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The Compass Card
The Compass Card is Vancouver's reloadable transit card — think Oyster (London), Octopus (Hong Kong), or Opal (Sydney). Get one at any SkyTrain station vending machine ($6 deposit, returned when you return the card). Load at machines, online, or at 7-Eleven stores.
Tap your Compass Card on the yellow readers when you board (and tap off on buses and SeaBus to avoid over-charging). A Compass Card saves about 25–30% versus paper tickets. Day passes (~$11.25) are excellent value if you're making more than three trips in a day.
Fares are zone-based: Zone 1 covers most of Vancouver and is $3.10/trip with Compass. Zone 2 adds Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond. Zone 3 covers the outer suburbs.
SkyTrain Network
SkyTrain is Vancouver's fully automated rapid transit system. Three lines cover the major areas visitors need:
- Expo Line (blue): Waterfront → Stadium-Chinatown → Main Street-Science World → Commercial Drive → Metrotown → Surrey. This is your primary line for reaching BC Place and exploring the East Side.
- Millennium Line (yellow): VCC-Clark → Commercial Drive → Brentwood → Burnaby → Coquitlam. The Arbutus extension now reaches through to Olympic Village and Arbutus.
- Canada Line (blue/green): Waterfront → Yaletown-Roundhouse → Olympic Village → Oakridge → Richmond → YVR Airport. Essential for airport transfers.
Trains run approximately every 3–8 minutes during the day, with extended late-night service on match days. The SkyTrain map is at TransLink.ca.
Buses
Vancouver's bus network fills the gaps SkyTrain doesn't cover. Key routes for visitors:
- 99 B-Line: Rapid bus along Broadway from UBC to Commercial Drive — great for Kitsilano and UBC.
- 5 / 6: Robson and Davie streets — cuts through the heart of downtown.
- 17: Oak Street between downtown and Marpole.
- 240 / 246 / 250: North Vancouver routes from the SeaBus terminal at Lonsdale Quay.
Buses accept Compass Cards (tap on the reader beside the driver). Night buses run on major routes after SkyTrain stops; check schedules at TransLink.ca.
SeaBus to North Vancouver
The SeaBus is a 12-minute passenger ferry crossing Burrard Inlet between Waterfront Station (downtown) and Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver). Runs every 15–30 minutes. Covered by your Compass Card at regular Zone 2 fare.
Worth taking for the views of downtown Vancouver alone — it's one of the most scenic transit rides in the world. From Lonsdale Quay, connect by bus to Grouse Mountain, Lynn Canyon, or Deep Cove.
Cycling & Mobi
Mobi by Rogers is Vancouver's bike-share system with over 250 stations. Day passes are $15 for unlimited 30-minute rides (take a new bike at any station to reset the timer for longer trips). The False Creek seawall and the entire Stanley Park loop are car-free cycling routes — cycling is genuinely the best way to explore Vancouver's waterfront.
If you bring your own bike, Vancouver has an extensive network of protected bike lanes. Helmet laws are strictly enforced — wearing a helmet is mandatory in BC and police do fine cyclists without one.
Walking
Downtown Vancouver is very walkable. The core is compact: Gastown, Yaletown, BC Place, the seawall, Robson Street, and the West End are all within 20–30 minutes of each other on foot. The seawall path from Canada Place to Granville Island is 6km and one of the most pleasant urban walks anywhere.
Rideshare
Uber and Lyft operate throughout Greater Vancouver. Fares are reasonable for short trips ($10–18 for most downtown journeys). Surge pricing activates on match days and Friday/Saturday nights. Both apps allow scheduling a pickup in advance — useful for early-morning airport trips.
Airport to Downtown
YVR (Vancouver International Airport) is connected to downtown by the Canada Line SkyTrain — 26 minutes to Waterfront Station, running every 6–8 minutes, 5am–1am daily. Cost: ~$10.25 with Compass Card (YVR add-fare applies). This is by far the best option — taxis cost $35–45 and are stuck in the same traffic.
A taxi or rideshare makes sense if you have a lot of luggage and are travelling with others splitting the fare. Taxis queue outside the international arrivals level.