Vancouver public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Vancouver's network is run by TransLink and covers SkyTrain, the SeaBus to North Vancouver, buses across the region and the West Coast Express commuter train. Fares are set by zone and by time of day, with a cheaper evening rate after 18:30 on weekdays and all day at weekends (check current rules).

For a short visit, the simplest option is a contactless tap: hold a credit card, debit card, phone or watch on the reader at the gate or bus door. You pay the adult fare for each trip, with no card to buy and no top-up to manage. This suits one or two days of occasional travel.

If you will make three or more trips in a day, a Day Pass is usually the better value. Buy it at a Compass vending machine in a station or at a retailer, or load it on a Compass Card. It covers unlimited travel on SkyTrain, SeaBus and buses until the end of service.

For five days or more, get a Compass Card and load stored value. Each tap deducts the correct zone fare at the discounted rate rather than the cash fare. Visitors can buy a Compass Card at the airport station and at major SkyTrain stations; the card carries a refundable deposit.

Contactless is the usual choice for visitors. Tap the same card or phone on entry and exit for SkyTrain and SeaBus; on buses, tap once on boarding. The system charges the adult fare for your zones. If you tap a different card on exit than on entry, you may be charged a maximum fare.

A Compass Card is a reloadable smart card. Buy it from a vending machine at SkyTrain stations, including YVR-Airport, or from retailers. Load stored value or a Day Pass, then tap in and out. The card deposit is refundable if you return it.

The Compass app and the TransLink website let you check balances, buy fares and plan trips. Contactless credit and debit cards and mobile wallets are widely accepted at the gates (check which wallets work). Cash is not accepted on buses or at fare gates (check).

Metro Vancouver is split into three fare zones. Zone 1 covers Vancouver city and the immediate area; Zone 2 covers Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver and the airport; Zone 3 covers Surrey, Coquitlam, Langley and the outer suburbs (check boundaries). Fares rise as you cross more zones, but the difference is small.

Travel within one zone is the cheapest. Crossing into a second or third zone costs more per trip. After 18:30 on weekdays and all day at weekends and statutory holidays, a single-zone fare applies across the whole network, which makes evening and weekend travel cheaper (check).

The Canada Line to the airport is in Zone 2, and fares leaving YVR-Airport station carry an extra add-fare (check the amount). Fares arriving at the airport do not carry the surcharge. If you are leaving the airport, a Day Pass or a Compass Card can be cheaper than a single cash fare.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) sits on the Canada Line SkyTrain, which runs from YVR-Airport station to downtown Vancouver in about 25 minutes. Trains run frequently through the day and into the evening. The station is connected to the terminal by a covered walkway.

Fares leaving the airport include an add-fare on top of the zone fare (check the amount). A contactless tap, a Compass Card or a Day Pass all work. If you are staying several days, buying a Compass Card at the airport station and loading a Day Pass or stored value is usually the cheapest option.

For late-night arrivals, check the last train time; buses and taxis remain options. The Canada Line also connects to Richmond and to Waterfront station downtown, where you can transfer to the SeaBus and the West Coast Express.

Tap the same card or device on entry and exit. Mixing cards between gates can trigger a maximum fare. If a gate does not open, use the help point rather than forcing it.

Evening and weekend travel is cheaper because a single-zone fare applies across the network (check). If your plans are flexible, shift longer trips to those times.

The SeaBus to North Vancouver and the SkyTrain to Surrey and Coquitlam are covered by the same fares and passes. The West Coast Express commuter train runs only at peak times on weekdays, so check the timetable before relying on it.

Keep your card or phone separate from other contactless cards to avoid accidental taps. If you are travelling with a family, check the current child fare rules with TransLink.