Ground Transportation and Travel Tips

• Passport/Visa Requirements
• Customs & Excise
• Airport, Transportation to the Hotel, and Map
• 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.

Airport, Transportation to the Hotel, and Map
If you're arriving by air, you will most likely be flying into Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located just 25 minutes from downtown and consistently rated as one of the best airports in North America. Learn more about the YVR by clicking here.

The Fairmont Vancouver does not offer a free shuttle service to and from the airport; you may take a taxi for approximately Can.$25 to $30 one way. Find more information about taxi services here. Or take advantage of the airport’s Skytrain, taking the new Canada Train Line from the airport to the Vancouver City Centre Station, which is two blocks from the hotel. Depart via the Georgia Street Exit and walk two blocks West. The fare is currently Can.$6.25.

Public transportation is available from the airport: take the Translink Bus 424 from the Airport Station Bay 4. At Airport Station Bay 1, transfer to Bus 98 (Burrard Street B-Line), and take to W. Georgia Street. The cost is approximately CDN $3.75. Learn more about public transportation here.

Other Transportation Information
High End Limo provides a full range of luxury sedans and stretched SUV's. For more information or to make a reservation, visit their website here.

Several car rental facilities are conveniently located just steps from the terminal on the ground floor of the parkade. Learn more by clicking here.

For driving directions to the hotel please click here. For parking availability and cost, please click here. Translink is Metro Vancouver's regional transportation authority and offers buses to many of the area's attractions. DayPasses provide unlimited use on all buses, SkyTrain, and SeaBus for one full day. DayPasses are available for CDN $9 ($7 for seniors age 65 and over). For more information, visit the Translink website.

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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