Guide to Visiting Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada (B)

One of the things I love most about Vancouver is the city’s juxtaposition of old and new, natural and manmade. From its aboriginal roots to modern glass skyscrapers, layers of history are intertwined throughout this city. It’s also a place where you actually want to be outside, whether your desire is to actively explore versus relax in one of the many lush green spaces is another story. Here’s a guide of what you need to know.

If you’re arriving at the Vancouver International Airport, the best way to get to the city via public transportation is to take the SkyTrain from the YVR-Airport Station towards Waterfront Station on the Canada Line. It’s the only line available at the airport and will drop you in the heart of Downtown in about 30 minutes. The city is in the process of introducing reloadable electronic fare cards that will require passengers to “tap in” when entering and “tap out” when leaving a station or bus, but until the cards are fully rolled out you can continue to purchase a Zone 2 paper ticket from one of the automated kiosks at the airport station. The same ticket is used across the entire system (SkyTrain, buses and SeaBus passenger ferries) and includes a 90 minute transfer, plus on weekends all of the zones are the same price. If you’re arriving by train at the Pacific Central Station you can hop on the Millennium or Expo Line from the Main Street Station towards Downtown. This will likely be one of the few times you’ll need to use public transportation since the city is extremely walkable. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).