# Vancouver advice



## pacheco18 (Aug 28, 2008)

I have always wanted to visit Vancouver and I am thinking of putting in for a trade for next year.

1.  When is weather the best?  We can travel any time.
2.  Between Soleil and Worldmark on II, which resort would you choose.  Is one better located than the other?  We like to be in the middle of things when we visit a city.

Thanks
Laraine


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## Bill4728 (Aug 28, 2008)

The cities of the Pacific NW ( Portland, Seattle & Vancouver) have great weather in July, Aug & Sept. Any of those months would be the perfect time to visit. 

I didn't know Soleil had any kind of TS resort in Vancouver but the WM is right in the middle of the tourist freindly parts of downtown. As are the other TS which I know of ( Club Intrawest, Aviawest & Destinations on Rosedale)


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## sun starved Gayle (Aug 28, 2008)

*September!*

I would choose September for the following reasons:

USUALLY lovely weather, July can still be rainy.

Less crowds, kids have gone back to school.

More availability/less demand.

Better airline deals usually available in shoulder season.

Vancouver is beautiful, you will enjoy yourself.  I have never stayed in a timeshare there, so I can't help with advice with those.  JMHO

Gayle


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## pianodinosaur (Aug 28, 2008)

We were just in Vancouver as part of our vacation.  We stayed for two nights at The Sheraton Wall Centre to run around Vancouver prior to taking the Whistler Mountaineer train ride to Whistler.  It turns out that Club Intrawest Vancouver is located within three floors of The Sheraton Wall Center.  This hotel is located right in the heart of the city. We had no difficulty walking to the pier, looking at the cruise ships, or participating in the night life.  The biggest shopping area in town is within one block of The Sheraron Wall Center and so are many of the finest restaraunts. The beds are fantastic and so is the food and service at The Sheraton Wall Center.  If you want to stay in a time share in Vancouver, I would strongly recommend Club Intrawest.


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## tashamen (Aug 29, 2008)

pianodinosaur said:


> If you want to stay in a time share in Vancouver, I would strongly recommend Club Intrawest.



I agree - I just stayed there on Intrawest points a few months ago and loved it!  However, the OP is looking to trade with II, and this Intrawest location trades with RCI, but not II.


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## asp (Sep 3, 2008)

Soleil has very small rooms, just a fridg in the rooms I have stayed in, but very elegant - not sure there is much timeshare inventory.  Worldmark is right across the street from Wall Centre. Nice units, but small living room.  both well located and central.


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## Lazy8 (Sep 7, 2008)

I've lived in Vancouver all of my life,
so if you need any tips or places to see, 
email me at:
bevue@hotmail.com

My favorite sights to go to when company arrives are:

Stanley park
Grouse mountain
Horseshoe bay
Whitecliff park
Lynn canyon
English bay
Whistler   2.5 hour drive or take a tour bus
Granville Island
Stevesten docks, it's in Richmond

The above are all free too. 
Bus goes to all of those locations or you can rent a car.

Many more, but the above is a start.

Cheers


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## Cathyb (Sep 7, 2008)

lazy8:  Were all those places you mentioned within 20 miles of Vancouver?  Are they easy drives (not over unpaved roads) for senior citizen drivers  -- lol


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## Lazy8 (Sep 7, 2008)

Cathy ,
Here is the mileage from downtown.

All roads are excellent paved roads.

Stanley park 1 mile
Grouse mountain 4 miles
Horseshoe bay  10 miles
Whitecliff park   9 miles
Lynn canyon     5 miles
English bay       .5 miles
Whistler   2.5 hour drive or take a tour bus
Granville Island  .5 miles
Stevesten docks, it's in Richmond  10 miles

Also, I find when I rent a car, ask for GPS and get them to give you a brief demo on how to use them

I bought one from Costco after I used the one in my Hertz rental car.
It was made by magellan http://www.magellangps.com/ and I think it was called never lost.
Try this site, 

http://www.hertzneverlost.com/



Lazy8 said:


> My favorite sights to go to when company arrives are:
> 
> Stanley park
> Grouse mountain
> ...


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## Jwerking (Sep 28, 2008)

Timely discussion.  Just got an RCI Trade into Destinations on Rosedale for week of May 30, 2009 - bummer that a 2 br only has 1 bath - but whatever.  We have the following week at one of the Whistler's timeshares.

Few logistical questions, do we just take a cab from Vancouver airport to timeshare or is there public transportation.  Also, is there a place to pick up a rental car by the Rosedale for our week to Whistler and drop back at the airport?

What's the weather like in early June?  

Thanks, 

JOyce


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## asp (Sep 29, 2008)

The public transportation involves changing buses, plus a cab at the downtown end, or another change- not too workable for now.  A new Skytrain from the airport (underground in the downtown area ) is under construction - I don't' know the completion dates.  when finished, you could walk about four blocks from the nearest station to the Rosedale.

If there are more than 4, or you have a lot of baggage, you may need two cabs.  in that cased, the fixed price limo is less expensive.


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## LLW (Sep 29, 2008)

asp said:


> Soleil has very small rooms, just a fridg in the rooms I have stayed in, but very elegant - not sure there is much timeshare inventory.  Worldmark is right across the street from Wall Centre. Nice units, but small living room.  both well located and central.



The Worldmark also has full kitchen (including oven), floor-to-ceiling windows, and in-unit washer/dryer. Very elegant too. But the dining room and living room are small, and there is no air conditioning (which you need maybe just a few times a year in the Pacific NW). WM has the 19th to the 24th floor of a high-rise residential building. Every unit has a great view of the city.

As stated, it is across the street from the Wall Center. There are many shops and restaurants within easy walking distance, including next door and across the street.

Here's the WM resort page for the Canadian:

http://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/tc/


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## eal (Sep 30, 2008)

Is it true that the 2-bedroom units only have one bathroom?


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 30, 2008)

eal said:


> Is it true that the 2-bedroom units only have one bathroom?



If you're referring to Worldmark, I believe the 2-bedroom units are 2-bath.  But be aware that you can only put four people in a two-bedroom unit.  The units are very small, and the living room is not really suitable as a sleeping area.  It's a 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit unit with full kitchen, living room, and a breakfast nook-type eating area occupying a space that is roughly the same size as a typical Embassy Suites hotel room.


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## Bill4728 (Sep 30, 2008)

Top 10 things to do in Vancouver ( from the Club Intrawest website

Walk the sea wall at Stanley Park 
Dine at the top of Grouse Mountain 
Shop on Robson Street 
Visit Granville Island 
Sea Kayaking and Canoeing 
Visit UBC Museum of Anthropology 
Visit Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classic Chinese Garden 
Take a Harbour Cruise 
See the sights at the Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Center 
People watch at Kits Beach


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## eal (Sep 30, 2008)

Jwerking said:


> Timely discussion.  Just got an RCI Trade into Destinations on Rosedale for week of May 30, 2009 - bummer that a 2 br only has 1 bath - but whatever.  We have the following week at one of the Whistler's timeshares.
> 
> Few logistical questions, do we just take a cab from Vancouver airport to timeshare or is there public transportation.  Also, is there a place to pick up a rental car by the Rosedale for our week to Whistler and drop back at the airport?
> 
> ...



Sorry, I should have been more clear.  I was looking for confirmation that the 2 br Destinations on Rosedale units only had one bathroom.


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## LLW (Sep 30, 2008)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> If you're referring to Worldmark, I believe the 2-bedroom units are 2-bath.  But be aware that you can only put four people in a two-bedroom unit.  The units are very small, and the living room is not really suitable as a sleeping area.  It's a 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit unit with full kitchen, living room, and a breakfast nook-type eating area occupying a space that is roughly the same size as a typical Embassy Suites hotel room.




Here's square footage info of the WM Vancouver units.

There is one special needs 2BR unit (out of a total of 22 2BR units) that has only 1 bath. But I don't believe they put that into the exchange pool. The non-SN 2BRs all have 2 baths.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Oct 1, 2008)

LLW said:


> Here's square footage info of the WM Vancouver units.



750 to 860 sf for a 2-bdrm unit.  That's roughly 25 ft x 30 ft, give or take a few feet on either dimension.

As I said, roughly the same area as an Embassy Suites room, but containing 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, living, and dining area.  

We've stayed there, with three people.  The units are, shall we say, compact.  I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, but even with three people (DW, DS, and I) it felt crowded.  In any open space there is barely room to turn around.


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## LLW (Oct 1, 2008)

I wonder how big are the other timeshare units in downtown Vancouver?


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## pgnewarkboy (Oct 1, 2008)

My wife and I loved Vancouver when we went in the summer 2 years ago.  We also visited Whistler.  I would only to travel to whistler in the summer if I did ALL the other great suggestions for Vancouver first.  Vancouver is a great city to explore and have fun.  Whistler is best for skiing.


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## asp (Oct 3, 2008)

The Wordmark 2 BR I have stayed in had a large amount of closet space and utility room space - which makes them seem smaller.  (they were a residential floor plate)

However, the views were fantastic!!

2 BR units at the Rosedale (Destinations & Aviawest) are just over 600 square feet.  They have very little hall or storage, and so three spaces are not as small as they might have been.  the combined living room-kitchen however, is triangular, allowing the sofa bed to open, but little extra space.  

The bedrooms have natural light, but the living rooms do not - you enter directly into them from the hotel hall way.  When se stay there, we treat it like a three bedroom hotel room - with the living room for our grandchildren to sleep/watch TV - and eat prepared food we buy in the general neighbourhood.  

There is are three grocery stores within about 4 blocks, which all sell prepared foods, so you don't have to just rely on "fast food", which is also very available - McDonalds, starbucks, Subway, sushi, pizza, crepes, salad shops, noodle house - all within two blocks.


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## Corman (Oct 3, 2008)

pgnewarkboy said:


> My wife and I loved Vancouver when we went in the summer 2 years ago.  We also visited Whistler.  I would only to travel to whistler in the summer if I did ALL the other great suggestions for Vancouver first.  Vancouver is a great city to explore and have fun.  Whistler is best for skiing.


Whistler is best for skiing?

try golfing , hiking, white water rafting just to mention a few.


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## eal (Oct 3, 2008)

asp said:


> 2 BR units at the Rosedale (Destinations & Aviawest) are just over 600 square feet.  They have very little hall or storage, and so three spaces are not as small as they might have been.  the combined living room-kitchen however, is triangular, allowing the sofa bed to open, but little extra space.



Do the 2-bedroom Rosedale units have two bathrooms?


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## Lazy8 (Oct 3, 2008)

Bill4728 said:


> Top 10 things to do in Vancouver ( from the Club Intrawest website
> 
> Walk the sea wall at Stanley Park
> Dine at the top of Grouse Mountain
> ...



Some of those places are the same as I mentioned before, the only difference is all of mine are free and half of those mentioned above cost $$.

One other place that I thought of is Gastown.
You have to see the old Steam clock there. Many gather around it when it chimes on the hour.
Again it is a walking tour, right downtown and it is also free. The port where some of the largest cruise ships come in are right beside Gastown.
While your there, take the sea bus across the burrard Inlet for $3 and visit the Lonsdale Quay. It's also free.
When in Vancouver, bring comfortable walking shoes as there is so many nice walks in the city.
Vancouver is one of the safest cities that I have went on walking tours in. 
Granville street is the same as Robson street. Very vibrant.
Also there is a few playhouses here, so check the schedules if you want to see a play.

One of the many nightmares walking in citys, was in Atlanta. Panhandlers on every corner.

Montreal is another really nice city for walking tours.


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## cdn_traveler (Oct 4, 2008)

*Museum of Anthropology closed for renos*

I'm not sure when the OP was planning to visit Vancouver, but in case you were planning to visit the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, it is closed for renovations from Sept 2 2008 until March 3, 2009.

http://www.moa.ubc.ca/


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## asp (Oct 4, 2008)

eal said:


> Do the 2-bedroom Rosedale units have two bathrooms?



Unfortunately, no, only one bathroom.


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## CATBinCO (Oct 7, 2008)

Contemplating a trade into Vancouver as well.
Does anyone know if the train runs from Blaine or Lynden WA into Vancouver? Or would we have to catch it in Seattle?
Would staying in Blaine, WA or Lynden, WA be good if we wanted to see both Seattle and Vancouver? 
Thanks-
Amery


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Oct 7, 2008)

CATBinCO said:


> Contemplating a trade into Vancouver as well.
> Does anyone know if the train runs from Blaine or Lynden WA into Vancouver? Or would we have to catch it in Seattle?
> Would staying in Blaine, WA or Lynden, WA be good if we wanted to see both Seattle and Vancouver?
> Thanks-
> Amery



The Amtrak station in Washington nearest the Canadian border is Bellingham.  There is no train service through Lynden.


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## BevL (Oct 7, 2008)

CATBinCO said:


> Contemplating a trade into Vancouver as well.
> Does anyone know if the train runs from Blaine or Lynden WA into Vancouver? Or would we have to catch it in Seattle?
> Would staying in Blaine, WA or Lynden, WA be good if we wanted to see both Seattle and Vancouver?
> Thanks-
> Amery



I wouldn't plan many day trips from Washington State into Canada unless you're really careful about what days and what times - border traffic, especially from Canada to the US, can be murder.

I'd do my trips in Seattle, then move north to Canada if it was me.


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## CATBinCO (Oct 8, 2008)

I have read that the border waits are ridiculous.
Would it be better to stay in Bellingham, catch the Amtrak into Vancouver for a couple days and then return and do Seattle afterwards? Is Bellingham better than Blaine for this sort of itinerary? I wanted to find a central place to both Vancouver and Seattle.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Oct 8, 2008)

I've only had one bad border crossing - that happened the week after the Border Patrol in Port Angeles caught the guy with a trunkload of explosives that were targeted for LAX.  Otherwise I've never had to wait more than a half hour to cross, and often less than that.

Of course, I also avoid crossing during peak times (i.e., avoid afternoons and evenings of Sundays, major holidays or the day after major holidays, the Monday of a four-day weekend, or almost any day during Christmas/New Years). I also try to make all of my crossings at the Lynden crossing.


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## Bill4728 (Oct 8, 2008)

If you want to stay in Blaine, there is a great resort/hotel in the area. "Semi-ah-moo" www.semiahmoo.com   It is across a bay from Blaine and is very nice.


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## LLW (Oct 9, 2008)

Bill4728 said:


> If you want to stay in Blaine, there is a great resort/hotel in the area. "Semi-ah-moo" www.semiahmoo.com   It is across a bay from Blaine and is very nice.



There are also timeshares near Semiahmoo: Worldmark's Birch Bay, and Raintree's new Sandcastle. There is also Great Links' Homestead Farm in Lynden.


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## asp (Oct 9, 2008)

*Border Crossing*

I think the US Peace Arch crossing is under renovation - and that is why the waits are apparently longer going south - you can probably check that online, see when the completion dates are expected.  I did notice that a recent radio report showed longer waits at Pacific than Peace.  We prefer Lyndon too - and you can always take the border road to Sumas, Pacific or Peace if there is a problem at Lyndon. I also just love the rural scenery at Lyndon - to Bellingham, beats I - 5 any day.  Have a look at the map - it is not hard to travel between the crossings along the border.

Don't forget that if you cross at Lyndon, you also need to know the peak travel times for the #1, TransCanada Hwy - which is Vancouver's commuter highway. - It can be VERY slow....

I wouldn't consider staying in Blaine to visit Vancouver - you are going to be travelling into the city with the commuter traffic regardless of your crossing,  unless you plan to travel mid morning, and  return in the evening.


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## Bill4728 (Oct 10, 2008)

asp said:


> I wouldn't consider staying in Blaine to visit Vancouver - you are going to be travelling into the city with the commuter traffic regardless of your crossing,  unless you plan to travel mid morning, and  return in the evening.


I feel the same way. I wouldn't stay in Blaine to visit Vancouver.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Oct 10, 2008)

asp said:


> Don't forget that if you cross at Lyndon, you also need to know the peak travel times for the #1, TransCanada Hwy - which is Vancouver's commuter highway. - It can be VERY slow....



The times when the TransCan is slow are the same times when streets through Richmond are also slow.  But a significant portion of the TransCan has carpool lanes, so I've found that even in heavy traffic I can make better time on the TransCan than on surface streets.  Of course, I'm usually heading to Whistler as I pass through Vancouver, so the TransCan is more convenient that way.

If I were heading into downtown Vancouver then it's probably worthwhile to take Peace Arch or the Truck Crossing so you don't have to come back across Lions Gate or travel across Vancouver on Hastings.


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## John Cummings (Oct 11, 2008)

Lazy8 said:


> One of the many nightmares walking in citys, was in Atlanta. Panhandlers on every corner.



We stayed in Vancouver at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel in August 2007. We were very surprised by the number of very aggressive panhandlers there, especially in the Gastown area. There were none right down by the hotel but we sure ran into plenty elsewhere.


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