Hi! We will be travelling into Vancouver in May, arriving on a Wed. afternoon and leaving on Sat. morning for Anchorage. That gives us two and a half days for BC. Anyone have recommendations on Vancouver vs Victoria? Everything I've read proposes two to three days to see either place, so if you had to pick one, which would it be and why? Or, can you do a day trip from Vancouver to Victoria? Can you take a whale watching tour out of Vancouver or is that strictly from Victoria? Any responses are welcomed. Thank you!

We are going to Vancouver for 3 days pre Alaska cruise, am interested in doing both, maybe a day trip to Victoria, hhmmm?

It depends on what you like. Vancouver is a world class city with more than enough to do to fill up your time. Just seeing the attractions in Stanley Pk could take a day. The Museum at UBC has wonderful exhibits on the native American peoples (first nations). And there are lovely neighborhoods and so many other attractions. <BR>Victoria is a very cute town with Buchardt Gdns nearby, a great museum, and more. It is a lot more touresty than Vancouver. <BR>Personally, I'd stick to Vancouver for that amount of time, and save Victoria for later.<BR>Look at some books on each. That may help you decide.

While the coimparisons are not precise ...<BR><BR>Miami or Key West?<BR>San Francisco or Carmel?<BR>Boston or Glouster?<BR>London or Bath?<BR>Paris or Arles?<BR>Toronto or Kingston?<BR>Montreal or Quebec City?<BR><BR>... and so on.<BR><BR>With your schedule, if it was me I'd just stay in Vancouver. Lots to do and see, you're already there, no need to pack and unpack and repack, and while the ferry boat trips are fun, you're going to be on a boat starting Saturday anyway.<BR><BR>BAK<BR><BR>BAK

Thanks to Gocats222 and BAK for your thoughts. BAK, those are good comparisons. FYI, we are not taking an Alaska cruise--we're too young for that! Any other comments would always be appreciated. If we stay in Vancouver, anyone have any thoughts on places to stay, restaurants, or night life? Thanks!

Vancouver is a terrific city...and much &quot;younger&quot;, I'd say, than Victoria! <BR><BR>Try Bacchus for one of your meals; superb!<BR><BR>If you're from the US, don't miss shopping at Lush on Robson Street for the most wonderful smelly bath stuff ever.<BR><BR>Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain were among my favorites; I wasn't in Vancouver long enough, and I was there for five days (although I did take a day for Victoria.)<BR><BR>Happy travels!

smp916, Don't know your budget but you may want to check out the YWCA hotel. It is in downtown Vancouver, extremely well-located, clean, and far less expensive than its neighboring luxury hotels. <BR>http://www.ywcahotel.com/<BR>We stayed there several years ago and were pleased with it.<BR>The Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mt. are pretty, but cater to tourists and can be crowded. There are good views of the city from Grouse Mt, but you will be seeing a lot of nature in Alaska. With your limited time, I'd suggest exploring in the city.<BR>Have fun. If you get a chance, report back!<BR>

Thanks Amy and Gocats. I think I have Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mtn on my short list of things to see. I also have Stanley Park on that list. Being from the NYC area, I feel we can always go shopping at home, however, I love shopping for things that are unique to the place I'm visiting. Any thoughts? I appreciate the restaurant suggestions!

smp916, even though you're from the Big Apple you may be suprised at the bargains you get when you convert the prices from CAD to USD. For Instance typically something that would cost $100US in the states will sell for $125CAD here which translates into $85US give or take. That's especially true of brand name items. I have relatives from New York and Florida who lug away bags and bags of stuff every time they visit. Of course we have 14.5% sales tax here which does take some of the joy - but obviously not all.