Vancouver Airport: Transfers and Taxi
Transfers from Vancouver Airport
Pre-booked transfers from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) are the fastest and most convenient travel option to get to popular destinations in the Canadian province of British Columbia: Whistler, Richmond, Squamish, Cypress Mountain, etc. Also, from the air hub, you can get to the city of Seattle in the USA.
Here are the main benefits of this travel option:
- You can reach your accommodation much faster. With Kiwitaxi, you won’t have to spend your time buying public transport tickets and looking for the public transport stop or standing in a line at the taxi rank (sometimes, it can be quite long): your driver will pick you up in the appointed place right upon your arrival.
- You don’t have to get Canadian dollars. You can prepay for your travel in the desired currency and thus avoid visiting a currency exchange office when you arrive.
- You can choose from several car classes. You can easily book a minivan or a minibus if a medium-sized car doesn’t suit your travel needs. If you travel with children, you can also add one or more child seats to your booking.
This transport option will save you a lot of hassle in case your flight arrives at night.
The air hub is situated 15 kilometers southwest of the city center. The transfer will get to your hotel in the city in approximately 20 minutes. The price for the trip is 128 USD.
Taxi from Vancouver Airport
Taxi ranks can be found on Level 2 of the International and Domestic Arrivals Area. The city is divided into several zones, and there is a fixed rate for each of them — you can find the zone map on the official website of the air hub. For taxi rides outside the zones on the map, fares are metered. Also, note that it is common to tip cab drivers (10 to 15% of the fare).
The average taxi fare from Vancouver Airport to downtown (it is split into a few zones) is 35 CAD or 25 USD.
Taxis at the stands are usually standard-sized sedan cars — it will be difficult to find a larger vehicle there. If you have a lot of baggage or travel with a group, consider using the Kiwitaxi service: on our website, you can pre-order a spacious minivan or a minibus with 7 or 10 seats.
Public Transport from Vancouver Airport
You can also get to the city using the Canada Line train. It will take you to downtown (Waterfront Station) in around half an hour. The fare depends on the number of zones you’re traveling through — the trip to downtown costs 9.25 CAD (2 fare zones + a surcharge of 5 CAD for trips from the air hub). You can pay either with a reloadable Compass Card or a single-use Compass ticket (you can buy them from ticket vending machines at the station or inside the terminals or online). The station is located between International and Domestic terminals — there are elevators leading to it from arrivals and departures levels. This travel option is not available after 01:00 am.
There are also some long-distance buses running to other cities in Canada (Whistler, Victoria).
Booking a Transfer from Vancouver Airport
The minimum booking time is 24 hours before travel. However, we will try to find an available car for you even if you make your booking later.
When booking, you need to specify:
- the date and time of your travel
- the preferred vehicle class
- extra services (if needed).
When your booking is completed, you will receive an email with a confirmation and a voucher. In the latter, you will find: the date and time of your trip, the pick-up point, and the driver’s contact info.
Cost of Airport Transfer from Vancouver
The cost of the transfer compared to other ways of getting to the city
Transport type | Cost | On average, per person |
Train | 9.25 CAD | 7 USD |
Taxi | 35 CAD | 8.5 USD |
Transfer | 128 USD | 43 USD |
Kiwitaxi rates are known beforehand and remain unchanged after your reservation is made. Besides, you can make a prepayment in the currency that suits you best.
Useful Information about Vancouver Airport
This air hub is a hub for the following airlines:
- Air Canada
- Air China
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- China Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- WestJet Airlines
- and many others.
Arrivals Info
It consists of three terminals: Domestic, International, and South (it mainly handles local airlines’ flights to British Columbia). Domestic and International terminals can be found within the same building, and South terminal — in a separate one. There is a free shuttle operating between the buildings.
Terminal maps
For the convenience of passengers, the terminals offer:
- ATM machines and currency exchange offices
- cafes and restaurants
- duty-free stores
- postal services
- quiet area
- chapel.
