Vancouver endevour

Ok, so the availability of reward seats made the decision (Upper of course), but its Vancouver in September. I know its a pretty new route, but I assume some have been there before...

So any advice welcome on the following:

Planning to stay downtown Vancouver for 4-5 days, any recommends for hotels?

Then hiring car, going to Salmon Arms one night, Banff for two, then to Calgary to fly out. Any advice on routes, alternatives?

The flying to Seattle. Do I need an ESTA here? Is it pretty much the same as flying in from any other country? Spend a couple of days there. The other half is less keen about Seattle, anyone got encouragement to go there?

Then boat across to Victoria for a night, then boat across to Vancouver to depart. Can we do this without a car? Anyone know? Also I assume candadian customs somewhere here...

Any help would be appreciated...

I am staying in this hotel soon.

In the city, near Gastwon, nd close to Stanley Park views over North Shore, and connected by the Canada Line to the airport.

You can watch cruise ships come in and dock at Canada place under the hotel.

http://www2.panpacific.com/en/Vancouver/Overview.html

ESTA required for USA.

*jealous (very)*

Yes you will need ESTA even if just transiting the USA

There is a ferry from (outside) Seattle to Victoria and yes there will be Canadian customs and immigration etc to go through at Victoria. This ferry lands pretty much in the centre of Victoria.

But it is perfectly possible to go from Vancouver to Victoria on the ferry without a car. You can go direct from Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay or what I did was take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanimo then get the train down to Victoria. That requires some planning as there is only one train a day but it was a stunning journey both on land and sea!

There are regular buses from downtown to both ferry ports and then from Swartz bay to Victoria and timed to meet each other.

I know either of those sounds like a bit of a palava but the scenery is stunning.

The BC Ferries website has schedules and fares etc.

I've not been to Vancouver / Victoria for a good 5 years so won't comment on Hotels.

[honey lamb]

Yes, you will require an ESTA even though you are arriving via Canada. That makes no difference.

Both Vancouver and Seattle are lovely cities and there's plenty to see and do in both.

I've been to Victoria by ferry and I loved it but you will really need a car for that trip. The ferry terminal on Vancouver Island is some distance from the city of Victoria and also, the ferry from Vancouver leaves from Tsawwassen, a few miles south of Vancouver. In Victoria, the Parliament buildings are well worth a visit, although I did find it a tiny bit strange hearing the Queen being referred to as the Queen of Canada - which of course, she is. Buchart Gardens are well worth a visit too, as is whale-watching around the San Juan islands

In Seattle, the scenery is lovely with the Cascade range of mountains on one side and the Olympians on the other. Take a drive out to Hurricane Ridge. The views are amazing and from there you can actually see Vancouver. There's the Space Needle and Pike Place Market and there's also a walking tour of the the underground city. Take a ferry to Bremerton for the views and also there's a nice little spot within walking distance of the ferry where you can have lunchand take in the scenery.

When flying to Seattle you will pre-clear customs and Immigration in Canada

I'm heading in that direction in September also. I nabbed Gs to YVR as being the only way to get to Seattle on a reward ticket. My usual route of SFO and then VX to Seattle yielded nothing.

Have visited Vancouver 14 times, this May was the most recent one. Allow at least 3 days to do Downtown, Times Square Suites has self catering rooms which when you consider you can make your own coffee, breakfast, order in pizza can sometimes work out cheaper than any hotel.

Granville Island is worth a visit, great food market, take the Aqua Bus..... also Museum of Anthropology is very interesting in a great building, walk the Sea Wall, walk around Stanley Park, go to Steveston to see the old salmon cannery and eat fish and chips, so much to do.

Drive to Whistler, stay a night. about 2 hrs from VAn.

We also drive to Calgary, if you go via the Okanagan (4.5 hrs) you can visit up to 300 wineries - great wine, lovely lakes, restaurants etc. Stay in Penticton as a central location or rent a private home.

then the trip to Calgary is 6+ hrs. Stay at Emerald Lake Lodge in Field just outside Banff but very close to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Banff is okay but mostly just shops . Drive the Icefields Parkway towards Jasper, but you don't need to go as far as Jasper, just as far as the Athabasca Glacier. This drive is the ultimate for mountain views.

we are back there next May. y)

ScouserSue

I have been following the comments on this thread with interest as I am flying out there on the 3rd July. y)
Not a reward ticket I'm afraid, but snapped a decent UC seat a few months ago ii)
It is years since the last visit so looking forward to the trip. Booked in at the Fairmont Waterfront for a few nights then using Pacific Coach to get to Whistler. Only in Canada for a week, you could say a Whistle stop tour ii)
Keep the info flowing, I am taking notes!

The price of the rockymountaineer train seemed to be a bit too much on the expensive side for us, has anyone done this? Near 700 quid per person economy for Vancouver to Calgary...

The price of the rockymountaineer train seemed to be a bit too much on the expensive side for us, has anyone done this? Near 700 quid per person economy for Vancouver to Calgary...

In 1990 (when I was but a callow youth) I did the VIA Rail route from Edmonton to Vancouver via Jasper in the Rockies as part of a trans Canada rail trip and it was absolutely fabulous.

Unfortunately the times of that train meant that we traveled through the best part of the Rockies at night but we were traveling in May so maybe the schedule is/was different in the summer.

Have a look at the VIA Rail website.

And I'm going to disagree with HoneyLamb - the Vancouver to Victoria journey is perfectly feasible without a car and I certainly wasn't the only person getting the bus at either end. Mind I would only do it with hand luggage for an overnight stay.

And if you like beer you can do tours of the Granville Island Brewery and get free tastings then go and grab a pot luck lunch at the market.

I stayed at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. An amazing hotel, especially if you prefer modern hotels. It's also am Amex FHR hotel, so you get upgraded, breakfast, etc. included.

All good suggestions from others for Van, as for hotel, L'Hermitage is consistently ranked number 1 on tripadvisor, http://www.lhermitagevancouver.com/ and rightly so I think. We shall be staying for a second time in July. Great place, laid back, nice atmosphere and smart spacious rooms, plus a swimming pool and hot tub on a nice terrace. Staff are fab, very helpful (serving cocktails and beers to the hot tub, ). It's just off Robson on Richards St with everywhere easy walking distance.

Granville island and the market is a must, it's lovely and everything a market should be (wish we still had markets like this in UK). Chinatown is a bit run down although they have a traditional walled Chinese garden, Dr Sun Yat Sen's garden, the only one of its kind outside china. It's a real haven in a metropolis. They also have a reasonable night market with food vendors on Friday and Saturday nights through til late September I think. As does Richmond Chinatown, which we're told is bigger and better, so that's on our itinerary this year - there's no better way to eat than going from stall to stall whilst browsing and shopping

Have at least one day to chill out around Stanley Park, it's beautiful and there's quite a lot to see / do up there, and of course if you just want to relax in a nice green space there's plenty of room for that .

Enjoy your trip.