Canland1

Do we need a rental car in Vancouver? It appears as if we can take the skytrain to downtown (we are staying at the Hyatt) and are planning to spend a day in Victoria

sludick

Public transportation in Vancouver is excellent and parking is expensive (not surprising). The area you are staying in is very walkable. Ditch the car.

We've always had a car going to Victoria, as the ferry is about 30 minutes drive away, but others can weigh in on public transportation options there. Once in Victoria, you can fill a day (or more) easily without a car.

Canland1

thanks for the info re the rental car...that's exactly what I was thinking too!!

mdinbc

I recently downloaded an app called Transit, and used it while in Vancouver in June. We went from Van Duesen gardens to Kitsilano beach then Granville island using the app. It is great - it will tell you what sort of transit is available and when it will arrive. Skytrain and Seabus schedules were included.
By the way, take a Sea bus if you get the opportunty; they offer a nice view of the city from the water.

jspoke

I agree with ditching the car rental idea. There is public transit that goes to/from both ferry terminals (Tsawwassen on the mainland; Schwartz Bay on the Island). Also, check Pacific Coach lines. Here's their link: http://www.pacificcoach.com/Bus-Coac...er-to-Victoria

AndrewDavid

i get to vancouver a few times each year for work and then again for via, the international film festival. i have never had /nor needed a car. public transit is excellent. the downtown , west end and near east side are walkable.

if heading to or from victoria, you might check out weekend ( usually sat and sun) on harbour air via float plane. take off from coal harbour @ the convention centre in vancouver and land near the empress in victoria's busy inner harbor.

the flight either way is spectacular and one can even see whales is lucky. there are also flights via the south terminal @yvr froma float on the river in sight of the former olympic skating oval ( now a rec centre)

easy to spend a day or 2 in dt victoria w/o a car also. you can walk most of the dt and harbour area very easily. there are water taxis that will ferry you around the harbour or for a longer trip well up the gorge ( w/a stop at go , an excellent waterfront pub w/ patio on the water.

the royal bc museum is dt. the art gallery of greater victoria (aggv) is about a 20 minute walk through pretty neighbourhood ( the aggv has an 18,000 piece collection vs 8,000 at the vancouver art gallery!) once at the art gallery your quite close to both craigdarroch castle ( a house museum) and the gardens and grounds of government house. i prefer gov't house gardens to butchard's but butchard does put on a variety of entertainment if you like merry go rounds, fireworks ( most excellent on saturday night and free music concerts througout the summer included in the rather hih tariff

cheers
AndrewDavid

cheer
AndrewDavid

AndrewDavid

ps: that's weekend sales tickets on harbour air about 35 minutes harbour to harbour