Discussions

Hello ebrandon!! My wife and I are planning on going on a trip to vancouver this spring/summer. I have been doing some research but I would love some person to person advice lol. Places to stay, food, places to go and see, maybe even what your trip there may have cost and i:ncluded. We were planning on staying in Vancouver for 5 to 7 days depending on our hotel deal but we would like a nicer hotel maybe with a kitchen so we can cook a few nights.we are also planning on driving there and maybe stop 1 night in calgary on the way back but straight drive on the way there stop here and there just for sight seeing. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Also maybe if there is a better and or even cheaper time of year to go.

If you haven't done the drive before, check Google maps for the distance. Drove my daughter there last September and it was easily 24 hours with stops, and we weren't taking our time. Drove #1 through Kamloops.  
 
Marpet

It says about 24 hours on Google maps but there will be 2 drivers and we figured the way back we will be more tired after walking and driving all week in Vancouver so that's why we're going to stop half way in calgary..

...factor in traffic between Chilliwack and Greater Vancouver and your at 24 hours with stops.  
 
We're staying at Marriot Residence Inn downtown Vancouver. Units have a small kitchen and close to everything downtown. If your looking at prices now, triple or quadruple it for summer.  
As far as what to do, take your pick. Google search things to do in Vancouver. Hard to list all the options.  
 
Gastown, Davie st, Granville Island, Stanley Park, English Bay, False creek, Gruose mountain, The Aquarium, and on and on and on.......  
 
Take your time and your wallet. Things aren't cheap but not overly expensive either. We had some wonderful meals for prices quite similar to around here, but certainly better meals with more selection.  
 
Trip advisor has a lot of information as well.  
 
Marpet

Like Marpet said, you can go on the cheap, or spend! Lots to check out and look for reviews online.  
 
If you are driving, check your forecasts through the mountains. Spring can bring on mudslides and other delays before May.  
 
We are living near there now. I love going down Granville Street at night. My tastes are simple. A theatre, restaurant, and hotel, some shopping, hiking along the waterfront. There are many things to do and you can get a free brochure mailed to you if you are planning it in days to come and download coupons for events. I love it right now with less tourists. OHHH, and when the sun shines (once or twice a week in winter) [haha]. I like to go into the city. There is a comedy festival in March with famous names...can't wait!  
 
Get a 10.00 compass card, and you can ride the trains, ferry across to north Van, and transit for the whole day! It's 2.85 per zone, but the ticket is good for 90mins. Its fast and easy to connect and get around. Just use trip planner on TransLink.  
 
https://www.compasscard.ca/  
https://www.translink.ca/  
 
If you are driving, try to plan it around rush hours. The # 1 can be very slow after Chilliwack. I am impatient, so have always come in early morning or late night.  
 
You can detour around also depending where you are staying.  
If you need any info and it's not online, inbox me, and I will check it out and send it out to you. Cheers.

Granville Island has lots of shops and places to eat, Gas town also has good eats and shops, Capilano Suspension bridge, Science World is great for kids, Stanley Park, playland is a lot of fun.  
 
There are lots of great things to do just depends what you are interested in.

6 hours west of Calgary there is a small town called Sicamous BC. There is a lake and sandy beach, D Dutchman Dairy is a great place to get some delicious ice cream and take a look at the animals, usually there is a fruit stand across the road from it.

We went to our sons wedding in Vancouver last August. He suggested staying at an Airbn. We paid 146 per night for a 3 bedroom apartment. If you want and search you can get someplace for about 100 if you don't need so much room. Nice hotels were 250 and up. Lots to do in Vancouver. We had a 9 year old grandchild with us. The science museum was absolutely amazing. Travel by public transportation was within walking distance. If you go airbnb first find out what you want to do then find a place in the midst. Enjoy!!

Everyone for you inputs so far defiantly helping out feel free to keep adding I will look into every that was mentioned. Thank you very much!!

Try Air BnB, sometime you can get better deals than going to a hotels.

Things to do  
Capilano suspension bridge  
Grouse mountain gondola  
Drive up to whistler  
Granville Island  
Boat dinner cruise  
Rent bikes and bike around Stanley park  
Pacific centre shopping mall  
Robson street shopping  
Chinatown and gastown  
 
Restaurants  
Don’t remember them all but The Italian Kitchen was great and you have to go to Bella Gellataria on Burrard down by the water - amazing!  
 
It is an amazing city that we keep going back to. AirBnB is the way to go for reasonable accommodations for downtown for sure!

I always enjoyed commercial drive. Interesting shops and food.

Thank you all very much greatly appreciated. Quick couple questions everyone keeps saying b and b but how about apartments?? Also how is the alderbridge Way in Richmond to stay?

Just remember the further you go from metro Van, the lower the costs. From gas, to food, hotels, everything. Richmond is a fairly costly suburb from what I've seen. From what I can tell, go a bit further out and it gets lower priced as you go. As long as you don't drive during rush hour, I've found traffic is fairly good and efficient. For instance the distance between Surrey and Langley is about 10 km, and it can take ten minutes or up to about a half hour depending on volume. Same with the drive from Surrey to metro. It can take fifteen minutes or an hour. We drove around metro van and Stanley park between Christmas and New Years and the only issue we had was trying to get out of Vancouver.  
 
Not familiar with any bnb or apartments but just know there is a real racket where people are renting out single rooms in their apartments for upwards of a thousand a month, so be careful. If you can get a kitchenette , the food around here is phenomenal. Dozens of farmers markets open year round and it is locally grown, so it tastes so good. And from what I've seen, pricing is so much better than in Manitoba . Pretty sad when a ten pound bag of potatoes is half the price here when they grow so many in carberry.....  
 
Restaurants....you can have anything under the sun. Beautiful, locally owned restaurants that are unique and good, or large chains, take your pick. There are so many to choose from.  
 
As for the big drive . I've done it now four times. It is not really fun if you're in a hurry. The drive from Brandon to the foothills is mind numbingly dull. If you can make it to Canmore or Banff the first shot, that extra couple of hours means a more leisurely trip through the mountain. Now mind you, I've only done it in winter conditions which is frightening but gorgeous. But you still want to have time to stop, stretch your legs, take some pictures and allow for Avalanche control which can stop you for hours. And make sure your vehicle is in good repair. The Cocquihalla Hwy can kill vehicles just due to its long stretches of incline. (My daughters 2003 car barely made some of the hills ..scary time!!) If you have google maps it warns of trouble ahead, as well as the Drive BC website can be helpful.  
 
Gorgeous area to visit!

We did the trip last summer, we took 2 days to drive so we could enjoy the scenery and be awake Thru the mountains. First night we stayed in Calgary at the Radison by the Airport, quiet, reasonable priced, new, clean hotel. Ended up staying there on our way back for 2 more nights.  
We stayed in Maple Ridge when in Vancouver. I would not do that again. I would stay down town Vancouver instead, since most of the attractions we wanted to see where closer to down town. So spent to much time commuting. Sky train is the best way to travel, so easy to use. We had to drive to a sky train station and park since we where about 30 mins driving distance away from the sky train.  
Air B and B or Homeaway are good options over hotels you are basically renting and apartment/condo. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

If you are going late spring early summer you are rushing through some of the most spectacular places in Canada.  
My advice, steel a few days ifrom your time in Vancouver and slow drive through the Mountains.

Thank you everyone I booked last night and we are trying to take our time as much as we can we are driving to calgary staying 2 nights in calgary at the Hilton Garden in by the airport. Then we're driving to ioco and we're staying at the alderside beach house with a short stop by banff and Lake louse on television way UT that will be rushed a bit. Then we are staying in ioco for 6 nights and we will drive into vancouver a few times. But on the way back we won't be as rushed we haven't booked any hotels or anything for the way back buy we might during our stay in ioco or just drive straight back. If anybody has stayed at these places or know the ioco area etc then feel free to share or any other advice it's all greatly appreciated. Ps I haven't been on a trip in about 15 years and my wife has never been outside manitoba besides last summer we went to moosmin for the fireworks competitions lol and even so the furthest west I've been is alberta. So thanks you everyone!!!

This one is just about traveling in general but mostly about travelers insurance where is the best and cheapest places you have found thanks!!