Location Transport

Urgent- go there in 3 days--canada, vancouver-- need help and advice?

My first time to canada, nervous, please help. (1) what is the daily expense including three meals, public transport, taxi and buying daily necessities? (is it expensive? how much is per mile? i do not drive) (2) if go to Seattle from Vancouver by train or cruise, what do i need to pass the US custom? (3) how much tips should i give to taxi driver and waitress? how much percentage? (4) how is the weather of Vancouver now from july 13 to 27 july? (5) my hotel would be in downtown of vancouver, is the area safe? (6) is the food expensive? (7) how much is bus fare? (8) can i bring dried food such as instant noodle, buscuit (no meat and dairy product) in checked luggage? (9) where to find local day tour to join if my hotel has no leaflet for day tour and do not order for customers? Avis, thanks I want to find a tour with tour guide, i am not the kind of person who can wander around to see and remember directions. i travel alone this time. where to find a tour with guided tour? my hotel might be in false creek , it is quality inn hotel, do you think that area is safe and good location? i am weak for recognising direction and i am a girl, i am quite worried sea bus-- bus time table- runs every ? minutes? (if i miss one, how long i have to wait for another one to come?) (2) what is the fee for one ride (sea bus)? (3) what is the running time each day? from what time until what time ? (what time is the last sea bus from outside back to North vancouver? (i will live in a hotel in north vancouver)

Public Comments

1. you will need a passport to enter or leave canada no passport no entery into Canada not sure about the other question but you could call the vancover vistors center
2. 1. For meals you can spend as little or as much per day as you want. You could get by going to fast food restaurants and only spending $5-10 on food per day, or you could go to fancy restaurants and spend hundreds. Taxis are pretty much the same cost as everywhere else in North America. 2. You will need a valid passport, with appropriate visas. If you're a citizen of Canada, United States, United Kingdon, Japan, Australia, or some other countries with which we have a treaty agreement, no visa is required. You definitely need a valid passport though, and ideally a proof of address. 3. The standard tipping rate is around 15% for restaurants, or up to 25% for taxis. 4. You can expect it to be cloudy, with some rain, but nonetheless very hot. You should wear light clothing; shorts and t-shirts; but also bring one pair of long pants, and a light raincoat. (See http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/cabc0308 for up-to-date weather forecasts) 5. It depends on what part of downtown. You should avoid the eastern part of downtown, especially the Main/Hastings area, which is notorious for being full of drug addicts and gangs. (also see http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080708221012AA84iik ) 6. I answered this in question 1 7. Public transit in Vancouver is run by TransLink. For a single fare, it depends on what zone you travel in. A zone 1 ticket, valid for the general central part of Vancouver, costs $2.50, and is valid for unlimited travel 90 minutes after purchase on buses, subway/skytrain, or seabus. (see http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/Single-Fares.aspx ) You can also purchase a day pass for $9, which allows unlimited travel in all zones for an entire day. (see http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/DayPass.aspx ). Fare zone map: http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/Fare-Zone-Map.aspx 8. Yes, I don't see why not. The main thing to watch out for when crossing the American boarder is citrus fruit. The United States are very protective of their citrus fruit (oranges, etc.) undustry, and will confiscate your fruit (I'm not joking). 9. If you like the hop-on hop-off type of tour, then you should definitely go with BigBus. They're a great company, and this will allow you to see a lot of Vancouver, at your own pace. They use neat double-decker buses with open roofs. The cost is $37, and includes a day of unlimited hopping on and off. (See http://bigbus.ca ) Personally I don't find a hop-on-hop-off tours to be that great, because I could just use public transit in the same way, so if a pre-scheduled guided tour on a deluxe motorcoach is more your thing, there are plenty of companies around that do this. One notable company is the Vancouver City Highlights tour by BCPassport which costs $69, and lasts 4 hours. ( http://www.bcpassport.com/vancouver-tours/bus-tours/city.aspx ). They also offer other tours in the greater Vancouver area, like out to the suburbs, up to Whistler, across the water to Victoria, and more. (See http://www.bcpassport.com/vancouver-tours/bus-tours/vancouver-bus-tours.aspx ).