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Getting to Vancouver by Car and Motorbike

Getting to Vancouver by car or motorbike is in some respects your best option, though in other respects your worst!

The Good Points

Driving a car or motorbike into Vancouver gives you the most independence and freedom to go exactly where you want to. This is great for people who are traveling with a lot of baggage as you can load up the car then drive directly to your hotel in Vancouver. You don’t have to worry about changing buses or getting on a train and hauling your baggage around with you!

Of course, on a motorbike you’re obviously more restricted as to what you can carry, but traveling into Vancouver on motorbike has other advantages over the car! (see below).

Having your own transport in Vancouver also gives you the added benefit of being able to drive directly to the attractions you want to see. This includes going over to the North Shore and you don’t have to worry about being tied to a bus schedule!

The Bad Points

There also has to be a downside to getting to Vancouver by car or motorbike, and one of the biggest is the traffic.

As mentioned previously, in their wisdom the residents of Vancouver voted many years ago not to have a freeway going directly into the city center. Unfortunately the roads are now paying the price for this as really they aren’t capable of handling the number of vehicles which are trying to use them as vehicle ownership has risen so much over the past few decades.

So if you’re planning to come to Vancouver by car, be prepared for getting stuck in traffic! Motorbikes, on the other hand, have the benefit of being able to get through the traffic much easier so you may not find Vancouver traffic to be so much of a problem. However, do be very careful if you’re planning on driving between cars because often drivers forget to check their mirrors before changing lanes.

Parking can also be a problem in Vancouver. If you’re booking a hotel in the city and are coming here by car, make sure you check first whether they have a car park and what the parking policy is otherwise you could find you have to use a public car park several blocks away. Again, for motorbike owners, parking is usually much easier!

Finding Your Way in to Vancouver

Obviously there are multiple routes which you could take to get into Vancouver. For directions from the airport, please visit the Getting Around pages.

From Whistler to Vancouver Downtown

Follow Highway 99 – the Sea to Sky Highway – all the way to Horseshoe Bay. Here you join Highway 1/99 for 13km. Exit at 13 onto Taylor Way heading south. Follow this for a short while before you get to the Lions Gate Bridge which takes you over the water and onto Stanley Park. Continue on the main through route and this brings you directly into downtown (view map).

From Highway 1 East to Vancouver Downtown

Follow Highway 1 all the way to Exit 26. Join Hastings Street going west and this takes you straight into downtown (view map).

From the I5 and US Border to Vancouver Downtown

Once you cross the border, the I5 becomes Highway 99. This is a freeway all the way to the exit for Vancouver International Airport. Continue on the 99, which becomes Granville Street, then cross the Granville Bridge onto Seymour Street where you’ve reached downtown Vancouver (view map).