Vancouver
Feb 9th, 2006, 06:08 PM
#1
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Vancouver
Will be visiting the beginning of Sept. Will I need to rent a car or do they have good public transportatiion?
Are there any places we should be sure to visit? Are there any public flower gasrdens?
Are there any places we should be sure to visit? Are there any public flower gasrdens?
Feb 9th, 2006, 07:30 PM
#2
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Hello suvgal,
Downtown Vancouver is compact, and the city has excellent public transportation.
This page of my website has my thoughts about how to spend time in Vancouver, how to get around the city, etc.
http://groups.msn.com/CalgaryandCana...vancouver.msnw
In addition to my own notes about Vancouver, the bottom of that page has links to excellent websites that have been created by people who live in Vancouver.
A link that is missing from my web page on Vancouver, I've just realized, is the entry about Vancouver in the Destinations section of the Fodor's website. (The Destinations link is near the top of this screen.) Fodor's has provided good notes for Vancouver.
Hope that helps.
Downtown Vancouver is compact, and the city has excellent public transportation.
This page of my website has my thoughts about how to spend time in Vancouver, how to get around the city, etc.
http://groups.msn.com/CalgaryandCana...vancouver.msnw
In addition to my own notes about Vancouver, the bottom of that page has links to excellent websites that have been created by people who live in Vancouver.
A link that is missing from my web page on Vancouver, I've just realized, is the entry about Vancouver in the Destinations section of the Fodor's website. (The Destinations link is near the top of this screen.) Fodor's has provided good notes for Vancouver.
Hope that helps.
Feb 10th, 2006, 07:58 AM
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Lots of public gardens.
About a car; why not rent a car for one day, and use that day to goup the Fraser River a bit, or drive to and from Whistler, or take Marine Drive out to Horseshoe Bay and back again,
and go out to Queen Elizabeth PArk.
For the rest of your visit, take the bus or the seabus or walk or take a taxi.
Vancouver is, in Candian terms, an easy city in which to drive (compared to Montreal and Toronto) so there's no real downside to having a car forthe whole visit, and it makes it easier to see more, in less time.
BAK
About a car; why not rent a car for one day, and use that day to goup the Fraser River a bit, or drive to and from Whistler, or take Marine Drive out to Horseshoe Bay and back again,
and go out to Queen Elizabeth PArk.
For the rest of your visit, take the bus or the seabus or walk or take a taxi.
Vancouver is, in Candian terms, an easy city in which to drive (compared to Montreal and Toronto) so there's no real downside to having a car forthe whole visit, and it makes it easier to see more, in less time.
BAK
Feb 10th, 2006, 08:22 AM
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Further to what BAK has said about renting a car for a day, several Fodor's posters have reported renting a car for a day at a time, on an as-needed basis. That seems to have worked well for them. On days when they were visiting centrally located attractions, they didn't rent a car, but when they went further afield, they did. Renting a car by the day spared them from paying the parking fees that almost all downtown hotels charge.
Whether to use a car or public transportation in Vancouver is a matter of taste. Although I've heard and read that there is public transportation to the North Shore attractions (Grouse Mountain, Capilano Canyon, and Lynn Canyon), I have always reached those places by car. When I've gone south of downtown Vancouver (to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Queen Elizabeth Park, etc.), I've used a car too.
But then we've gone to those places as a family, and sometimes we've had friends with us as well. When several people are sharing the outing, and especially when kids are involved, getting around in a car is convenient.
However, our family did quite a lot of walking in downtown Vancouver, even when our kids were quite young.
When only one or two people are involved, the equation changes. I'm guessing that your visit will not involve kids, since it will be in September. If that is the case, you really could go either way, depending on your personal preferences.
I also agree with BAK that Vancouver is a relatively easy city to drive in. There may be several reasons for that. I think one explanation is the presence of the North Shore mountains. They provide orientation. I find that it's more difficult to find my way around a strange city if the topography is flat, as it is in Houston.
Whether to use a car or public transportation in Vancouver is a matter of taste. Although I've heard and read that there is public transportation to the North Shore attractions (Grouse Mountain, Capilano Canyon, and Lynn Canyon), I have always reached those places by car. When I've gone south of downtown Vancouver (to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Queen Elizabeth Park, etc.), I've used a car too.
But then we've gone to those places as a family, and sometimes we've had friends with us as well. When several people are sharing the outing, and especially when kids are involved, getting around in a car is convenient.
However, our family did quite a lot of walking in downtown Vancouver, even when our kids were quite young.
When only one or two people are involved, the equation changes. I'm guessing that your visit will not involve kids, since it will be in September. If that is the case, you really could go either way, depending on your personal preferences.
I also agree with BAK that Vancouver is a relatively easy city to drive in. There may be several reasons for that. I think one explanation is the presence of the North Shore mountains. They provide orientation. I find that it's more difficult to find my way around a strange city if the topography is flat, as it is in Houston.
Feb 10th, 2006, 08:34 AM
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I rent a car in Vancouver downtown when I drive up to Whistler for a couple of days. I wouldn't want a car in the downtown area as parking is a problem and I enjoy walking. They have a lot of one-way streets and many, many no left turn signs in the downtown area.
Feb 10th, 2006, 03:33 PM
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Hi Suvgal,
You could rent a car but you certainly could have a nice visit without doing so. I visited this past July without renting a vehicle. In addition to the close-to-downtown sites, I was able to get to Museum of Anthro., Kitsilano, Wreck Beach, Bowen Island, Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Lonsdale Quay Market simply by researching the bus and Seabus routes, fares & schedules on http://www.translink.bc.ca.
Enjoy whatever you decide to do! DAN
You could rent a car but you certainly could have a nice visit without doing so. I visited this past July without renting a vehicle. In addition to the close-to-downtown sites, I was able to get to Museum of Anthro., Kitsilano, Wreck Beach, Bowen Island, Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Lonsdale Quay Market simply by researching the bus and Seabus routes, fares & schedules on http://www.translink.bc.ca.
Enjoy whatever you decide to do! DAN
