NOMS 2006 Local Arrangements

Hotels

Hotels with discount rates

Hotel information sites

• travel-tourismvancouver.com

Transportation from Vancouver International Airport to Downtown Vancouver

1) Scheduled Buses - YVR Airporter

(Pick-ups to Downtown Hotels at the Vancouver International Airport Domestic & International Terminals)

The YVR Airporter provides bus service to major hotel destinations in downtown Vancouver, the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal and the bus depot/train station. The YVR Airporter bus is located on the International and Domestic Arrivals level curb. No reservations required.

• International Terminal - every 20 minutes from 8:55 to 19:15 and every 30 minutes from 20:25 to 21:25.
• Domestic Terminal - every 20 minutes from 9:00 to 19:20 and every 30 minutes from 20:30 to 21:30.

Tickets may be purchased at the YVR Airporter counter, their pickup locations or on the motor coach.

Further information on service, schedules and fares may be obtained from the Airporter counter located on the International and Domestic Arrivals levels, their website, www.yvrairporter.com (map of the airport and downtown can be found in the website).

Note:
Six of the NOMS 2006 discount hotels are pick-up points of the YVR Airporter service. Please refer to the location map of downtown hotels.

2) Taxi

It takes approximately 30-40 minutes to travel from the airport to major downtown hotels in Vancouver. Yellow Cabs and Black Top Cabs are the major taxi companies in Vancouver. The cost is approximately CAD$30-35.

Location Map of Downtown Hotels

Visa Applications

About Vancouver

Location

Vancouver is located on the mainland of North America, in the south west corner of British Columbia, which is the westernmost of Canada's ten provinces. Greater Vancouver is made up of 18 municipalities that occupy 2,930 square kilometres on and around the Fraser River delta. The City of Vancouver is one of them.

Vancouver City is on the western-most part of a peninsula that is a major extension of the Fraser River's delta. The delta juts into a part of the Pacific Ocean, separating Vancouver Island from the mainland, called the Strait of Georgia. Several self-governing urban areas called municipalities make up Greater Vancouver. See also Greater Vancouver Municipalities for details on areas surrounding the city, or see the Maps section to better understand getting around Vancouver.

Across the Strait of Georgia and 96 km (60 miles) to the south-west is British Columbia's capital city of Victoria, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Vancouver is almost exactly halfway between Western Europe and the Asia Pacific countries. Thirty-eight kilometres (24 miles) south of downtown Vancouver is the Canada-US boundary.

Climate

Warmed by Pacific Ocean currents and protected by a range of mountains, Vancouver enjoys mild temperatures year-round. Winters are wet but temperatures seldom fall below freezing and snow is rare. Summer is sunny and warm, almost never hot and seldom humid. Late autumn can be chilly with occasional rain and fog.

The average daily high temperature in April is 56's Fahrenheit (13° Celsius), and average daily low temperature is 42's Fahrenheit (5° Celsius). See Current weather forecast and What to Wear page for additional information.

Population

Based on 2001 Canadian Census reports, the population of the City of Vancouver in 2004 is estimated at 583,296. Greater Vancouver's estimated total population for 2004 is 2.1 million, 50.8% of BC's population of 4.2 million.

Languages

English and French are Canada's two official languages. English is the predominant language in British Columbia. The City of Vancouver is quite cosmopolitan and is a mix of many multicultural groups. Because the city is multicultural, it's also multilingual on an unofficial level. Its people speak many different languages and many follow the traditions of their native lands, sometimes moderating them with Canadian culture.

Time Zone

The majority of British Columbia is in the Pacific Standard Time Zone; however, a small portion of the province that borders the Rocky Mountains are in the Mountain Time Zone, one hour ahead of the Pacific Zone. Daylight Savings Time is in effect from 0200hr on the first Sunday in April until 0200hr on the last Sunday in October.

Currency

The Canadian dollar is worth about two-thirds of a US dollar. Most Greater Vancouver establishments accept US dollars and Japanese yen, and usually offer reasonable exchange rates. The Canadian dollar itself is a relatively large gold-coloured coin and the locals have nicknamed it the 'Loonie', officially because it features a Canadian bird, the loon, on its face.

• Canadian one dollar coin ("loonie") ($) = 100 cents
• Canadian two dollar coin ("toonie") ($) = 200 cents
• Notes are in denominations of $1000, $100, $50, $20, $10, $5
• Coins are in denominations of $2, $1, $0.50, $0.25, $0.10, $0.05, $0.01

The current Canada/US exchange rate and the exchange rate between Canada and other countries can be found at: www.x-rates.com

Visitors can exchange currency at Canadian chartered banks, trust companies, credit unions, or at offices of foreign exchange brokers, but it is advised to have local currency on hand prior to arriving. Some hotels, merchants, restaurants and suppliers accept US or other foreign currency at a pre-determined rate, which may differ from the daily rate posted by financial institutions.

Travelers Cheques - Travelers cheques in Canadian dollars are the safest and most convenient way to carry money. They are widely accepted and can be cashed at banks or foreign exchange brokers. Identification may be required when cashing travelers cheques.

Custom House Foreign Global Exchange - With an automated machine and staffed kiosk currency exchange service available in the Tourism Vancouver Touristinfo Centre, visitors are guaranteed convenience, competitive rates and excellent service.

Banking and Credit Cards

Regular banking hours in Canada are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, with extended hours including weekends at some locations. Visitors who wish to cash cheques or require other banking services are advised to check times of operation with the institutions. Most banks have automatic teller machines, which can be accessed 24 hours a day, using bank or credit cards on major international banking networks such as Cirrus, Plus and Interac.

Most major credit cards are accepted, but visitors are always advised to check with the vendor before a purchase is made. Cash machines with 24-hour access are available in many convenient locations throughout Greater Vancouver.

Tipping

Some properties and resort hotels include tips or gratuities with tours group to simplify bookkeeping. This will usually include gratuities for housekeeping, bell service and food service. If meals are included in the price, customary gratuity will be calculated at 15 per cent. Visitors should be advised that the standard tip in most restaurants is 15 per cent.

Tax

There are three levels of taxation that affect visitors to Vancouver. There's a 10% tax charged on accommodation and liquor. For most other goods and services, there is a 7% provincial sales tax (PST) and the 7% federal goods and services tax (GST.). See Individual for more details.

Visitors to Vancouver from outside the country can apply to have the GST returned to them when they leave the country, but they must keep purchase receipts as proof of the amount paid. See Visitor Tax Rebate for more details.

Insurance

Visitors are not covered by Canadian health insurance plans. The Organizing Committee of NOMS 2006 does not accept any responsibility for individual travel, personal and medical insurance. Participants are advised to have their own personal insurance policies.

Electricity

Outlets and voltage (110 volts) are the same as in the United States. Small appliances such as hair dryers, irons, razors, etc. can be used in Canada. For those from other countries, adapters are required for electrical appliances. The frequency of electrical current in Canada is 60 Hz.

Phone Codes and Local vs. Long Distance Call

There are three telephone area codes for the province of British Columbia. Dialling in BC required 10-digit phone numbers, so ensure you include the correct area code in front of the local number.

• Greater Vancouver (including two outer communities - Abbotsford and Mission) use 604 and 778. The urbanized area north of Greater Vancouver to Whistler uses only the 604 area code. The rest of BC, including Victoria, uses the 250 area code.
• Almost all phone numbers in the Greater Vancouver area are local calls.
• Phone calls to Whistler are long distance, but most businesses in the resort community have either toll-free or local-call numbers.
• Victoria is long distance from Vancouver (and vice versa.)
• If you're calling from within Canada or the United States, direct dialling for long distance is: 1.areacode.phone.number (e.g. 1.604.555.1212).
• If you are calling from outside North America, you can dial directly to BC numbers using the international access code 00 if you are calling from most countries in Europe and 0011 if you are calling from Australia. Then dial our country code 1, the area code and the number.
• If you are calling from BC to outside North America, the international access code is 011 + country code + city code + number.

Dining

An extensive variety of cuisine is available representing the multicultural flavour of Vancouver. Fine dining, casual or family friendly restaurants are easily accessible throughout Greater Vancouver. See Dining section to locate restaurants and find out more about the variety of foods and establishments available in Vancouver.

Sightseeing

The Vancouver area is surrounded by some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world, mountains, ocean, rainforest, parks and beaches. This is a city like no other!

Check out Itineraries for suggestions of what to do and see in Vancouver!

Check out Walkabouts for suggestions of interesting walks around Downtown Vancouver (False Creek, Yale Town, Stanley Park etc.) Vancouver's West Side (Granville Island, Point Grey, UBC etc.) and the North Shore (West Vancouver Seawall, Capilano River, Grouse Mountain etc.).

For more information about Vancouver, please visit the website of Tourism Vancouver www.tourismvancouver.com. The address of Vancouver Touristinfo Centre is Plaza Level, 200 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC V6C 3L6, Tel: 604.683.2000, Fax: 604.682.6839.