Vancouver & British Columbia Travel - here to help!

withabix

Some more tips with regard to Alaska cruises:

We did the one-way cruise from Vancouver to Seward ('near' Anchorage).

Don't pay for an alcoholic drinks package - you will not be able to make it pay without falling into a coma every night! Buy your alcoholic drinks as you go along. A soft drinks package is probably worth it though. Drinks packages only really work if you're on a cruise that's just a cruise. If you do any shore trips, you will spend a lot of time off the boat.

Don't book the cruise line's own transfer back to Anchorage - we booked with http://alaskacruisetransfer.com

I can recommend them. It's really straightforward - the Seward cruise terminal is pretty basic and small - you go through the terminal (which is just a big warehouse shed), collect your luggage and the coach transfer people have a well-signed desk in the same place. The trip back to Anchorage included a stop-off at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre.

The cruise lines' own transfers are exactly the same, but don't include the stop off and cost 3-4 times as much.

We flew back to Vancouver on Air Canada from Anchorage. You need to book that well in advance as the ticket prices will only go up as the flight fills up with other cruise line passengers. People who booked later paid nearly twice as much as we did.

withabix

redpete wrote: »

Many thanks for the info wondercollie & withabix - much appreciated. Always more questions of course...



I've just been looking at the alternative to the very expensive Rocky Mountaineer - the VIA Rail route Vancouver-Kamloops-Jasper. The first leg is overnight so misses the scenery but the best part of the journey, through the Rockies, is in daylight. We'd then make our way over a few days Jasper - Banff - Calgary to end the holiday. The cost difference for VIA Rail with a double sleeping cabin is approx. £735 for two people compared to £1900 for RM Silver Class.

Any opinions on whether the extra cost is worth it for the RM?

Difficult question. I have seen the Rocky Mountaineer many times when I'm sat at a level crossing as it goes through. It has the 'wow' factor!

I would say that if it's a big part of your trip, the RM journey with its viewing coaches and hotel service etc is probably worth it.

I believe that train has priority track space, whereas the normal ViaRail service doesn't and will spend a lot of time in sidings as freight trains pass.

Railway lines in Canada are for freight. Some trains are 3500m long - that's about 140 carriages. They are quite slow and very boring when you wait 10-15 minutes for one to go through a level crossing... Freight trains always takes priority over passengers. They also take priority over road traffic - there are hardly any over bridges - it's all level crossings.

sheramber

We did the RM trip a few years ago.

It is definitely an experience with a capital E.

it was expensive- we went gold leaf- but it was a once in a lifetime experience on a once in a lifetime holiday.

Flight to Calgary, hired a car and drove to Jasper where we caught the VIA train to Prince Rupert then boat down the Inside Passage to Prince Hardy on Vancover island.

Another hired car to travel to Victoria the ferry to Vancouver and RM back to Calgary and flight home- just over 2 weeks in total with sightseeing stops and overnight stops.


We also did the VIA which was also great for a fraction of the cost.

VIA was tourist class to RM first class.

Difference was no observation cab, food delivered to the train and served in your seat whereas RM had a dining cab with tables seating 4, food was cordon blue cooked on the train and silver service at the tables.

wondercollie

VIA still has observation cars and dining carriages. Please avoid the fish, worst upset stomach ever.


Shunting overnight in Kamloops is the norm. You just get used to the sound of the freight and grain trains going by.


It's PORT Hardy on VI. I worked for the health service on VI.

vivatifosi

withabix wrote: »

I've been busy becoming Canadian! Moved over here in October 2013...

As you've already selected Grouse Mountain, I would say Stanley Park (including a walk on the seawall from English bay end at sunset), Vancouver Aquarium, Granville Island market, Hadden Park/Kitsilano beach, Gastown/Downtown Vancouver sightseeing/shopping, Canada Place is a great viewpoint and maybe a trip to Capilano suspension bridge. A trip across the sea bus to Lonsdale Quay just for the novelty and to get great photos of downtown Vancouver from the Quay itself.

Food is a big part of Vancouver. It's all good, be it downtown restaurants, street vendors or Granville Island. A good choice would be the Boathouse Restaurant (part of a Vancouver chain, all in good waterfront locations) next to Sunset Beach before a stroll along the sea wall to catch the sunset.

Skytrain and buses are a good way to get around sightseeing. The sea bus is part of the Skytrain day ticket, as are all the buses.

That would easily fill your 2 days as a 'highlights of Vancouver' trip.

<

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My avatar is the stainless steel crab outside the HR MacMillan Space Centre on Kitsilano Beach. Taken on a very sunny Boxing Day in 2006!

Brilliant ideas, thank you so much. Sounds like you love it there too. Am v slightly jealous, it looks beautiful.

stormbreaker

Three more sleeps:D:T

callum9999

withabix wrote: »

You won't find availability to redeem Points when you want to. It's getting harder and harder every year. For flights to Canada using Points you would need to book 11 months in advance. I'm not joking! We used to fly to Vancouver in Business Class with BA using converted Tesco Clubcard points, so I know how difficult it is!

Flight-wise to/from Canada you are looking at AirTransat (Canadian Affair) and IcelandAir as being the best value. With the Euro doing badly against the pound, flights with Lufthansa or KLM via a European hub could work out good value too.

BA and Air Canada sometimes have offers, but remember there isn't that much choice as most major airlines have 1 flight per day to each main Canadian airport from the UK and AirTransat typically one flight per week!

Depending on which part of Canada you are coming to, look at flights to the nearest USA airport - eg Seattle, New York etc and get a connecting flight. Can be cheaper.

Flights within Canada are very expensive. There is NO competition. Air Canada and WestJet are pretty much it. There are some AlaskaAirlines flights too, but I don't think you can take off and land in Canada!

I just searched for London to vancouver and there was availability almost everyday from the end of August until mid April next year.

withabix

callum9999 wrote: »

I just searched for London to vancouver and there was availability almost everyday from the end of August until mid April next year.

In Economy, possibly.

Which is a complete waste of Avios.

stormbreaker

Can someone please point me in the direction of where the daily updates of where bears have been seen?

Today we travelled from Banff to Radium Springs. On arrival we were asked if we had seen any bears on the way up as there had been several sightings! Nope!

We then went into the town and were asked the same!

So rather than go to Lake Louise via Golden , as was the plan, we returned the route we had came. Did we see anything, nope .

We are now in LL for two nights then travelling up to Jasper. Can anyone point us in the direction of a website that does updates. Please

prof.azer

Columbia Travel here to help!