'm still debating between the Best Western Sands right next to English Bay, or cheaper ones farther away, like on Granville Island. (Less money and more space) <BR><BR>That's why I was asking about the best route Granville Island to Aquarium. I'm now thinking we should see the Aquarium on our way from ferry or on our way back. <BR>I have to check on the map to make sure we're not driving in circles!<BR>

True, I think I *was* exaggerating a bit about Granville Island's parking... but I was more or less imaginging those crazy summer weekends where you're waiting in gridlock at the entrace to Granville Island as traffic painfully moves around.<BR><BR>The last time I was there was in April, and getting around via car wasn't bad at all. But as I said, I was exaggerating. (Oops!)

Great idea about the bike rentals-I have most of my repairs done there.<BR><BR>http://www.rektek.com/