Summer Trip to Vancouver/Victoria
Mar 27th, 2003, 12:47 PM
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Summer Trip to Vancouver/Victoria
Hello,
My family of 4 (kids ages 11 & 12) will be taking our first trip (8 days total) to BC this summer (July?). Interests include sightseeing, shopping and eating, hiking, and maybe water activities. I hope to get suggestions for:
- What towns to include (Vancover, Victoria, Whistler??)
- Where to stay within each (we love small boutique hotels or B&B's, but not sure they take kids!)... comparison to Auberge du Vieux Port in Montreal -- we loved it there!!
- Transportation. We plan to fly into Vancouver. Should we rent a car or use another travel method?
- Any other recommendations.
Thank you so much!!
Michele
My family of 4 (kids ages 11 & 12) will be taking our first trip (8 days total) to BC this summer (July?). Interests include sightseeing, shopping and eating, hiking, and maybe water activities. I hope to get suggestions for:
- What towns to include (Vancover, Victoria, Whistler??)
- Where to stay within each (we love small boutique hotels or B&B's, but not sure they take kids!)... comparison to Auberge du Vieux Port in Montreal -- we loved it there!!
- Transportation. We plan to fly into Vancouver. Should we rent a car or use another travel method?
- Any other recommendations.
Thank you so much!!
Michele
Mar 27th, 2003, 02:37 PM
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Hello Michelle80,
If you don't want to spend a lot of time on highways I think the 8 days could be well split up between Vancouver, (4 days), Victoria & Whistler, (2 days each). Considering the amount of time you're spending I would think a car would be a good idea. The attractions in Vancouver are fairly spread out and while the public transit system isn't bad some areas, especially the North Shore and UBC areas would require a lot of transfers and furthermore a lot of the best sightseeing is done from your car.
I don't know why boutique hotels wouldn't take children. Whistler doesn't have too much in the way of these but there are lots, including B & B's in Vancouver & Victoria.
Even in Victoria, which does have most of it's main attractions within walking distance, a car definately comes in handy because places like Butchart Gardens are pretty inconvenient to reach by public transit.
In Whistler you only need a car to get there and if you don't like winding two lane roads maybe you might want to take the bus there.
Hope that has helped.
If you don't want to spend a lot of time on highways I think the 8 days could be well split up between Vancouver, (4 days), Victoria & Whistler, (2 days each). Considering the amount of time you're spending I would think a car would be a good idea. The attractions in Vancouver are fairly spread out and while the public transit system isn't bad some areas, especially the North Shore and UBC areas would require a lot of transfers and furthermore a lot of the best sightseeing is done from your car.
I don't know why boutique hotels wouldn't take children. Whistler doesn't have too much in the way of these but there are lots, including B & B's in Vancouver & Victoria.
Even in Victoria, which does have most of it's main attractions within walking distance, a car definately comes in handy because places like Butchart Gardens are pretty inconvenient to reach by public transit.
In Whistler you only need a car to get there and if you don't like winding two lane roads maybe you might want to take the bus there.
Hope that has helped.
Mar 30th, 2003, 07:42 PM
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We vacationed in Whistler and Vancouver last August with our 13 yr. old son. While in Whistler we stayed at Club Intrawest, great location, we walked almost everywhere we went there. Intrawest is wonderful for families. Each evening they show 3 films (chosen by guests), there's a nice grocery/deli on sight, nice pools, wonderful suites. Our son enjoyed the outdoor bike/skateboard park in Whistler. There were always lots of kids and parents there, so it seemed very safe. We took the gondola up the mountain and hiked. Son liked "skiing" in shoes on the snow. You can rent bikes to ride on the mountain trails. Whistler village was fun for shopping and eating - many restaurants to choose from. We'd love to go back. The drive from Vancouver was beautiful and I didn't think it was at all scary, as some people think.
Apr 18th, 2003, 10:38 AM
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Michele80- These are terrific places to vacation, as the previous responders indicated. We went last summer (July) and spent 3 days in Vancouver, 2 nights (2 and a half days) in Whistler, and 3 days in Victoria. As far as the kids (then ages 12 and 8) were concerned, they enjoyed Whistler most of all. In hindsight, I would have added at least an extra day for that had I known what a gorgeous and fun place it was. It's a fantastic place for kids,with lots of stuff (for which you can purchase tickets) in or near the Village. What I found most awsome was taking three ski lifts up Blackcomb mountain to the glacier and watching people ski in July. Also, the view from up on high is breathtaking. Everyone wants to go back. As for Victoria, we took a whale watching excursion and got real close to a pod of orcas (Canadians never call them killer whales), which the kids thought awsome, although they weren't too thrilled with other "adult" stuff, like sightseeing, shopping, Buchart Gardens,etc. But give them a hotel pool and all's forgiven!
Finally, as for Vancouver, the kids loved (and so did we) Grouse Mountain and the outdoor activities up there, and Capiolani Suspension Bridge. Both are just north of town. If you have time, tour the Sun Yat-Sen Gardens in downtown. Small but very beattiful. BC is beautiful in summer and we all want to return.
HINT: We purchased an Entertainment Book for Vancouver/Vancouver Island online at www.entertainment.com, which is discounted with mostly free shipping. We saved hundreds of dollars using it,especially for hotel rooms/suites, but also for activities and admission coupons to parks and activities in all 3 areas, whale whatching, Buchart Gardens, Butterfly World, Grouse Mtn, Capiolani Bridge, etc. For example, we stayed at the Delta Whistler Hotel in the Village and paid approx. 140. (Cdn) for a 2-bedroom suite!! That alone saved us over 100/night!! Anyway, have a terrific time.
Finally, as for Vancouver, the kids loved (and so did we) Grouse Mountain and the outdoor activities up there, and Capiolani Suspension Bridge. Both are just north of town. If you have time, tour the Sun Yat-Sen Gardens in downtown. Small but very beattiful. BC is beautiful in summer and we all want to return.
HINT: We purchased an Entertainment Book for Vancouver/Vancouver Island online at www.entertainment.com, which is discounted with mostly free shipping. We saved hundreds of dollars using it,especially for hotel rooms/suites, but also for activities and admission coupons to parks and activities in all 3 areas, whale whatching, Buchart Gardens, Butterfly World, Grouse Mtn, Capiolani Bridge, etc. For example, we stayed at the Delta Whistler Hotel in the Village and paid approx. 140. (Cdn) for a 2-bedroom suite!! That alone saved us over 100/night!! Anyway, have a terrific time.
Apr 18th, 2003, 09:21 PM
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Hi Michele:
We found Vancouver & Whistler great (lots to do) but Victoria a little dull (more flowers you'll ever want to see).
Vancouver has a very good transit system, so no need for a car there nor is there a need for one at Whistler (unless you want to drive, we took a 'tourist train' that ran along the coast which was really scenic) and took the bus to Victoria (inexpensive, leaves hourly each direction & couldn't justify paying to put a rental car on the ferry).
Z
We found Vancouver & Whistler great (lots to do) but Victoria a little dull (more flowers you'll ever want to see).
Vancouver has a very good transit system, so no need for a car there nor is there a need for one at Whistler (unless you want to drive, we took a 'tourist train' that ran along the coast which was really scenic) and took the bus to Victoria (inexpensive, leaves hourly each direction & couldn't justify paying to put a rental car on the ferry).
Z
