Hotels & stuff to do...

[pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce]

Hey all.

I'll be visiting Vancouver for the first time in about a month and would really appreciate some ideas of things to do and a decent mid-range hotel somewhere downtown.

I look forward to your suggestions. Can't wait to see Van city!

[Conrad Yablonski]

Pete-only the dumbest/crassest tourists say V*nc*t*

If it's travel info you want go to The Vancouver page of Trip Advisor and look @ top questions on the right hand side of the page

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Conrad Yablonski

Pete-only the dumbest/crassest tourists say V*nc*t*

That's not true. The term Van City is used in hip ways all the time, particularly in art and urban music.

I can't personally recommend a hotel, but regarding things to do, what kinds of things interest you?

1) Scenic Beauty/Sight Seeing
2) Culture
3) Nightlife
3) Shopping
4) Cuisine
5) Sports

[nova9]

Originally Posted by Conrad Yablonski

Pete-only the dumbest/crassest tourists say V*nc*t*

If it's travel info you want go to The Vancouver page of Trip Advisor and look @ top questions on the right hand side of the page

You have to just look at the huge following of people wearing Vancity Original clothing to know that that's not true.

And that's not a very nice welcome to a visitor, by the way.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Hey all.

I'll be visiting Vancouver for the first time in about a month and would really appreciate some ideas of things to do and a decent mid-range hotel somewhere downtown.

I look forward to your suggestions. Can't wait to see Van city!

Well let me welcome you to Vancouver in advance then!

What to see depends on what you like

I am going to tell you this right now, allocate a large portion of your budget for food, Vancouver is a food city, we have an amazing selection and the quality is fantastic. If you want a list of good restaurants that are not too pricey, ask me and I will provide you with some of my favorites (warning, most of my favorites are Japanese, Chinese and Korean).

Areas you have to go to though are to Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, English Bay (best on a sunny day), Granville Island, and of course venture down Robson, Denman, Davie and Granville streets. Be sure to also check out Yaletown, Queen Elizabeth Park and Gastown.

I also recommend that you ride along the skytrain and get a view of the burbs. Downtown New Westminster is a must stop IMO if you like historical districts, if you like shopping be sure to stop in Metrotown (there is some good food along Kingsway in the area as well, including my favorite Korean restaurant) and downtown Richmond, where my favorite sushi place is.

There are many more things I can recommend, all depends if you want to see big trees, good views, hiking, etc...

[Darren Tate]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Hey all.

I'll be visiting Vancouver for the first time in about a month and would really appreciate some ideas of things to do and a decent mid-range hotel somewhere downtown.

I look forward to your suggestions. Can't wait to see Van city!

All I can say is BRING MONEY. As for hotels, it depends on what you define as mid-range. I've always liked the Westin Bayshore, rates there can go as low as $129. It's all about the timing though. If you need something cheaper, there's a Days Inn downtown, and a Holiday Inn too.

[pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce]

Thanks for the suggestions.

On my list thus far:

(i) Stanley Park
(ii) Gastown
(iii) Chinatown
(iv) Granville Island
(v) Lynn Valley
(vi) Sky Train to...wherever
(vii) Whitecaps game
(viii) Fooooooood

The hotel is the iffy area for me. I'm tempted to book a room at the Sylvia but I'd prefer not to spend that much. I may have to bite the bullet and go the Days Inn route. I'd rather spend my money on other things.

Thanks. Any other ideas are welcome.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Thanks for the suggestions.

On my list thus far:

(i) Stanley Park
(ii) Gastown
(iii) Chinatown
(iv) Granville Island
(v) Lynn Valley
(vi) Sky Train to...wherever
(vii) Whitecaps game
(viii) Fooooooood

The hotel is the iffy area for me. I'm tempted to book a room at the Sylvia but I'd prefer not to spend that much. I may have to bite the bullet and go the Days Inn route. I'd rather spend my money on other things.

Thanks. Any other ideas are welcome.

If you like art, then there is the Vancouver Art Gallery. Also, at the University of British Columbia, there is the Museum of Anthropology, which is the premiere institution for West Coast Aboriginal historical art and artifacts. The trip to UBC may worthy in itself; the campus is beautiful and there are other galleries and gardens you can visit, not to mention the surrounding environs, such as Pacific Spirit Park, Wreck Beach and Spanish Banks (try to go at low tide) for quintessential Vancouver scenic beauty.

[entheosfog]

I recommend Commercial Drive or Main street (Mount Pleasant) areas, they're great retail streets with lots of shopping, eating and people watching, with a less-up scale feel than places like Robson street or South Granville.

[SpongeG]

have you thought of the YWCA hotel? it's just off robson and affordable - you can get private rooms, or rooms where you share a bathroom to keep costs down etc.

[nova9]

Have you tried booking a vacation rental through airbnb.com? I've used them for Paris and New York and it's a lot cheaper than a hotel. Of course, no room service since it's just a rental of a basement suite or equivalent but it's worth looking into.

And sushi. Sushi. Sushi. Sushi.

Also check out: www.scoutmagazine.ca or www.vancouverisawesome.com for some idea of where the buzz is in terms of culinary places or even events.

[pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce]

Love the bnb idea. I'm definitely gonna check that out.

[pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce]

I really enjoyed my stay in Vancouver. Some highlights:

a. Granville Island
b. Yaletown
c. Stanley Park
d. Gastown

Although I'd looked at maps and pictures of downtown, I had no idea quite how compact the area is. I didn't know I'd be able to walk to whole of the peninsula with such ease.

Some things that weren't so good:

a. the airport!

I was really excited to see the self-service customs area. However, apparently there was something wrong with my declaration form or something, so I was directed to a room with approximately 25 people waiting in line and only two customs officers. As a result, I was forced to wait in line for 2+ hours only to be asked a couple inane questions about my name and place of birth.

Being made to feel like a criminal is not a great way to start a holiday. But then that's pretty much my experience whenever I come home. I've lived in several countries and visited dozens of others and I'm always treated most poorly in my own ~ Canada.

Anyway, I've spent lots of time in Toronto and Montreal and Vancouver has a completely different feel. I really liked it and will be back.