Getting around Vancouver: public transport, passes and taxis

Vancouver's transit is run by TransLink and covers the city, the airport, North Vancouver by SeaBus and much of the Lower Mainland. Fares are set by zone and by how you pay, so the table below is a starting point rather than a quote. Confirm current prices and hours on the TransLink site before you travel.

The SkyTrain is the backbone. The Canada Line links Vancouver International Airport (YVR) with downtown in about 25 minutes, which makes it the default airport transfer unless you are carrying a lot of luggage or arriving after service ends. The Expo and Millennium lines cover downtown, Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey. The SeaBus is a passenger ferry between Waterfront and Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, and it takes the same fare as the rest of the network.

Buses fill the gaps, including routes along Broadway, Granville, Hastings and 4th Avenue, and they run later than many visitors expect. Night buses cover some corridors after the trains stop. Service is frequent in the city core and thinner in the suburbs, so check the last connection if you are staying outside Vancouver proper.

Payment is the part that trips people up. You can tap a contactless credit card, phone or watch at the fare gates and on buses, or use a reloadable Compass card. Compass cards are sold at SkyTrain stations and some retailers, and you tap in and out on rail; on buses you tap once. Fares are by zone, with a cheaper one-zone rate inside Vancouver and higher rates when you cross into other zones. The airport station carries an extra surcharge on top of the fare, which is waived if you are using a monthly pass. Check the current zone boundaries and surcharge before you buy.

For a short visit, the simplest approach is to tap a contactless credit card or phone and let the system charge you per trip. If you plan three or more paid trips in a day, a Day Pass usually costs less than paying separately, and it covers buses, SkyTrain and SeaBus until the end of service. Compass cards make sense for longer stays: you load stored value or a pass, and the card is reusable.

Monthly passes suit residents and long stays rather than a one-week holiday. If you are here for several days and moving around a lot, compare a Day Pass against a Compass card with stored value; the difference is small, and the card avoids a card fee on every tap. Children and seniors often travel at reduced rates, and some fares are free for young children, but the age bands and discounts change, so check before you rely on them.

Taxis are metered and easy to find at hotels, SkyTrain stations and the airport taxi rank. A short hop within downtown is usually a small fare, and tipping follows the Canadian norm of about 10–15%. For longer trips, ask for a fixed quote or check the meter is running before you set off.

Uber and Lyft both operate in Vancouver and the wider region, and they are often the cheapest option outside peak hours. At busy times, after concerts and on weekend nights, surge pricing can push the price above a taxi. Ride-hailing pickups are restricted at some locations, including parts of the airport and downtown, so follow the signs to the designated zone.

For late nights, either works; the trade-off is waiting time versus price. If you are staying outside the city, confirm that a driver will take the trip before you get in, and keep a taxi number saved as a backup.

Downtown Vancouver is walkable, and the Seawall and False Creek paths make cycling a genuine way to get around rather than a novelty. Mobi by Rogers is the local bike-share system, with docks downtown, around False Creek and near the university; you need to check current prices and whether a helmet is provided, since helmets are required by law in British Columbia.

A rental car is usually a waste inside the city: parking is expensive, traffic is slow at rush hour and transit covers the main sights. It pays off for day trips to Whistler, Squamish, the Fraser Valley or the Sunshine Coast, where transit is limited or nonexistent. If you do drive, note that winter tyres are required on many BC routes from 1 October to 30 April, and one-way rentals between provinces can carry large fees.

Transit is the cheapest way to move around Vancouver, and the difference between tapping per trip and buying a pass is small enough that you should pick based on how many trips you will actually make. Taxis and ride-hailing cost more but save time when transit is slow or has stopped for the night. A rental car adds parking, fuel and insurance on top of the daily rate, which is why it rarely makes sense for a city-only stay.

Keep one payment method for the whole day so fare capping and passes work in your favour. If you are arriving at YVR, the Canada Line is usually faster than a taxi into downtown, but it stops running overnight, so check the last train if you land late. For anything outside the transit grid, book a taxi or ride-hailing rather than waiting at a stop that may have no service.