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Trip Reports

Dan, AJK here and here , Chapshnell, UshDadude, sam28, YudiG, Tzfas, mochada, jagstangz, Neil, dpk4588, BKYW, tzifanya54, stever, mordechain, nafnaf12, SLMYRCB, Friars500


Flight Options (as of 04/18)

Cathay Pacific flies directly to/from JFK (777-300ER).         

Final date for this route, 02/23/20

Economy:
12.5K BA OW
17.5K AS OW
20K CX OW (30K RT)

Premium Economy:
25K BA OW
20K AS OW
24K CX OW (36K RT)

Business Class:
37.5K BA OW
25K AS OW
25K CX OW (50K RT)

First Class:
50K BA OW
35K AS OW
40K CX OW (70K RT)
Air Canada flies directly to/from EWR (787-800).
Economy:
12.5K SQ, UA, AC OW

Premium Economy:
20K AC OW

Business Class:
20K SQ OW
25K UA, AC OW

There is also a Delta flight direct to/from JFK in the summer months (prices vary as expected from Delta).   

DP01 (07/13): CX availability becomes better closer to the flight. (MEIR613)
DP02 (04/18): CX availability disappears 3-5 days out on BA and AS. (SLMYRCB)
DP03 (08/18): CX availability can only show up on BA or AS if there is more than 1 seat remaining, if it's only 1 seat, it will only be available on CX.com Use CX.com to see actual # of seats available. (@Yehuda)


Food - BC Kosher List

Cafe Forty One (dairy - cholov yisrael) formerly Shuk Eat/Play
5750 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
V6M 2V9, Canada
Tel: 604-563-4141
Delivery Service via Skip The Dishes (Fairmont Pacific Rim is not within the deliverable area)
"Really great, everything tasty good value, best Caesar Salad ever, and order pizza in advance for good "camp" like homemade yummyness." (shiframeir)
"Nice selection of pastries in addition to their dairy menu. The pizzas and sandwiches are very good." (SLMYRCB)

Nava Creative Cusine (dairy/pareve - non cholov yisrael)
950 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 676-7579
Located at the JCC - right around corner from Cafe Forty One

Omnitsky's Kosher (meat)
5775 Oak Street,
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 321-1818
Just across the street from Cafe Forty One

Sabra Bakery (meat)
3844 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 733-4912
Two miles down Oak Street near the Sharei Tzedek Shul

Maple Grill (meat)
1967 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V6J 1Z3, Canada
Tel: (604) 568-4885

Mount Royal Bagels - North Vancouver
701 Queensbury Ave
North Vancouver, BC
V7L 3V9, Canada
Tel: (604) 904-1116

Real Canadian Superstore
Marine Drive
Has kosher products

Kosher Food Warehouse
612 Kingsway (rear)
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 709-9889


Shabbos

Chabad Downtown - walkable from many hotels, no Eruv, Shacharis on Shabbos followed by Kiddush, Friday night Minyan last weekend each month.
TheKollel - in the community, yes Eruv, Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre only points hotel in the Eruv, Airbnb options, all Minyanim, free Shabbos meals. Some hotels downtown (outside the Eruv) are about an hour walk.
Eruv - https://goo.gl/maps/D2oLBC39GT72


Activities

Stanley park - trolley, rent bikes at Bayshore Bike/Spokes/lots of other places (Westin Bayshore provides 2 hours of free bikes), playground/water are, 9 o'clock gun
Aquarium in Stanley Park
Capilano suspension bridge - also tree walk and cliff walk
Capilano Salmon Hatchery
Lynn Canyon suspension bridge and hikes (Twin Falls, 30 Foot Pool) - free
Grouse Mountain - gondola up, can take chairlift even higher, then an elevator to top of windmill, view of Vancouver, ziplining, parasailing, lumberjack show, see grizzly bears, Grouse Grind - way to hike up the mountain instead
Granville island - market, street performers, kayaking, stand up paddleboat, false creek ferries, brewery tour, kids play area, rent a boat, can bike to here
Seaplane around Vancouver harbor or to Whistler -  http://www.harbour-air.com/index.php 
Whale watching
Victoria Island - ferry to the island/back, Butchart Gardens (expensive, underwhelming), Miniature World, Fisherman's Wharf, oldest Synagogue in Canada. Victoria seems to be very expensive, ferry $30, to bring a car $100, gardens $30.
Bowen Island
Seabus - cheap ferry across harbor and back
Deep Cove kayaking
UBC Garden - Greenheart TreeWalk (look for Groupon)
Zoo
Harbor boat tours - boatrent.ca, Harbor Cruises was terrible - dpk4588
Sea wall
Watch sea planes
Cypress Mountain
Seymour Mountain
Art Museum
Science center imax
Pacific Center Mall
See Olympic torch
"Tour Guys" free walking tour
Rivers to see salmon spawn (swim upstream)
Robson street
Denman street
Vancouver Convention Center - Olympics memorabilia
Kitsilano Beach
Kids Bowl Free
Takaya golf centre
Poets cove
Elizabeth gardens
Van dusen gardens - better than Elizabeth gardens
Canada Place - fly over canada ride experience
Brittania Mine Museum
Vancouver Lookout
Gastown - steam clock
Chinatown
Yaletown
http://scenicrush.com/ - exotic car drive up the Sea to sky highway
Dr SunYatSen Chinese Garden (Dan and a DDFer said not worth it)
Free Chinese Garden
Lighthouse park
Safari Eco Boat Tour and Seaplane flight  Sewellsmarina.com

On the way to Whistler: (see Whistler Master Thread)
Sea to sky highway
Sea to sky gondola in Squamish, can hike up and take gondola down
River rafting in Squamish
Shannon Falls
Brandywine Falls
Panorama Ridge Hike in Lake Garibaldi in between Squamish and Whistler

« Last edited by pointer on February 16, 2020, 11:32:24 PM »

Author Topic: Vancouver Master Thread  (Read 316230 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #180 on: May 31, 2013, 02:21:14 PM »
LA doesn't have such an extensive subway system. Lots of buses though. What about Sao Paulo?
SP has a good metro and cheap taxis.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline MEIR613

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #181 on: May 31, 2013, 02:23:35 PM »
Is parking expensive on the streets?

Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #182 on: May 31, 2013, 02:35:50 PM »
Is parking expensive on the streets?
Not particularly.
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Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #183 on: May 31, 2013, 03:20:22 PM »
Are there showers in yvr of flying cx business? How about first?
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Offline Yaalili

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #184 on: May 31, 2013, 03:33:14 PM »
Are there showers in yvr of flying cx business? How about first?

Not in YVR, only in JFK ba lounge.

Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #185 on: May 31, 2013, 03:39:29 PM »
Are there showers in yvr of flying cx business? How about first?
Def not in the crappy CX lounge.
Maybe look into the PP lounge?
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Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #186 on: May 31, 2013, 04:16:38 PM »
Def not in the crappy CX lounge.
Maybe look into the PP lounge?
Seems like international departures, yes. USA departures, no.
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Offline ajs625

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #187 on: May 31, 2013, 04:56:05 PM »
I don't think there's any American or Canadian city other than NYC that can be properly "done" without renting a car.

Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, those are easy as pie.

San Francisco

Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #188 on: May 31, 2013, 05:11:23 PM »
Seems like international departures, yes. USA departures, no.
Unlike with most Canadian flights, you go through immigration at JFK after landing for the CX flight.

San Francisco
Not if you want to drive anywhere for some decent kosher food.  Same goes for Vegas.
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Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #189 on: May 31, 2013, 05:20:02 PM »
Canadian departures, also no
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Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #190 on: May 31, 2013, 05:55:30 PM »
Canadian departures, also no
I don't know where exactly the CX flight departs from.  It's a through HKG-YVR-JFK flight.
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Offline MEIR613

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #191 on: May 31, 2013, 05:58:30 PM »
And you need to try CX F at least one way.
CX F for 2 the next 2 months is barely visible.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #192 on: May 31, 2013, 06:11:26 PM »
There are definitely days of availability, just not ones which worked for me
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Offline joeb1

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #193 on: May 31, 2013, 06:12:08 PM »
Pacific Rim for sure.
What do u like about that fairmont

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #194 on: May 31, 2013, 06:37:11 PM »
I don't know where exactly the CX flight departs from.  It's a through HKG-YVR-JFK flight.

So that would make it probably the international terminal, no?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #195 on: June 01, 2013, 10:35:46 PM »
So that would make it probably the international terminal, no?
Just realized that. I assume so.
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Offline AJK

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #196 on: June 01, 2013, 11:41:05 PM »

CX F for 2 the next 2 months is barely visible.

CX has availability 11 mos and < 2 weeks.

Sparse in between.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #197 on: June 01, 2013, 11:56:49 PM »
Confirmed in a suite the first two nights. Then moving to the fifth floor (if you want anything done, contact the hotel directly)
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Offline Tzfas

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #198 on: June 03, 2013, 06:02:44 PM »
CX has availability 11 mos and < 2 weeks.

Sparse in between.
When flying CX business or first they give you an option on board to sign up for the Marco Polo club for free, usually it costs $50.00.
Not sure what its worth, but you do get 2 nice metal luggage tags with your name for free.

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #199 on: June 04, 2013, 09:08:08 AM »
Hoe much do shabbos meals cost at the Kollel? Do I need a reservation? is it food from the restaurant? Can I being my car before shabbos and park there?
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