Kenneth
Service Attendant
Does anyone know where to get Canadian money after arriving on the train from Seattle?
Jim, I don't recall seeing it the last time they were there, so they may be closed. But they did have poor exchange rates in any case. And you won't want to use American currency at the moment, as the Canadian dollar is significantly lower than the American dollar.Charlie: is the Money Exchange inside Pacific Central Station closed or are the exchange rates bad? ( the last time I was there last Feb. the dollars were @ par so I just used American currency)
You can go to Google maps and enter (the train station):I was hoping to find a bank.
It's where the dots marked "Citizens Bank of Canada" and "Vancouver City Savings" (Vancity) are in the above image.I was looking for this information as well. The bus terminal in Vancouver is also Pacific Central Station. I was planning to exchange money in the station, but not if the exchange rates are bad. Can anybody find the ATM on Google Street View and link it? Thanks.
Yes. See the Street View here: https://goo.gl/maps/nO3yq It's the door to the right of the entrance marked Vancity Centre. You can see the multi-colored images of the cards that they take above the door.Is it at Vancity Centre? I'm looking here: https://www.google.com/maps/@49.273026,-123.101298,3a,90y,26.78h,75.64t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4CgiMLkTC4v4yWAHheXXLg!2e0.
I would recommend you check with your bank in the U.S. before departing. Before our trip last September, I asked Chase for $300 in Canadian currency. It was delivered within a week and they let me specify large or small bills (small, mostly, for taxis and tips and such). With a planned arrival (following Customs) about 11 pm, I wanted local currency in my pocket before I stepped off the train.Does anyone know where to get Canadian money after arriving on the train from Seattle?
But many places screw you considerably by offering it as the same rate. Basically $1USD=$1CAD, which is a HUGE ripoff. Currently $1USD is roughly $1.34CAD, so for example, my mother lost an additional 34 cents value per dollar on that $40 sweatshirt she bought in Toronto. :angry2: Maaaa...That was $13.60 extra that cost you!Keep in mind that Canada no longer has $1 and $2 Bills. (and the Pennies,are gone!)The Loonie and Toonie are coins which foriegn banks and ATMs don't carry.
I had no trouble using American Dollars in Canada until I could get to an ATM.Everywhere accepts them and Canadian service workers like the US Dollar because it is strong against the Loonie!
If it was just me, yes. But Mom is 75, Dad just turned 85, and we'll have luggage for a two-week cruise/tour. I think the money for a cab or limo is well spent.If you can handle your luggage, I suggest you ride the Skybus from the Airport to downtown Vancouver.
Much cheaper and quicker due to the ever increasing traffic to/from the airport!
Nice pics Joe,they remind me of when I lived in Vancouver for a year. ( in Kitslano, the old Hippy Neighborhood West of False Creek)If you arrive into Vancouver by train, whether the Canadian or the Cascades, you will arrive at Pacific Central Station, which was historically the western terminus of the Canadian National Railway.
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Pacific Central also contains the intercity bus terminal, located on the right side of the station. It is located a little east of the central part of the city. To get to Central Vancouver, you walk out the door, into the park, look left, and you will see the elevated Main St.-Science World station of the Vancouver Skytrain. There are ticket vending machines in the stations and you can buy a ticket for a single fare of C$3.15 or a Compass card for about C$5-6 and load it with as much cash as you need or you can buy a day pass for C$11.25. There are discounted fares for seniors and youth, but you have to get a special ("concession") Compass Card, and they are not for sale at the station. As I was there only for a couple of days, I didn't bother and just paid the adult fare. The day pass is good on pretty much everything, except the West Coast Express commuter train and the False Creek ferries to/from Granville Island.
Riding the Skytrain to the end of the line at Waterfront Station, you end up here.
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Waterfront station was the historic terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Given that the Canadian Pacific also operated a steamship line back in the day, it was a pretty convenient transfer from your train that arrived from eastern Canada to the steamship that was going to take you to China or Japan. Today, in addition to being the terminal of two of the Skytrain lines, it's also the terminal for the West Coast Express Commuter train and the Se Bus ferry to the north shore of the Burrard inlet. There's also a heliport right on the waterfront that provides service to Victoria, the provincial capital and a seaplane base a little father north along the shore that also provides scheduled flights to Victoria and other more remote locations in the province.
If you arrive at the airport (YVR), there's a Skytrain line that takes you right into the city with a C$5.00 over regular Skytrain fares.
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The Skytrain operates pretty much like a regular subway/metro, except that the trains are completely automated and they are very short. The Canada Line trains are only two cars long. The platforms are also very short, so they aren't going to start putting longer trains together until they make the decision to rebuild the station platforms. This is offset by the fact that the trains run frequently (2 - 6-minute headway) all day long.
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Most of the transit system consists of buses and trolleybuses ("trackless trolleys" to this hoagie-mouth from Philly) In fact, the only place in North America where I've ever seen more trolleybuses in operation than Vancouver is in its southern neighbor, Seattle. Compared to Baltimore, there seem to be more buses than run more frequently. When I went to pick up my laundry, I was very happy to find that the crosstown bus I needed to ride operated on 15-minute headways on a Sunday evening.
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A view of the Seabus ferry that connects Waterfront Station with the North Shore neighborhoods (or should that be "neighbourhoods?") Note the North Shore Mountains in the background and the big yellow pile of sulfur by the harbor waiting to be loaded on ships.
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One of the False Creek ferries that connect the south side of central Vancouver with Granville Island.
More posts with pictures to follow.
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