Set on the Pacific Ocean, with the Coast Mountains and the mighty Fraser River providing the backdrop, Vancouver is well known as a welcoming and beautiful city. British Columbia's remote wilderness areas, with varied adventure and eco-tourism opportunities, are easily accessible from Vancouver, by ferry, train, plane, or road.
Getting to Vancouver
Vancouver International Airport is Canada's second busiest airport, with over 6,000.000 international flights and over 3,000,000 domestic flights arriving in 2009. It is one of the most spectacular airports in the world, with an extensive collection of art on display, introducing travellers to the culture and natural beauty of British Columbia. Canadian art, including a vast collection of Aboriginal art are featured throughout the airport. Vancouver International Airport is committed to ongoing initiatives to minimize all types of pollution and to maximize environmental sustainability.
The new Canada Line rapid transit system carries passengers quickly and inexpensively between the airport and Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver, where the SkyTrain, city bus, or taxi is readily available.
Over 900,000 cruise ship passengers arrived in the Port of Vancouver in 2009. The Port of Vancouver is the busiest port in Canada, and committed to environmental sustainability. This is a difficult mandate considering that the port includes over 600 kilometres of shoreline and borders 16 municipalities.
As the access point for cruise ships travelling to Alaska, and the western Canadian railroad terminus for North American train travel, visitors have a wide range of options for getting to and from Vancouver.
Trains, Boats, and Planes from Vancouver
Sea Planes are a favourite way to access Vancouver Island and smaller communities on the coast of B.C., with frequent schedules from downtown Vancouver and from the Fraser River, close to the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport.
Whistler is a well-known and popular destination for skiing, mountain climbing, hiking, or simply viewing incredible scenery. The Rocky Mountaineer train takes travellers through the rugged Coast Mountains to Whistler in the easiest, most stress-free manner possible.
The interior and northwestern parts of B.C. can be accessed from Vancouver by Canada's national train service, Via Rail , which travels through the Fraser Canyon and through the Rocky Mountains to Jasper National Park. From Jasper, Via Rail also travels west along the Skeena River to Prince Rupert, a major natural port and historical site a few kilometres from the Alaska Panhandle.
Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island are accessible by B.C. Ferries , travelling from the Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay terminals close to Vancouver. Buses meet the ferries and transport travellers without vehicles to various destinations in the Fraser Valley as well as downtown Vancouver.
Highways from Vancouver to the Interior of B.C.
Travel by private vehicle from Vancouver to any area of the province is easy. Every option provides breathtaking scenery and a variety of urban and remote travel opportunites. The Sea to Sky highway along the ocean and through the mountains to Whistler is fabulous. If you feel more adventurous, and it isn't winter, continue on to the Pemberton Valley and beyond. This is the least travelled route to the interior of the province, with many options for camping and hiking along the way.
The Fraser Canyon was the first road to the coast, following the route of the Fraser River, and can be reached either from Highway 1 along the southern Fraser Valley, or from Highway 7 along the northern side of the valley. Once a treacherous one lane dirt road, the Fraser Canyon route is now a safe highway, with dramatic canyon vistas and many options for accommodation, camping, river rafting, and fishing along the way.
The Hope-Princeton Highway is a very scenic way to access the southern interior of B.C., travelling through the rugged Northern Cascade Mountains, and Manning Park , another of B.C.'s favourite mountain destinations in all seasons.
The Coquihalla , the newest highway from the lower mainland of B.C., is mountainous and remote. Although the highway is very safe and well travelled, there are no towns between Hope and Merritt, where the highway branches to access other interior destinations.
Current information is available, including road cams, for planning which route to take in all seasons.
After enjoying all the urban delights the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver has to offer, continue on to the outlying areas of B.C., by land, sea, or air!
Hazel Trego - Hazel's interests in the environment, current events, and travelling find a voice in her writing, and keep her on a path of perpetual ...
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