Noon at the airport or at your hotel? Hotel will be where?

You could try to fit in Granville Island, Robson Street, Stanley Park.

By Seabus, you can easily get to Capilano Suspension Bridge. Or once you have your car? unless you are going by train to Whistler? you could drive to Cap Bridge while on your way to Whistler.

Without a bit more info, it's hard to streamline any sightseeing for you.

We will be arriving at noon to the airport and will be renting a car. We are looking to stay in downtown Vancouver (don't have a hotel yet).

Thanks for any information you can provide.

When you land, you will need to come through customs. On a Friday, it may be busy, depending on what other big flights arrive at the same time. Could be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Then you will need to get your car. Let's say about a 2:00-2:30 arrival and check in at a hotel downtown.

Anything you want to do in Vancouver, you will not need a car. Everything is totally walkable or easily accessed by public transit.

Here are some suggestions for creating an itinerary:

Fri afternoon/early evening: Granville Island open until 9. The turnover for parking is fairly good so you should be able to find a free 3 hr. parking spot, otherwise pay parking is available.

Fri evening: walk Robson Street

Saturday: Stanley Park (bicycle rentals on Denman St/free hop on-hop off shuttle bus), Denman St. Emglish Bay, Gastown, Chinatown, Queen Elizabeth Park, Van Dusen Gardens

Sunday morning: fit in the North Shore before heading up to Whistler. Lonsdale Quay, Capilano Suspension Bridge or the free Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge (park setting), Grouse Mountain

Allow time for the road to Whistler as there are delays because of construction going on for the 2010 Olympics.

For hotels, you could start by looking at the Blue Horizon and the Sunset Inn and Suites on TA hotel reviews. The link is on the left of the Vancouver forum - "Vancouver Hotels" and read some of the reviews for other hotels.

Some websites :

public transit - www.translink.ca

Granville Island ferries - www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca or www.theaquabus.com

Whistler highway construction info:

th.gov.bc.ca/seatosky/closures_updates.htm

Hope this helps.

Ooops, that should be

th.gov.bc.ca/seatosky/closures_updates.htm

Hmmmm.

Just put the www in front of the th

Thank you so much! The information is extremely helpful!

By the way, do you have any suggestions on Chinese seafood and Japanese restaurant? I've heard really great things about the Chinese dishes up in Vancouver.

A note about Granville Island - the public market closes at 7pm, and most of the shops close by either 6pm or 7pm. There are restaurants on the island as well that stay open until much later, but as a first time visitor, I wouldn't recommend a visit in the evening as your only visit. You'd ideally want to arrive no later than 4:30pm, or save it for a morning/early afternoon visit.

Stanley Park, however, is equally as beautiful in the late afternoon/early evening as it's still light out until 8:30pm.

Thanks for fixing the Granville Island closing time. My brain thought 7, my fingers typed 9.