posted
Ok, I'm finally using my voucher from my bad March trip. It's Seattle to Vancouver on the Talgo "Cascade."
Anybody done this short run? When you get to the station in Vancouver, is it right smack in downtown, or do you have to hold your purse and run through the rough part of town to get to the tourist attractions? I only have 6 hours to spend in town and I'm running around taking pictures, so I need to time efficiently.
Posts: 37 | From: Seattle, WA, USA | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I rode the Talgo in 1999 from VAC-SEA. The Vancouver Pacific Central Station is downtown, and it did not seem like a rough neighborhood when I was there in 1999. It is convenient to Vancouver's "Skytrain" (monorail) system, being just a block or so away, and also convenient to several types of trolley/bus tours of the City. The Pacific Central Station is, to my knowledge, the only operating rail passenger station in Vancouver at this time -- the old station, which was located on the Bay a mile or so west of Pac. Cent. Station, is now a convention center or a hotel or something. Pacific Central Station is also where VIA's Canadian arrives into and leaves from. There are a couple shops in the station, and a McDonald's restaurant (at least there were in 1999)
The trip from SEA to VAC is fairly scenic, as much of the route goes along Puget Sound. In the Vancouver area, you cross the Fraser River a couple times, which is a wide busy river. From Everett to Seattle, of course, the route is the same as AMTRAK's Empire Builder
Have a good trip!!
[This message has been edited by RRRICH (edited 07-17-2002).]
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
The Pacific Central station (a couple of miles from downtown) is in a rather seedy, but not unsafe, area. The Skytrain station is just across from the railway station through a parkette. Just walk quickly and ignore the drunks and panhandlers unless, of course, you wish to make a donation to them. The Skytrain will take you to downtown Vancouver. The Waterfront Station (the end of the Skytrain line) is adjacent to the former CPR station which is still in use for the West Coast Express commuter train and as the Seabus terminal. I highly recommend a trip across the harbour to North Vancouver. The Skytrain, Seabus and city bus system are all covered by the day pass.
Posts: 216 | From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have taken that train several times, and I would advise that if it is your first trip, for northbound try to find a seat on the west (left) side of the train as the scenery is quite dramatic. As for Vancouver I agree with what others have posted. One minor quibble with RRRich however: the Skytrain is not a monorail, the trains ride on two steel rails probably standard guage.
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for the correction, Royal!!! I thought the Skytrain was a monorail....
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sit on the left ok, got it. So, when you get off at the station, then find the Skytrain, anybody know how much it is? I have four loonies on me. From that area, how close are Gastown and Stanley Park?
Posts: 37 | From: Seattle, WA, USA | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
As no-one from the Vancouver area has responded, I will (with the aid of the transit Web site: www.translink.bc.ca and from my experiences.) As I recall, the Skytrain station near the Pacific Central station does not have an escalator, so it is a long climb if one has heavy luggage. Fares are paid into a machine. The regular Zone 1 fare is $2.00. Zone 1 covers all of the central region. In off-peak hours (after 6:30 p.m. and week-ends) there is no zone system in effect. A single fare is good for 90 minutes in any direction. Day passes are $8.00.
Gastown is only a short walk east of the Waterfront (ex-CPR) station. Stanley Park is about a mile west. As I recall, the bus to Stanley Park leaves from a couple of blocks north of the Waterfront station. I recommend the walk if the weather is fine.
posted
You can also catch a downtown trolley tour from about a block away from Pac. Central Station (you catch the trolley near the Skytrain terminal), and the city tour goes through Gastown and Stanley Park -- it was about a 2-hr tour when I took it in '99, but I forgot how much it costs. There should be info. available in Pac. Central Station about the trolley tour
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ok, sounds like public transportation is convenient from the train station. But if Stanley Park is only a mile away, I can walk, I'm a very hardy walker =) I remember taking the Greyhound to Vancouver about 7 years ago, and I took a cab from the bus station to Robson St, just to be put in the middle of the action. Much to my shock, I was sitting in a nice pub enjoying a local microbrew, and I asked about the bus back to Seattle, and I found out I had 2 HOURS left!!!
On the train though, I'll have a solid 6 hours, much more time.
Thanks to everybody for their information, you guys are really great! =)
Posts: 37 | From: Seattle, WA, USA | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
