Visiting Vancouver

Hi,

I am hoping someone can help me with a few questions about holidaying in Vancouver. I am hoping to meet my Mum somewhere approx. half-way between NZ and Germany sometime this year. We are considering visiting Vancouver.

- which month would be the best to visit Vancouver with a small child (will turn 2 in June)? Does it get really hot in summer? What are spring and autumn like weather wise?
- is Vancouver somewhere you can stay for 2 or even 3 weeks? Or are we going to have seen everything within a week?
- what is the public transport like in Vancouver?
- would it be recommendable to hire a rental car and see some sights outside of Vancouver too? Or are the traveling distances too far? My child can handle a car trip of about 2 hours at the moment, then it starts getting hairy!
- are there areas of Vancouver that are not recommendable for getting hotels/bed & breakfasts in (or visiting)?
- is Kitsilano Beach a nice place to go with small children?

Thanks a lot!!!

If you visit it in the late spring or summer when it's nice and warm there are tons of parks and beach-y places to go. You could maybe stretch it out to 2 weeks. There's a lot within 2 hours of Vancouver, like Whistler, Seattle, Vancouver Island/Victoria.

I stay at my brother's occasionally and don't always have a car to use, but the public transportation is fairly easy to use (lots of buses and the sky train-which I think is just a single line) I rang up the bus help line once when my brother left me at home not telling me really where I was or anything to do, and I told them the street I was on and asked it they knew how to get to something interesting- they told me the bus schedule for my street and gave me a couple ideas on where to go.

http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/t...istinfo_centers

there are links for the weather and activities.

There is alot to do around Vancouver so you will not be bored, that is for sure. Day trips to the mountains, ferry to the Island and Victoria - nicest city in Canada imo. The Parks, Sea World, Whale trips, China Town... lots to do.
As for neighbourhoods to avoid, I think only a Vancoverite can answer that.

Hi. I've never lived there, but I used to live in Seattle, so I've been there plenty of times.

First off, it's a really, really nice city, and there are a million things to do, especially if you take the entire region into consideration. Summer is amazing. The best weather I've experienced just about anywhere. Not too hot, not too cold, no oppressive humidity, and long, long days: perfect.

Public transit is pretty good, but to see the surrounding areas you'd want a car. You could ride ferries around the San Juan islands, and visit Vancouver Island (to see Victoria). You're also at the base of the Cascades, and the Rockies aren't all that far either. Not sure you'd be able to do any hiking, but it is amazing throughout that entire area. Just driving through some of these areas will blow you away.

And Seattle's always just a couple hours south (depending on the line at the border crossing) if you want to watch people throw fish and stuff.

If you decide to go, enjoy it for me. The PNW is near and dear to my heart. I miss the heck out of it.

i stayed near the downtown chinatown and i think it was called gas town a couple of years ago. it was fine in the daytime, but a bit seedy at night. i think the public transportation is easy to use in vancouver and services seemed pretty frequent, so i would recommend renting a car for a few days to get out of the city, but not for the whole time. unfortunately i didn't make it to richmond, but i hear it's a good place to go for asian food, shops and atmosphere. all in all i think vancouver would be a great choice for a place to meet between nz and europe. my favorite short trip from the city was taking a bus to horsehoe bay and a ferry to bowen island.

Been there last year, had some really nice september weather. There are lots of interesting sights in and around Vancouver, and you can easily reach the ferry terminal to Vanvouver Island (under 1 hour), which also has tons of interesting places. Compared to Munich public transport is mediocre, compared to many other towns in North America it's quite good. E.g. no ticket machines on bus stops, you have to have the exact amount for a ticket when entering the bus. You can also buy day tickets at 7/11 shops. There's also a little shuttle ferry as part of the public transport, and there are the tiny private boats that bring you to Granville Island. Stanley park has playgrounds and a pool, should keep the little one happy. LTU has nonstop flights Munich-Vancouver, not the greatest of airlines, but the fastest option.

wow, thank you so much for all of your advice!!! Super, sounds really good. I'm getting excited already, I'll have to get on to my Mum now and get things arranged.

I grew up near Vancouver and go back now and then. If you just want to stay in the city you don't need to rent a car, but it's a lot more practical for getting around. And with a car you can head up the Sea to Sky highway. Head to Horseshoe Bay, but don't take the ferry, continue on the right-hand lane up the highway. There is construction going on right now, but it's not too bad.

That road leads to Whistler Mountain, site of the 2010 Olympics, but along the way are the towns of Britannia Beach and Squamish. Squamish bills itself as the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada, and rightly so. There are so many outdoor sports you can do in that area, you could stay a month and not do them all. I recommend summertime if you like to hike, fish, camp and explore, winter if you're into skiing. Make sure you walk right to the base of Shannon Falls (2km south of Squamish) and, if you are reasonably fit and want an amazing view, hike the back of Stawamus Chief.

Britannia Beach has a fascinating mining museum including a gravity-fed mineral concentrator, the grounds and interior of which have been the shooting location for more than a hundred movies and tv shows. If you want to get a look at Britannia Beach from the north looking south, I use one of my photos on my header. There are also a few photos on the bottom right of my sidebar.

Beyond Whistler there are also amazing places to explore.

Spring and fall on the coast can be inordinately wet - two weeks with not so much as a five-minute break in the rain is not uncommon. They have been having good weather the past few years in summer, but I remember the summer of 1977 we got one afternoon of sunshine. The rest of the time it was like Spring never ended or Autumn came early.

Getting homesick again anyway.

OH! Practical tip about rental cars in Vancouver: if you are flying in to YVR airport, they gouge you for a nearly 20% airport tax if you are renting at the airport - and - this is new this past year - anywhere in the Greater Vancouver area if your rental begins within 24 hours of arrival. If you are renting for a couple of weeks, you will save major bucks if you take your car rental NOT at the airport AND begin more than 24 hours after your plane arrives. Or, you could rent outside the airport and simply lie about your arrival time. I recommend Budget, which has an office just over the Arthur Lang Bridge close to the Airport on Marine Drive.

streets to avoid: lower Main street, near East Pender. I stayed in a hostel around there and I'm really not picky about where I stay, but had to change after the first night since I was really put off by the scary people on the streets around there.

But as a visitor I found Vancouver to be fairly stereotypically Canadian as far as friendliness and you shouldn't have any problems anywhere during the day.

I lived in Vancouver for 5 years. The best time to visit is August and September - I like September after the labour day weekend, after most of the tourists are gone and kids are back in school. It's less crowded. The weather is usually very pleasant during those months, warm days (sometimes even hot) and cool nights. Take a sweater for the evenings.

If you want just a city experience, then a week in Vancouver is more than enough. I've heard that transit is a little better now than when I lived there, but it still sucks compared to most major cities. But the best of Vancouver is the outdoor activities - walks through Stanley Park and and Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver, Deep Cove in North Vancouver, a trip up to the top of the mountains to see the view and go for walks, etc. etc. I really recommend a boat trip up Indian Arm if you can find a tour, it's a very beautiful fiord. You will need a car for all of these activities around Vancouver. Kitsilano is a nice area to stay in, quite central. There are nice parks all along there, my favourite is Jericho Beach. Stay away from the East Side of downtown Vancouver, which is the area east of Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. It's an unusually bad area for a Canadian city.

The trip up to Whistler is worthwhile, although I don't know how the highway construction for the Olympics has impacted that road trip. It's about 2 hours, maybe 2.5. You can take a bus or a train to Whistler, though I've never done it.

Have a nice trip!

The train! Now that is a great trip to Whistler. They used to have Budd cars - more like self-propelled busses on rails - running that trip every day, but in their lack of wisdom cut them out. Now you have to pay a lot more, but of course they run on the same rails and the view is amazing because the track, like the highway, is cut into the side of a fjord for half the journey, then climbs through the mountains. Lots of info on the train here.

Once again, thank you all so much for the info! I really appreciate it!!!

I'm going to put a list together with all of your suggestions, then go onto Google to see how we could make a route out of it. Sounds like there is quite a lot to do in Vancouver and surrounding area. I myself love the outdoors, hiking etc, but also like to nosey around cities to get the feeling of the place. My Mum won't care what she does, as long as she is with her granddaughter 24/7...

If you want somewhere cosy to stay, try http://www.westendguesthouse.com/
Its unreal. Theres always fresh baked biscuits put out before you go to bed etc, and its in a really nice area, 5 mins walk to a gentle beach area suitable for kids.

Run (or stroll) around the Stanley Park sea wall a few times. Take a hike up Grouse mountain, or better yet hike up Black Tusk in Garibaldi Nat. Park, or up the Lions. If you're there in winter, take in some skiing at Cypress (or farther afield at Whistler). Do some rock climbing at Squamish. Take a walk around Burnaby Mountain area and to SFU ( I used to live on the isde of Burnaby mountain). Better scenery is actually found when walking around UBC though...Stop at the Granville Island markets..Buy some Ice wine. If you have time, take a ride out to Tofino and spend the night on the beach. Go whale watching the next day. Visit Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island. Take in a few Lacrosse games.

Yes--I love Granville Market--puts Pike's Peak to shame. And the University has a great PNW exhibit of totem poles and other art. It's in a beautiful new museum--very impressive. I'd go in the "shoulder season" and with a car-- and tour the islands.. I love Salt Spring Island, epecially, but I then I just love Vancouver. THe area around China Town is a bit shaky, though.

If they still do them, check out the firework evenings in the Butchart Gardens on vancouver island. Closest thing you ever get to totally magical, and for a kid it would be beyond compare. They used to do them saturdays in the summer.

Pike's Peak? I agree that's nothing like Granville market. You mean Pike Place!

Yikes--you're right! I've lived in Colorado and Seattle--shame on me! No more posting on the run for me!