Vancouver Airport Information
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Operating since 1931, the modern Vancouver International Airport is Canada’s 2nd busiest airport, behind the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Serving more than 17 million passengers and approximately 300,000 take-offs and landings per year, Vancouver International was voted the top airport in North America by the International Air Transport Association in 2003. Located just eight miles south of Vancouver, the airport serves domestic and international flights throughout North America, Asia and Europe through one of its 90 boarding gates and three main terminals, including the Domestic Terminal, International Terminal and South Terminal, a regional hub for small aircraft. The airport serves as the hub for Air Canada and services a total of 87 airline carriers.
Vancouver International’s $53 million upgrade of the Domestic Terminal building was completed in 2002. A 10-year, $1 billion expansion and renovation program is currently underway to accommodate the 21 million passengers projected to use the airport by 2010. Upgrades and renovations include an expanded International Terminal, a shuttle that will run among terminals, and a Link Building between the Domestic and International terminals, which will replace the temporary glass corridor “Link” that exists now.
Vancouver International offers extensive amenities and luxuries, including children’s play areas throughout the airport, 22 Internet access payphones and wireless Internet. The airport has a vast selection of shops, bars, casual and fine dining and luggage and shoe repair, as well as a spa and health club. Guests will also enjoy the airport’s well-lit, blue and green interior that houses an extensive Northwest coast native art collection. The airport connects to the four-diamond Fairmont Vancouver Hotel, which offers 392 luxurious guest rooms. Hourly, daily, valet and long-term parking is available near the Domestic and International terminals.
Airline carriers serving Vancouver International Airport
- All Nippon Airways
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air New Zealand
- Air North
- Air Pacific
- Air Transit
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Baxter Aviation
- Belair
- British Airways
- British Midland
- Canadian Air Charters
- Canadian Forces
- Canadian North
- Cargojet Airlines
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Central Mountain Air
- Champion Air
- China Airlines
- China Eastern Airlines
- Condor Flugdienst
- Continental Airlines
- DHL
- Delta Air Lines
- Delta Connection
- EVA Air
- Federal Express
- Finnair
- Flyglobespan
- Frontier Airlines
- Globespan
- Harbour Air Ltd.
- Hawkair
- Helijet Airways
- Highland Helicopters
- Horizon Air
- Japan Airlines
- KD Air Corporation
- KLM
- Kelowna Flightcraft
- Korean Air
- LAN Airlines
- LOT Polish Airlines
- LTU Airways
- LOT Polish Airlines
- LTU Intl Airways
- Lignum Air
- London Air Service
- Lufthansa
- Martinair
- Mexicana
- Miami Air
- Midwest Airlines
- MyTravel
- Nolinor Aviation
- Northern Thunderbird Air Inc.
- Northwest Airlines
- Northwest International Jet
- Oasis Hong Kong Airlines
- Orca Airways
- Pacific Coastal Airlines Ltd.
- Philippine Airlines
- Purolator
- Qantas Airways
- Richmond Helicopters
- Saltspring Air
- Scandinavian Airlines SAS
- Seair Seaplanes
- Singapore Airlines
- Skywest Airlines
- Skyservice Airlines
- Sunwing Airlines
- Thai Airways
- Thomas Cook Airlines
- Tofino Air
- US Airways
- United Airlines
- United Express
- United Parcel Service
- Vancouver Helicopters
- Voyageur Airways
- West Coast Air
- WestJet
- Zoom Airlines
Vancouver Train Information
Pacific Central Station
The Amtrak Cascades route runs from Eugene, Oregon, to the Pacific Central Station in downtown Vancouver with stops in Salem, Tacoma, Portland and Seattle
Seattle. The 10-hour-and-25-minute-long trip takes passengers past Mount St. Helens and across the Columbia River Gorge. With multiple departures daily, the Amtrak Cascades fleet consists of 11 trains with both business class and reserved coach seating.
VIA Rail
The Canadian route on VIA Rail travels from Vancouver to Toronto
Toronto along the northern Ontario lakelands, Prairies and Canadian Rockies. The three-day journey includes stops in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, Kamloops and Sudbury Junction. Canada’s VIA Rail runs more than 480 trains per week, serving more than four million passengers per year, and was recently named among the top trains in the world by the Society of the International Railway Travelers. Multiple trains leave Vancouver on Friday, Sunday and Tuesday, and leave Toronto on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Vancouver Public Transportation
TransLink
The modern, clean and safe TransLink public transportation system serves Vancouver with bus, rail (SkyTrain) and marine (SeaBus) transit routes. TransLink runs on a three-zone system, with the city of Vancouver as Zone 1, and services 165 million passengers per year. Passengers may purchase passes for one, two or three zones; all passes include travel on buses, SkyTrain and SeaBus. Both concession passes (for children ages 5-13, students ages 14-19 and seniors) and adult passes are available. Cash fares are C$2.50 for an adult pass and C$1.75 for a concession pass; a Faresaver book of 10 passes is C$19 for an adult pass and C$16 for a concession pass; and an unlimited day pass is C$9 for an adult pass and C$7 for a concession pass.
TransLink Buses
The city of Vancouver and greater Vancouver area enjoy an extensive and efficient bus system. In fact, over 85 percent of metropolitan Vancouver residents have convention bus services within fewer than one mile of their homes. The Coast Mountain Bus accounts for nearly 75 percent of all transit trips in the region and operates seven days a week for 18 to 20 hours per day; buses leave every four to 10 minutes. Additional buses within the transit network include express coach buses, community shuttles, emission-free trolley buses and the NightBus, which operates every 30 minutes from 1:30 to 4 AM nightly.
SkyTrain
SkyTrain, the world’s longest automated light rapid transit system, operates 33 stations and spans more than 30 miles. Emission-free and energy-efficient trains leave every two to eight minutes along the Expo and Millennium lines and link with buses and the SeaBus at the downtown Waterfront station. SkyTrain operates Monday through Friday from about 5 to 12:30 AM, Saturday from 6 to 12:30 AM and Sunday from 7 AM to 11:30 PM.
SeaBus
The SeaBus system consists of two double-ended catamaran ferries that hold up to 400 people. SeaBus operates on two terminals: the Waterfront Terminal, which connects with buses and SkyTrain, and the Lonsdale Quay Terminal, which connects North Vancouver and Metro Vancouver. The transit takes 12 minutes and runs Monday through Saturday from 6 to 1 AM and Sunday from 8 AM to 11PM.
Rental Cars
Many major rental car companies can be found throughout Vancouver. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National and Thrifty rental car companies are represented at Vancouver International Airport. Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Discount Car and Truck also service the city of Vancouver and can be called to service the airport.
Taxis
Plenty of taxis companies run in the Vancouver area and can be flagged down throughout downtown. Guests should expect an approximate C$30 fare from the airport to downtown Vancouver and anywhere from C$5 to C$10 for traveling around downtown. More than 400 taxis are available 24 hours a day for Vancouver International Airport travelers and can be found at outside of both the Domestic and International terminals.
Distance to...
- Surrey, BC
- Abbotsford, BC
- Bellingham, WA
- Everett, WA
- Seattle, WA
- Tacoma, WA
- Kamloops, BC
- 19 miles
- 40 miles
- 46 miles
- 98 miles
- 119 miles
- 143 miles
- 158 miles
