Rick

We will be in Vancouver this June, for a Fri-Sun stay before beginning a week road trip through the Canadian Rockies. <BR> <BR>We are interested in seeing Stanley Park and enjoying the restaurants, shops, and sites of Vancouver as a relaxing weekend before our road trip. <BR> <BR>Not being familar with the City, we are not sure what location is best to stay at (downtown, the harbor, etc). Any suggestions on (1) what area of the city to stay at, (2) what hotels in that area, and (3) ways to get lower prices (such as certain clubs to join, packages, national reservations vs local hotel, etc) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Brian Kilgore

Vancouver is pretty spread out, and, since you will have a car, it does not make a great deal of difference where youstay, as long as it is basically downtown. My favvorite for prosperous tourists is the Westin Bayshore, which is right on the harbour, within walking distance of Stanley Park, and next to several marinas. <BR>There are several less expensive hotels along Robson Street; this is a geat place to go for a stroll in the evening,a nd is lined with interesting shops and good restaurants. <BR>The Four Seasons, in the Pacific Centre shopping development, is in the heart of downtown. A great hotel, but the part of the city you are in could be anywhere. <BR>The Pan Pacific, right on the harbour, is another favorite, at the higher end of the price scale. <BR>Sorry I can't be much more specific. <BR>BAK <BR>

Betty Ann

In June '98 we stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel in Vancouver. It's right downtown on Robson St, within walking distance of Stanley Park, Gas Town, China Town, shopping, dining, museums, everything. The views are great - only 4 rooms per floor. We had a 30th floor room. Considering that the CDN $ is at an all time low, the rates are probably even better than when we were there. Their # is 800-663-1333. There is so much to see and do in Vancouver, I'm not sure you'll do much relaxing!! Have fun. If you drive the Icefields Parkway, don't miss Athabasca Falls. Enjoy B.C.!! We love it.

Sharon

We are going to Vancouver in July. Ihave several questions & would appreciate some advise!! First, do we need a car? We want to go to Vancouver, Vancouver Island & Victoria. ANy thoughts on the sequence of where to go first. We'll fly into Vancourver. Next, any very nice and coonvenient hotels/B&B's? I want to stay in a very nice place, not the most expensive, but squeaky clean & convenient. I dont ask for much huh? I'd appreciate any & all suggestions! Thanx <BR>

Allan

Just returned from Vancouver. Recommend <BR>the Wedgewwod hotel. A very nice place in a nice area. A small hotel, only about 80 rooms. Also, you can get a full day transit pass for $6 Canadian, and that allows you to take all public transportation (Sky Train, buses, Sea bus). You can get the passes at any Sky Train station from a machine. <BR>The area of Granville St., down by the <BR>Granville bridge, tends to be the seedier part of town. I would recommend Robson St or that area. There's also a must-stop on Robson St - a place called Murchies. They have the best tea, coffee, and cocoa you can get. <BR>The Chateau Granville is also a nice hotel. Milestones on Robson is a very good restaurant. <BR>As for Vancouver island and Victoria, if you are going there from Vancouver, you will need a car. There are a couple of ferries that go from Vancouver to Victoria. Once in Victoria, however, you will not need a car. Bicycles work well, and there are numerous carriages for hire, as well as rickshaws. A Bed & Breakfast I recommend in Victoria is the Gatsby Mansion. A beautiful B&B, located right across the street from the ferry docks, with 20 rooms. Close to downtown. <BR>They do offer a AAA discount. Also check out the Cheesecake Cafe on Government St., just a block or 2 north of the Empress Hotel (a big and expensive hotel, but worth checking out). <BR>Any more questions, e-mail me. I live in Washington, just a couple hours from either place. <BR>

Tina

Vancouver is a wonderful city, easy to navigate either by car or public transport. There is a good neighborhood for art galleries and antique shopping over the Granville Street Bridge @ 12th. There is a public market at Granville Island also. You can take the water taxi from there and travel easily betweeen downtown and the West Side. There are very easy walking paths there also. Great inexpensive restaraunts that are frequented by Vancouver locals can be found in Yaletown along with a lot of furniture and home accessories. I have never found Robson Street to have anything that I wanted but it said that the great shopping is there. If you like forensics or police history the police museum is worth a few hours. It's near Chinatown and the large Chinatown police precinct. The exchange is so favourable that great bargains can be had for Americans. Avoid the customs crossing on I-5 at Blaine and go to Sumas or the truck crossing. I have sat for an hour or more crossing the border back from Canada.

Kim

You do not need a car for travelling between Vancouver and Victoria. You can take a motorcoach/ferry service called Pacific Coach Lines. This leaves 10-15 times per day from Pacific Central Station in Vancouver and takes about 4 hours. As of last summer the price was about $23US. You can also take Harbour Air, which is a floatplane. I believe that Helijet operates between Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle. <BR> <BR>While I'm at it, Clipper Navigation (the Victoria Clipper) operates car ferry and high-speed catamaran service between Seattle and Victoria...they were also talking about expanding catamaran service to Vancouver. They can also arrange any type of transportation, hotel and tour packages between these three cities, as long as you travel Seattle-Victoria at some point.

Theresa

Hi Rick, <BR> <BR>I've got lots of ideas for you, but first a couple of questions if I may; 1)do you prefer quietier locations close to the city or downtown hustle & bustle? 2)big hotel, small casual or B&B style accomodations? 3)budget affects choice greatly; therefore a price range on a per night, per meal & cuisine preferences are choices to be addressed before I am able to give more specific info. Also, for sightseeing, do you prefer the 'obvious' sightseeing spots or more unique little known natural areas that are scenic or special to the locals? Often a little more planning up front, gives back more wonderful memories and may make the difference between a good trip and a GREAT holiday, that makes you want to come back again, especially if you are coming from far away! Will you have the car while in Vancouver or just for the road trip? P.S. I have some super ideas for your road trip through the Rockies if needed. I'd love to hear back from you, so reply to my e-mail directly, as I check in several times a day. <BR> <BR>happy trails, <BR> <BR>Theresa