[lightrail]

Not sure if this should be in here or the transportation thread.

Budget travellers, welcome to Vancouver.

Transfers:
When you pay a fare on a bus, Skytrain or SeaBus, you'll receive a ticket. Your train ticket is valid to transfer to other Skytrains, the seabus or any bus route in Greater Vancouver for 90 minutes from the time of issue.

YVR
If you're arriving at YVR, the quickest way to Vancouver is the Canada Line. Trains leave the airport every 7-20 minutes depending on the time of day and trains take 25 minutes to Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver.

The cost varies by time of day and day. On a weekday before 6pm, you'll pay a two zone fare of $3.75 plus a $5 surcharge at the airport for a total fare of $8.75. If you arrive in the evening or weekend, you'll pay $2.50 plus the $5 surcharge.

If you plan to take transit several times, you can save money by buying fare saver tickets from the 7-11 or Pharasave on the lower level of the Domestic terminal. Buying these tickets will save you the $5 surcharge on Canada Line.

If you're really short of cash, you can get the free shuttle from the main terminal to the south terminal. At the South Terminal, you can then board the C92 thus avoid the $5 surcharge. This bus runs Monday to Saturday until 7pm every 30 minutes (every 15 minutes in the Monday to Friday peak) and will take you to Canada Line at Bridgeport Station. Your bus ticket is valid to continue on the train to Vancouver (assuming you paid the required zone fare, if not, you can top it up at Bridgeport).

Arriving in the early hours when Canada Line is not operating. During this time (roughly 1am to 5am), the N10 bus runs every 30 minutes to Vancouver and to Richmond from the lower level of the Domestic Terminal. Single zone fares apply, no surcharges.

Going to Whistler
Yes there is a direct bus from YVR to Whistler. It is far cheaper (about half price) to go to the Pacific Central Bus Station (Main Street Skytrain) and take the Greyhound bus. Greyhound run frequently to Whistler.

Even cheaper is to take Greyhound only to Squamish and then get the Sea to Sky bus to Whistler. During the Olympics the Sea to Sky bus runs between Squamish and Whistler 24 hours a day every 20 minutes.

And don't forget, if you have an event ticket, your transit for the day (until 4am the next morning) is included.

Have fun