
Vancouver Travel Guide
How to Get to Vancouver
Fly into Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island, 23 km south of the city centre. Buses, both city buses as well as airport express ones are available for the city. You can hire a car from car-rental firms at the airport.
VIA Rail connects Vancouver to Toronto via Kamloops, Jasper and Edmonton. Amtrak links Vancouver with Bellingham and Seattle. BC Rails has a service to North Vancouver from towns such as Whistler, Squamish, and other places in the north. The private Rocky Mountaineer connects Vancouver to Banff and Calgary.
Drive in from any neighbouring town or city or come across the US border from Seattle.There are several bus services which connect to Vancouver: Greyhound buses have a service form Seattle and Calgary, Pacific Coach Lines links up with Victoria, Quick Coach Lines to the USA, Bigfoot Adventure Tours to Banff and Calgary. The main bus station is at the train station Pacific Central Station, 1150 Station Street.
If you are visiting Vancouver, one thing you can be certain of is that you will never have a problem of places to stay in this beautiful city of British Columbia in Canada. The city with its wide range of accommodations has something for every pocket.
Vancouver Downtown or Vancouver’s City Centre is on the peninsula of the city and is basically the south eastern portion of the peninsula of the Vancouver city. The Downtown is the place for city’s entertainment, business, commercial, cultural, financial and government sectors and thus offers accommodations to suit every budget and pocket
Best Time to Visit Vancouver
Vancouver is ideal to visit during its end spring, summer and autumn months, ranging from April to October, with each season having its own advantage.Spring comes early to Vancouver and spans the months of end-March to May .Summer time, between June to August, is the peak tourist season and is amongst the best times to visit. Summer in Vancouver is warm, but not hot or humid, and is considered the best time to indulge in various outdoor activities including hiking, water sports, sightseeing, biking and more.
This unspoiled natural beach can only be reached by travelling along an unpaved gravel logging road making it a desolate location with very few tourists. At Pachena Bay you will find a rustic camp ground run by the local natives. It perfect for a natural weekend getaway as there is running water, but no cell phone service
Located just outside the small surf town of Tofino, this long sandy beach is only accessible by a twenty minute foot trail from the main road. The beach is set within the Pacific Rim National Park, so it is fully protected from development with the surrounding coast line being thickly forested in . Locals are mainly attracted to Cox Bay because of the year round swell that rolls in making it a perfect surf spot.
Situated in the suburbs of North Nanaimo, this beach is ever changing with the tide. At low tide the beach gives way to miles of smooth sand that is ideal for local skim boarders. When the tide comes back in, all that is left of the beach is a narrow strip of rocky shore line backed up against a steep treed cliff.
During the summer months this beach is one of the busier beaches due to its easy accessibility, and protection from the wind. It is a great spot for swimming as you have the choice to either wade into the water slowly or dive off the rocks into a deep swimming hole.
You get some of the best Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Italian and Thai food in Canada in this very city. Restaurants are spread all over the city and are generally reasonably priced.
Festivals and Events in Vancouver
In February, join the Chinese New year celebrations, full of fun and food, and come again in June for the visually compelling Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival. July brings the Vancouver Folk Music Festival while August is extremely busy -it is time for the Abbotsford International Air Show, Gay Pride Day and the pacific National Exhibition. Get involved in the Vancouver Fringe Festival in September.
Some rain-protection gear, good comfortable waterproof shoes, camera.