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Vancouver airporttoVancouver city center
To Waterfront Station · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours
3 transfer optionsCar hire · not ranked
Not all night: the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront runs 05:09–00:54.
Recommended
The cheapest way in. The Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver is 6 minutes quicker for CA$91.40 more, which is not worth it at this party size.
Metro
Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront
Canada Line · TransLink
26 min rideEvery 8 min05:09–00:54
YVR→Waterfront Station
Non-stop
CA$11.60total for 1 adultCA$11.60 eachBuy ticketOn TransLink
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. YVR–Airport station, between the domestic and international terminals
CA$11.60 by contactless card or phone or a Compass Ticket: the two-zone CA$5.10 plus the CA$6.50 AddFare. After 18:30 on weekdays and all day at weekends, CA$10. A Compass Card with stored value pays CA$10.70, or CA$9.35 off-peak. Children 12 and under ride free.
Hours. Every day, 05:09 to 00:54: every 6 to 8 minutes by day on weekdays, 7 to 10 at weekends, 12 to 15 after 19:00.
Driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name board→Any address in downtown Vancouver
Non-stop24-hour servicePer vehiclePre-book
€64total for 1 adult€64 each · about CA$103 in allBook transferPartner link · through Welcome Pickups
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. Driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name board
Charged in euros: €64 for the sedan. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
Driver meets you at the arrivals exit with a name board→Any address in Vancouver
Non-stopPer vehiclePre-book
€83total for 1 adult€83 each · about CA$133 in allBook transferPartner link · through Kiwitaxi
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. Driver meets you at the arrivals exit with a name board
Charged in euros: €83 for the sedan, €353 for the minibus. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
The options are still here — your budget or journey-time filter is drawn tighter than any of them. Widen either one, or reset the filters, to bring them back.
How do I get from Vancouver airport to Vancouver city center?
For one traveler we recommend the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront at CA$11.60, 26 min, which is also the cheapest way in; the fastest is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver at €64, 20 min. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
A few things for the rest of your trip
Partner offers
Not transport options · Affiliate links
Car hire at Vancouver airportDiscover Cars
Hire a car for Whistler on your own hours, or for the Tsawwassen ferry to Vancouver Island, which no train on this page reaches. You are staying downtown: the Canada Line reaches Waterfront in 26 minutes for CA$11.60, every few minutes from 05:09 to 00:54, and downtown parking is costly. Discover Cars shows the full price before you book.
A flight three or more hours late, or cancelled at short notice, can be owed up to €600 a passenger under EU and UK rules, depending on the flight. AirHelp charges only if the claim succeeds.
These links pay us a commission. They never change which transfer we rank first.
Arriving late?
Not everything runs around the clock: the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront runs 05:09–00:54. Outside those hours, the Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver is what remains. Set the hour you leave arrivals and the board keeps only what is running.
Luggage
Two bags, one set of skis or a snowboard and one bike in a box or bag travel free; CA$10 for each extra item.
Not going to Vancouver at all?
Other cities from this airport on a published fare, priced for your party
YVR–Airport station is between the domestic and international terminals, reached by lift from both arrivals levels. From domestic arrivals on Level 2, go up to Level 3, walk toward the Link Building and follow the Canada Line signs.
Tickets
Tap a contactless credit or debit card or a phone at the fare gate, and again at Waterfront: CA$11.60 before 18:30 on weekdays, CA$10 after 18:30 and at weekends, the CA$6.50 AddFare included. Each adult needs a card of their own, or a Compass Ticket from the machine at the same price.
Finding the stop
When the Canada Line is closed, the N10 night bus leaves from the Domestic Terminal on Level 3, Departures (stop 60436), about every 30 minutes from 01:37 to 04:09, for Granville Street and downtown.
The taxi rank
Taxi stands are on Level 2 of International Arrivals and Domestic Arrivals, and drivers may not pick up anywhere else. Flat zone fares apply from the airport, CA$46 to downtown, with the CA$4 airport charge included; tolls and the tip are extra.
Uber and Bolt
Uber and Lyft pick up at the signed Ride App areas on Level 2 of International Arrivals and Domestic Arrivals, and at the South Terminal. Collect your bags before you request the ride; the price is set in the app.
Which terminal
The domestic and international terminals are one building, joined by the Link Building where the Canada Line leaves. The South Terminal, for some regional flights, is linked to Level 3 of the main terminal by the free A1 courtesy shuttle.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
Canada Line · TransLinkCanada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront
From
YVR–Airport station, between the domestic and international terminals
To
Waterfront Station, downtown Vancouver, the end of the line
Runs
05:09–00:54
Journey
26 min
CA$11.60 by contactless card or phone or a Compass Ticket: the two-zone CA$5.10 plus the CA$6.50 AddFare. After 18:30 on weekdays and all day at weekends, CA$10. A Compass Card with stored value pays CA$10.70, or CA$9.35 off-peak. Children 12 and under ride free.
Tap the same card or phone on the way in and on the way out: the gates charge a three-zone fare until you tap out.
A card tap pays for one adult. Children 12 and under ride free: ask the attendant or use the courtesy phone to pass the gates.
Every day, 05:09 to 00:54: every 6 to 8 minutes by day on weekdays, 7 to 10 at weekends, 12 to 15 after 19:00.
N10 · TransLinkN10 night bus to downtown Vancouver
From
Domestic Terminal, Level 3 Departures, stop 60436
To
Seymour Street at West Georgia Street, downtown
Runs
01:37–04:09
Journey
27 min
CA$3.50 by contactless card, phone or cash; CA$2.85 with Compass Card stored value. The airport AddFare is charged only on the Canada Line. Children 12 and under ride free.
Runs only when the Canada Line is closed; nothing leaves the airport between 00:54 and 01:37, or between 04:09 and the first train at 05:09.
About every 30 minutes, 01:37 to 04:09 on weekday nights, to 04:18 on Saturday and 04:16 on Sunday mornings.
YVR Skylynx kiosk, International Arrivals Level 2, beside the escalators; coaches at Bus Bay 9
To
Whistler, the Gateway Loop by the Visitor Centre
Luggage
Two bags, one set of skis or a snowboard and one bike in a box or bag travel free; CA$10 for each extra item.
Runs
07:00–18:00
Journey
180 min
CA$55 one way on the standard coach, non-refundable; CA$59 flexible. The express costs CA$65 and the executive coach CA$85. Children 6 to 12 pay half, under 6 ride free.
Coaches leave at the scheduled time: allow one to two hours from landing for customs and bags before checking in at the kiosk.
The standard coach takes about 3 hours, stopping downtown and at Squamish; the express runs non-stop in 2 hours 15 for CA$65.
Standard coaches at 07:00, 08:30, 11:30, 15:00 and 19:30 until 21 November, express at 10:00. From 22 November at 07:00, 09:00, 12:00, 15:00 (14:30 and 16:00 Friday to Sunday) and 18:00, express at 10:00 and 13:30.
transfer · Welcome PickupsWelcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver
From
Driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name board
To
Any address in downtown Vancouver
Runs
All night
Journey
20 min
Charged in euros: €64 for the sedan. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
The price is fixed and paid when you book; at night the sedan costs €77 instead of €64.
The sedan seats three: larger vehicles are quoted when you book. Up to an hour of waiting is included.
Driver meets you at the arrivals exit with a name board
To
Any address in Vancouver
Journey
20 min
Charged in euros: €83 for the sedan, €353 for the minibus. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
Up to 90 minutes of waiting after the scheduled landing is included. The 10-seat minibus must be booked at least 24 hours ahead.
What is the best way from Vancouver airport to Vancouver city center?
For one traveler, the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront at CA$11.60, 26 min. The cheapest way in. The Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver is 6 minutes quicker for CA$91.40 more, which is not worth it at this party size. The same holds for a group of up to eight. How we weigh price against time is set out on the fares page, in numbers.
What is the cheapest way from Vancouver airport to Vancouver city center?
For one traveler, the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront at CA$11.60. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from Vancouver airport to Vancouver city center by metro?
One metro reaches Waterfront Station: the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront, CA$11.60 for one traveler, 26 min. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Vancouver by any means. The fastest way overall is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver, 20 min. See every option by metro
How do I get from Vancouver airport to Vancouver city center by taxi?
For one traveler the cheapest taxi is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver at €64, 20 min, and it is also the fastest. It is not the cheapest way in: the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront at CA$11.60 is. See every option by taxi
How long does it take to get from Vancouver airport to Vancouver city center?
Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront: 26 min. Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver: 20 min. Kiwitaxi transfer to Vancouver: 20 min
How far is Vancouver airport from the city center?
Vancouver Airport does not publish a distance to the city. By time: the fastest way in, the Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver, takes 20 min; the cheapest, the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront, 26 min.
Where is the train station at Vancouver airport?
YVR–Airport station is between the domestic and international terminals, reached by lift from both arrivals levels. From domestic arrivals on Level 2, go up to Level 3, walk toward the Link Building and follow the Canada Line signs.
Is there Uber or Bolt at Vancouver airport?
Uber and Lyft pick up at the signed Ride App areas on Level 2 of International Arrivals and Domestic Arrivals, and at the South Terminal. Collect your bags before you request the ride; the price is set in the app.
Where do I catch the Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront at Vancouver airport?
YVR–Airport station, between the domestic and international terminals. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Waterfront Station, downtown Vancouver, the end of the line.
Is there a train from Vancouver airport to Vancouver at night?
The Canada Line SkyTrain to Waterfront runs 05:09–00:54. Outside those hours the Welcome Pickups transfer to Vancouver is what remains; it is €64 for the vehicle. Every day, 05:09 to 00:54: every 6 to 8 minutes by day on weekdays, 7 to 10 at weekends, 12 to 15 after 19:00.
Does the N10 night bus to downtown Vancouver go to Waterfront Station, downtown Vancouver?
Sets down on Seymour Street at West Georgia Street, by Vancouver City Centre station in the middle of downtown; Waterfront Station is further north, by the harbour.
Does the Skylynx coach to Whistler go to Waterfront Station, downtown Vancouver?
Goes to Whistler, about three hours north, via downtown Vancouver and Squamish; not a way to the city centre.
Worth knowing
Leaving the airport by Canada Line adds a CA$6.50 AddFare to the zone fare, charged automatically when you tap or buy a ticket. Rides between the three Sea Island stations are free.
Children 12 and under ride TransLink trains and buses free.
Taxis charge flat zone fares from the airport: CA$46 to downtown and Canada Place, CA$48 to Stanley Park, CA$40 to Kitsilano and Broadway, the CA$4 airport charge included. Tolls and the tip are extra.
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