Ground Transportation and Travel Tips

• Passport/Visa Requirements
• Customs & Excise
• Transportation from the Airport to the Hotel
• Other Transportation Information
• Weather/What to Wear
• Time
• Currency Conversion
• Tax and Tipping

Passport/Visa Requirements
International visitors to Canada (other than U.S.) must carry a valid passport and, if required, a visa. Citizens from the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, and other participants in the Visa Waiver Program do not require a visa to enter Canada. U.S. visitors traveling to Canada by air are required to present a U.S. passport to return home from Canada. U.S. citizens traveling to Canada by land or sea are required to have a passport or another approved travel document. Please visit Canada's travel website at www.canada.travel and click “About Canada” for more visa and passport information, or check with your travel agent before commencing travel.

Customs & Excise
All visitors from outside Canada will be required to pass through a customs check administered by the Canada Borders Service Agency. Click here to access the traveler entry form and more information about prohibited and restricted goods.

Transportation from the Airport to the Hotel
If you’re arriving by air, you will most likely be flying into Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located just 12 km (7.5 miles) from downtown and consistently rated as one of the best airports in North America. Learn more about YVR by clicking here.

The Fairmont Vancouver does not offer a free shuttle service to and from the airport, but there are multiple transportation options for you to consider:

1. You may take a taxi for approximately Can.$30 to $35 one way. Taxis charge a metered rate based on time and distance. The trip will take 30 minutes. To find a taxi, exit the International Arrivals Greeting Area and look for the taxi stand. Find more information about taxi services here.
   
   
2. You may also share with your travel partners a sedan or limousine from Aerocar Service, Vancouver Airport’s official limousine service. Sedans or SUVs that hold a maximum of three to five people will cost Can.$39 plus tax and tip to get to the hotel. A limousine that can accommodate up to six passengers will cost Can.$45 plus tax and tip. The return trip from the hotel to the airport will be Can.$50.  The sedans can accommodate up to six medium suitcases. There are additional fees for Meet and Greet service or reservations, but you may walk out on a first-come, first-served basis and hire a vehicle at the airport. Simply exit the terminal and Aerocar’s vehicles are parked to the right across the street. To learn more about Aerocar Service, visit their Web site by clicking here.
   
   
3. If you would like the option of driving yourself, there are several car rental facilities conveniently located just steps from the terminal on the ground floor of the parkade.  To see a list of the available rental car companies, click here. You can find more information on hotel parking availability and cost here.
   
   
4. If you are able to easily handle your luggage, the most cost-effective option is the new Canada Line on Vancouver’s rapid transit system, SkyTrain. The trip is 25 minutes on the train plus a short two-block walk from the Vancouver City stop to the hotel. 

To ride the SkyTrain, exit the International Arrivals building and follow signs for Canada Line.  You reach the train platform either by elevator or escalator.  Once on the platform, you use a Ticket Vending Machine to purchase a one-way fare.  While you should carry the ticket, you may never be asked to show it.  The trip to the hotel requires a two-zone ticket (currently $3.75 on weekdays and $2.50 on weekends) and a new $5 AddFare surcharge for trips from the airport into the city.  This surcharge will not be added to your return trip.  The vending machine will automatically add the surcharge.  You may use Canadian currency or a debit or credit card to purchase tickets.  At the Vancouver City Centre stop, you get off and go to street level via a series of two elevators or escalators.  You exit onto W. Georgia Street and turn left to walk two blocks to the hotel.  On your return trip to the airport, look for the YVR/Airport Line.  Trains run approximately every ten minutes beginning at 5:00 a.m. through 1:00 a.m.  For more information on SkyTrain’s Canada Line, click here.

Other Transportation Information
If you will be arriving in Vancouver by car, directions to the hotel and a map of the surrounding area may be found here.

Translink is Metro Vancouver’s regional transportation authority and offers buses to many of the area’s attractions.  DayPasses provide unlimited use of all buses, SkyTrain, and SeaBus for one full day.  DayPasses are available for CDN $9 ($7 for seniors 65 and over).  You may purchase DayPasses and other fare cards at authorized FareDealer stores, including 7-Eleven, Safeway, and London Drugs.  For more information, visit the Translink Web site.

Weather/What to Wear
Vancouver is a casual town with mild weather year-round; layers and smart casual clothes will see you through most situations. Vancouver enjoys warm, comfortable summers that are rarely scorching. June to August daytime temperatures linger just above 20º Celsius (70º Fahrenheit). Evenings, especially in the surrounding mountains, can be cool, so it's best to pack a light jacket and sweater. Attire for most convention sessions is business casual. Dress for Opening Ceremonies will be announced. Bring your party attire for the Installation Banquet, a more formal event per Quota tradition.

Time
Vancouver operates on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). If you are flying from the East Coast, please remember that you gain three hours upon arrival in Vancouver. If you are flying from the South Pacific, you gain a day as you fly across the International Dateline.

Currency
The Canadian currency system uses dollars ($) and cents (¢) similar to the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. Canada now has one- and two-dollar coins, often called the "loonie" and the "toonie" respectively, in addition to 0.01¢, 0.05¢, 0.10¢ and 0.25¢ coins. Paper money comes in different colors and designs. The most common bills are $5 bills (blue), $10 bills (purple), $20 bills (green), $50 bills (red) and $100 bills (brown). Most hotels, stores, and restaurants will accept U.S. dollars, though sometimes at a lower exchange rate than at banks or airports. Large hotels will usually give you a rate similar to those at the bank. It is always a good idea to convert some of your money to Canadian currency prior to leaving home. For up-to-date currency conversion information from xe.com, click here.

Tax and Tipping
There are three levels of taxation that affect visitors to Vancouver. There's a 10% tax charged on accommodation and liquor. For most other goods and services, there is a 7% provincial sales tax (PST) and a 5% federal goods and services tax (GST.) Tipping waitstaff at sit-down restaurants and bellhops and maid service staff at hotels is customary. Gratuity is typically added at a rate of approximately 18% when dining at restaurants in large parties.

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