Transportation:

Like many big cities, Vancouver isn’t the most car-friendly place. There are frequent traffic jams in many parts of the city and parking can be difficult to come by. If your destination is close to a sky-train line, then that is usually your best bet.

Taxi

Taxis are quite expensive and you are generally expected to tip. They are best saved for late nights when public transport options are limited. Getting back to UBC from downtown, for example, could easily cost you $30 or more including tip.

Sky-train

Translink

Vancouver boasts a three-line rapid transit system. While it’s not as comprehensive as those found in some other major cities around the world, it does offer a lot of connections not just in Vancouver, but in the surrounding cities of Burnaby, Surrey, New Westminster, and Richmond as well.

Flying Chalks' Tip: The trains only run until around 1 a.m., so make your plans accordingly!

Buses

Buses are a good way to get around Vancouver. They are most useful for destinations that can’t be reached by sky-train, or to connect you to a sky-train station.

Maps and schedules for the bus and train can be found at the Translink website.

SeaBus

If you want to get to North Vancouver (North Shore), a good transport option is the SeaBus which departs from Waterfront Station. You can find schedules here.

Transit Zones

Vancouver and the surrounding areas are divided into 3 different transit zones. There is no added fare when taking the bus, but the SeaBus and sky-train fees increase when crossing zone boundaries. For a full description of transit zones, visit the relevant Translink page.

Fares

UBC participates in the U-pass program which allows you to use transit at a discounted rate. The U-pass fees are included in your regular student fees. The current cost is $39.50 per month and allows you unlimited use of the buses, sky-trains, and SeaBus. This is significantly cheaper than the $91 it costs for a regular 1-zone bus pass (not to mention the more expensive passes covering 2 or 3 zones).

Intercity Travel

Canada is a vast and sparsely populated country. Consequently, it can take a long time to get places and the transportation system isn’t particularly well developed. If you want to take a trip outside of Vancouver and you don’t have a car, your options are rather limited.

1. Greyhound
   Greyhound bus option is the most affordable way to get around. The bus station is located next to the Main Street-Science World sky-train station on the Expo Line. From there you can take buses to the USA, other parts of BC, as well as the rest of Canada. Greyhound buses have a bathroom on board and most of them now have Wi-Fi and power outlets for your electronics.
   These buses are a great way to get around BC if you want to see more of the province. They even go on the ferry if you would like to take a trip to Victoria or one of the other island destinations. If you have both time and patience, you can travel all the way across Canada on them for a comparatively low price, though they are not especially comfortable for the 50 or 60 hour journey it would take to get to the eastern provinces.
   Ticket-booking is available on-line at: www.greyhound.ca
   Flying Chalks’ Tip: If you plan your trip in advance, you can save money by booking your tickets ahead of time. Greyhound offers discounts on advance purchases so book ahead to maximize your savings!
2. Rail
   Train transport in Canada is not as practical and affordable as it is in many other countries. Trains also don’t run very often and can easily rival the cost of a plane ticket for longer journeys. The train station is in the same building as the Greyhound station. More information can be found at the Via Rail website. If you want to head south of the border, the American-run Amtrak trains are a more affordable option. You can find information and book tickets online at: www.amtrak.com
3. Air
   This is the best option for longer trips outside the province (unless, as mentioned, you don’t mind being on a bus for a very long time). While air travel is not very cheap, you can find decent deals at times.
   Flying Chalks’ recommendation: Westjet airline is probably your best choice for domestic travel. Check out their website.
   You can also shop around for deals on any of the popular online price-comparison services such as:

• www.vayama.com
• ​www.expedia.com

4. Sea
   There are ferry terminals at Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay if you want to catch a ferry out to Victoria, Nanaimo, or the Sunshine Coast. This is generally a good option if you have a car as finding reliable transport at those places could prove difficult.  You can also take the ferry as part of a Greyhound bus trip.

Flying Chalks’ recommendations:

• Ferries

If you do have the opportunity to take a ferry trip, do not miss it. It is highly recommended as it is quite scenic and there is always the chance you will be able to spot some whales during your journey. It is not unheard of for groups of orcas to swim alongside the ship and you can catch glimpses of them as they jump out the water.

• Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast is quite picturesque and is a great place for camping. There’s a large selection of campgrounds, beaches, hiking trails, and provincial parks. As there is no road leading to the place, you will have to take a ferry from Horseshoe Bay. For information on campgrounds and accommodations, visit: http://www.sunshinecoastcanada.com/stay/campgrounds

• Victoria

Victoria is the capital of British Columbia. It is a smaller city of about 350,000 people. There are a number of interesting attractions including its historic Chinatown, whale watching, gardens, and the legislative buildings, which are brilliantly lit up at night. The legislative buildings also offer free tours.

To get to Victoria, you have to take a ferry from Tsawwassen, which is accessible via public bus.

• Whistler

If you enjoy skiing, you can take a bus up to Whistler, which was host to many events during the 2010 Winter Olympics. If you want to take a break from winter sports, you can also take a gondola to the top of Blackcomb Mountain for some excellent views.

Epicrides offers $35 round trip bus fare from Vancouver to Whistler.

Banking services:

In order to open a bank account in Canada, you will need to go in-person and present your passport, student ID, study permit, and proof of enrollment at UBC. Many banks offer special bank accounts for international students. The following banks are located on West 10th Avenue, near Sasamat Street:

• CIBC
• HSBC
• Scotiabank
• Royal Bank of Canada
• TD Canada Trust
• Vancity
• Bank of Montreal

Major banks in Canada:

• CIBC
  Homepage:  https://www.cibc.com/en/personal-banking.html
  Customer Service: 1 800 465 2422
• Scotiabank
  Home page: http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,4285,00.html
  Customer Service: 1 800 472 6842
• Royal Bank of Canada
  Home page: http://www.rbc.com/canada.html
  Customer Service: 1 800 769 2511
• Bank of Montreal
  Home page: http://www.bmo.com/newstart/en/index.html
  Customer Service: 1 877 225 5266

Post Office services:

There is a Canada Post location in the University Village pharmacy (IDA). You can mail out packages and letters there. It costs about $2.50 to mail out a letter under 30g in weight. For further information on Canada Post services, visit the website.

Medical services:

Medical facilities in Canada are excellent. There are many walk-in clinics you can go to without an appointment, including the University Village Medical and Dental Clinic located on campus. UBC Hospital is also located on campus.

University Village Medical Clinic

Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

                          Sat-Sun, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Phone: 604 222 2273

Address: Suite 228-2155 Allison Rd.

If you need to get special medical tests (e.g. ultrasound) or if you need to see a specialist, you have to get a referral from a walk-in clinic or a family doctor. Wait times are dependent on the severity of your condition.

Emergency room wait times can be very long (3 hours or more) and are dependent on urgency and how busy the ER is. If you come in on a busy night, it is not uncommon to spend most of your night waiting if you are not a priority case. In case of an emergency, call 911.

Medicine

A wide variety of over-the-counter medications is available at grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and drugstores. You can buy things like cold medicine, non-prescription pain killers such as ibuprofen, muscle relaxants, antacids, and other basic medications. If you need to fill a prescription, most of the bigger grocery stores have pharmacies inside. You can also go to a drugstore such as Shoppers Drug Mart, or a pharmacy. You can find pharmacies and drugstores in the University Village and Wesbrook village.

Telecommunications:

There is a large selection of cell-phone plan providers including Virgin Mobile, Bell, Rogers, and Telus. They offer a range of contract plans from simple talk and text, to data, to more comprehensive plans that include phones. You can get a talk and text plan for as little as $25 a month (no data included).  

You can use this website to compare plans:

http://www.comparecellular.ca/compare-plans-in-british-columbia/mobile-phones/

Or, you can visit the sites of some of the major carriers and see what they have to offer:

Telus

Rogers

Virgin

If you are planning to bring your own phone, check with the carrier to make sure it will work. Unlike most in the rest of the world, many North American carriers run on CDMA networks, which are not compatible with unlocked GSM phones. Furthermore, North American networks tend to use the GSM-850 and GSM-1900 bands which may not work with your device. Check the specifications on your phone to avoid buying a SIM card you can’t use!

Flying Chalks’ recommendation: If you are looking for a cheap pre-paid plan for your unlocked phone, Petro Canada’s SIM cards are a good bet. They run on a GSM network and get the job done if you are just looking for basic calling and texting.

Flying Chalks’ tip: You can almost always find free Wi-Fi at coffee shops!

Weather:

Vancouver’s climate can best be described with a single word: rainy. Most of the rain comes in the fall and winter months when Vancouver can go quite some time without any sunshine. That being said, the rain does go away in summer and it doesn’t generally get unbearably hot. The temperature in June or July does not usually climb pass the low 20’s Celsius.

Winters are usually very mild without much snow. Vancouver is actually the warmest major city in Canada and the winter temperatures rarely dip below zero. An average winter’s day will be around 6°C.

Safety:

Vancouver is like any other major city for the most part. Stay out of dark places and alleys at night and pay reasonable attention to your possessions and you should be just fine. The area around East Hastings and Main St. can be a bit overwhelming due to its large level of homelessness and drug activity, but it does not pose too much of a danger. You might end up wandering into the area if you go check out the nightlife in the famous Gastown district or visit Chinatown.