Consistently named as one of the most liveable cities in the world, Vancouver is a city surrounded by water and decorated with snow-capped mountains on the horizon. The central business district bustles with world-class companies and technology, but locals have the option to leave the office behind spending their weekends hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, rock climbing, and generally enjoying the wealth of outdoors on their doorstep. This fusion of business and pleasure, as well as the city’s bars, restaurants, and attractions, makes it an exceptional destination regardless of your reason for visiting. Organise a Vancouver City car hire to help you explore as much of it as possible.
The places you can visit with a car rental from Vancouver are numerous. Drive 1.5 hours north to visit Whistler, home of North America’s favourite ski resort through the winter and a world-class hiking and biking destination in summer. Take the ferry across to Vancouver Island with your rental to visit the British Columbian capital Victoria and discover the countless coastal villages around the island. Or consider an epic summer road trip up through the Rockies and into Calgary to experience the Calgary Stampede - one of Canada’s premier events. If time is in your hands, you can travel to Winnipeg with your car rental and explore the capital of “friendly Manitoba”.
Booking a car hire in Vancouver City with AirportRentals.com
As an international city, almost every household car hire brand offers locations in Vancouver City. This means a tremendous amount of choice (and better deals) for you, if not added legwork to find all the quotes on the table. Instead of doing the extensive research yourself, you can get all the benefits of the variety of options without the hard work by using Airport Rentals.
Simply enter the dates you need a rental, and hit ‘search cars’ to generate a complete list of available vehicles from leading suppliers throughout the city. The results are clearly listed on a single page and ordered with the most affordable at the top for quick selection of the best deal. Be sure to read the main features and benefits of each car so you can best determine the right one for your needs. If you already know what you’re looking for, add filters to your search to narrow down the results by vehicle size, style, transmission type and other preferences.
Finalising your car hire in Vancouver and booking with Airport Rentals is just as simple. You’ll receive immediate confirmation on most vehicles, and gain access to added benefits, customer support, and our online reservation management system.
Introducing Vancouver City
Vancouver City is compact, but the grid structure of the streets and the fact that you can often see the waterfront to orientate yourself make it reasonably easy to get around. It does have the unfortunate nickname of ‘Raincouver’ due to many days of rainfall throughout the year, so it will pay to bring along wet weather gear and drive extra carefully when the roads are wet.
The nearest and main airport is Vancouver Airport (YVR) just out of the city. This is the second busiest airport in the country and offers flights to and from domestic and international locations such as Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Paris.
Your guide to driving in Vancouver
Driving from Vancouver to the airport
The airport is 13 kilometres south of the city, and it will usually take 30 minutes to make the drive, but it’s always best to allow for extra time in case of traffic. The simplest route is to take Granville Street out of the city and follow it as it joins BC-99. This leads you to Marine Drive, across the river, and onto Grant McConachie Way to the airport.
Tips for driving in Vancouver
Get ready to explore British Columbia with a few essential driving tips for your Vancouver car hire:
You will drive on the right-hand side of the road in Canada.
Note that a flashing green light in BC means that a pedestrian has pushed the button to cross, so the light may turn red to accommodate them.
Rent a GPS unit from your supplier to help you find your way around if not already installed.
Vancouver doesn’t see a lot of snow in the city often, but it’s best to read our winter driving tips to prepare, or if you plan to head out of town.
Parking in Vancouver
There are on-street parking stalls and garages throughout the city. On-street stalls can have maximum time limits of an hour or two in the busiest areas so be sure to plan your stops wisely. Meters are in effect from 9 am to 10 pm every day.
Your stay in Vancouver
Accommodation options in Vancouver
Take your pick from hundreds of accommodation options in Vancouver for a comfortable stay in town. Here are just a few:
Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront
Patricia Hotel
Hotel Ambassador
Buchan Hotel
Kingston Hotel
Top annual events in Vancouver
From the smallest gatherings to the biggest Canada Day celebrations, there’s always something happening in Vancouver.
Taste BC (January)
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (April)
Vancouver Craft Beer Week (June)
Powell Street Festival (August)
Vancouver International Film Festival (September)
Things to see and do with your car rental in Vancouver
Make the most of your time in the city by visiting some of its top attractions:
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