How to Get Around Vancouver

How transport works in Vancouver

SkyTrain (Canada Line, Expo, Millennium) reaches YVR airport in 25 min to Downtown for CA$9.55 peak. Compass Card or contactless tap covers SkyTrain + SeaBus (12-min ferry to North Vancouver) + bus. Uber/Lyft available since 2020. Rent a car for Whistler / Vancouver Island / Squamish drives. Downtown, West End, Yaletown, Gastown all walkable to each other.

Your options compared

• SkyTrain (Canada, Expo, Millennium)

  3 driverless lines to YVR, Surrey, Burnaby, New Westminster; CA$3.20–7.20 per ride.

• SeaBus

  12-min ferry to North Vancouver — included in transit fare.

• Buses

  Extensive coverage into Kitsilano, UBC, North Shore.

• Bike share (Mobi)

  CA$12/day pass; seawall + Stanley Park are Canada's best bike loop.

Passes and tickets

Compass Card CA$6 + credit; day pass CA$11.50 unlimited SkyTrain + bus + SeaBus. Contactless credit cards tap directly.

Local transport tips

Uber + Lyft legal since 2020; airport rides fair-priced. Rent a car only for Whistler / Vancouver Island / Squamish drives.

Arriving from the airport

• Vancouver International (YVR)

  Canada Line SkyTrain to Downtown 25 min CA$9.55 peak/CA$7.75 off-peak; Uber CA$30–45; taxi flat CA$36.

• Abbotsford International (YXX)

  Regional/budget airport (Flair, WestJet) — shuttle or car rental required 90 min to Downtown.

Do you need a rental car?

Inside Vancouver a car is usually a liability — parking and traffic cost more than transit. A rental earns its keep for day trips and regional drives, so compare rates only for the days you actually leave the city.