Getting To Vancouver
Canada is the world's largest country and driving from A to B can involve several days driving along a single highway. Vancouver is served by the Trans Canadian Highway from the east and by I-5 from the south and Seattle. Daily trains arrive from the east and from Seattle, although taking a train from the likes of Toronto takes several days and is not recommended if you are on a tight schedule, as is the case with travelling by Greyhound coach. The easiest way to get to Vancouver is by aeroplane. Vancouver International Airport is served by most major airlines and is situated only a few miles south of downtown Vancouver.
By car
Canada is massive and you would need to allow five days to travel to Vancouver from Montreal; 12 hours from Calgary; and 3 hours from Seattle, USA. If you are approaching from Seattle to the south, head north on I-5, which becomes Highway 99; this highway runs through the centre of Vancouver and onto Whistler in the north. From all points east of Vancouver, Highway 1, also known as the Trans-Canada Highway, provides access from many major towns and cities, and joins with highway 99 in Vancouver.
By rail
You can travel all the way from Toronto in Ontario to Vancouver aboard VIA Rail's Canadian. This is the only Canadian service that runs to Vancouver, which pulls into Pacific Central Station daily. This service also calls at Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper and Kamloops before reaching Vancouver and is one of the greatest train rides in North America, passing spectacular scenery. If you are travelling from Seattle, Amtrak's Cascades service runs to Vancouver daily in 4 hours.
By bus
Several major bus companies operate services to and from Vancouver and the rest of Canada and from some US destinations, with bus companies including Greyhound Canada, which comes in from the east and north of Canada as well as Seattle; Pacific Coach Lines; Perimeter; and Quick Coach Lines. Most coach services run to the main Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, which has excellent facilities, while others run to Victoria Station. Amtrak also operate three buses per day between Seattle and Vancouver.
By air
Vancouver International Airport is Canada's second airport and is a modern facility that receives numerous daily connections with many major world airlines. Millions of people use the airport and its excellent facilities every year, and transport connections with downtown Vancouver are frequent and reliable. An airport shuttle bus, the Airporter, departs the airport every 15 minutes and runs to downtown Vancouver, as do several other scheduled bus services. Shuttles and taxis are also available for transfers.
