Looking to plan a trip to Vancouver? There are various ways you can travel to this great city – whether that’s via a cruise ship, driving, or flying! This post focuses on the main flying option of Vancouver International Airport when you enter via plane into Vancouver. Hopefully this helps so you know what to expect when you fly in soon!
About Vancouver International Airport
While there are a few airports in the city of Vancouver, most travelers tend to go through Vancouver International Airport. It’s the main, more well-known airport – look for the code YVR when planning your flight! It’s located south of Vancouver in a city called Richmond. It’s actually the second busiest airport in all of Canada – Toronto Pearson International Airport comes in first as Canada’s busiest. In 2019 alone, YVR saw 26 million passengers.
You may notice quite a bit of Air Canada, West Jet, and Air Transat flights here, as they all use YVR as one of their airport hubs. In addition to a ton of flight options at this airport, you’ll notice that the airport itself is beautiful. For many travelers, this airport provides an impression of British Columbia with a mix of art and architecture that reflects the diverse landscape and people of the area. Throughout the airport you’ll notice quite a bit of art!
Amenities at YVR
YVR also has a TON of dining options located throughout the airport. And if you visit their website, you can actually pre-order food online and pick up to go! The airport also has a lot of shops, so if you have some time to kill before your flight, you have plenty of stores to check out! There’s a good mix of boutiques, markets, and even high end stores that you can find here. Other amenities at the airport include a chapel, yoga room, and complimentary wifi.
Vancouver Terminals
Vancouver International Airport has 3 terminals, but for your travels you most likely will pass through only one or two of them – either the domestic or international terminal. The South terminal is about a 10 minute drive from the other terminals and typically sees only small aircraft or flights to minor cities. All arrivals are on level 2, with departures on level 3.
YVR Transportation
Once you land at Vancouver International Airport, you have a ton of transportation options to get you to downtown Vancouver or your next destination. Options include ride share, car rentals, ride share, bus shuttles, and public transportation. While you can easily call a Lyft or Uber from their ride share area, we suggest taking the Canada Line if you are headed to downtown Vancouver. The Canada Line is Vancouver’s rapid transit rail that connects the airport to downtown in under 30 minutes. It’s easy to spot from either the domestic or international terminals. Staying at Sunset Inn & Suites? It’s only a 40 minute ride on the Canada Line!
Additionally, there are also many courtesy shuttle busses that take you to local hotels (find this shuttle area on level 3). And of course, you can always take a taxi! Taxi drivers who pick up YVR passengers are fully licensed.
