For visitors to Vancouver, the finest way to get to the North Shore from downtown is to get the SeaBus from Waterfront Station. Conveniently, this is also the terminus of the Skytrain and it only takes a couple of minutes to get from the Skytrain platform to the SeaBus landing, from where the SS Beaver and the SS Otter ply the waters of Burrard Inlet. The crossing takes roughly 15 minutes and will go very quickly. The SeaBus is an orientation tour and mini cruise ship excursion rolled into one. There are no outside decks but don’t worry there will be a seat available. Starting towards the North Shore you will likely pass a massive cruise ship moored at Canada Place on the left-hand side. This will then give way to views of Coal Harbour, with float planes landing and taking off. Next will be the green peninsula of Stanley Park and the elegance of the Lions Gate bridge. As the Mountains loom ahead, be sure to look back at downtown Vancouver and the sails of Canada Place. On the right is the busy Port of Vancouver. When disembarking, follow the people who know where they’re going to the exit. Straight ahead is the bus station, to the left is Waterfront Park, and to the right Lonsdale Quay with its great selection of shops, cafes, and produce stores.
For more information about the SeaBus
Drew Snider here, from TransLink in Metro Vancouver. Just wanted to draw your and your readers’ attention to the fact that the Vancouver Aquarium has just launched an offer for people using transit to get to the Aquarium. Show a valid transit ticket — transfer, FareCard, DayPass, whatever — and receive a $2 discount off the price of admission. If you go on a weekend or stat holiday, that means they’ve just about paid for the bus ride. The #19 Stanley Park bus terminates just a few metres away from the Aquarium and during the summer, they add short-turn shuttles from downtown to the park (supplementing the regular #19 which goes all the way to Metrotown in Burnaby and back).