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SkyTrain
Category: Hotels & Travel Transportation Public Transportation Public Transportation [Edit]
6800 14th AveBurnaby, BC V3N 4S7
(604) 520-3641
35 reviews for SkyTrain
35 reviews in English
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Review from John J.
Vancouver, BC
5/3/2012
To someone used to only steam trains, buses, cars planes and cycles...Sky Train was a step up !
To someone used to only city transportation systems that grew out of disarray...Vancouver's Sky Train system, coupled with the buses and Ferries;
makes for a transportation dream, come true.
Even after the ' Mountaineer,' I can safely say...go Sky Train.
To someone who on their first few rides got it all wrong and even went so far as ending up @ the end of the line and having to walk back to the station from the turn-around...yes it happened...too quiet !
To someone who sat up front and felt better than with an X-box or Play station game...like a big kid again.....what a blast.
Then there are the other practical benefits...you get there quickly, you meet interesting people and see the sights as well.
So from the position of ignorance [ not having traveled tubes before ] I say SKY TRAINS of VanC...are WONDERFUL.
I even enjoyed the escalators and ticketing system.
I even missed the last train a few times and had to take the bus from Metro-Town...no problemo. -
Review from S R.
5/24/2012 4 photos
pros: clean, fast, easy to understand, frequent trains, most stations are located in convenient locations, security cameras everywhere, helpful station attendants at many major stations frequented by tourists
cons: any ride out of the airport is very expensive. they basically tax tourists.
notes: its interesting that the trains are fully automated (no drivers) and the system operates on-your-honor (no turnstiles).
the system is not extensive, so im sure it is not convenient for many people living in vancouver, but as tourists, we were happy with it. -
Review from Edward L.
4/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
One of the most efficient ways to get around town for sure, if your destination is close enough to a station.
Parking around the stations isn't always the best unfortunately. The city planners need to do a better job if they want me to get out of my car more.
The trains come in 2 flavours: Mark 1 (1986, red inside) and Mark 2 (2000, yellow inside). You'll know which ones are which the moment you step on. Mark 2 feel much wider, and obviously look more modern. Most of the trains now have a newer "blue + yellow on white" paint job, so it's not as easy to tell from the outside. The Mark 2s are more bulbous though.
Even the trains feel like they're not much faster than a sprinting pace, they totally blow cars out of the water in terms of travel time. Most of the stations are clean, and look somewhat modern, though they're obviously filled over capacity. There's pretty much always a crunch (escalators are common choke points) when trains arrive during rush hour. What is really awesome though is that trains arrive about once every 2 minutes during these critical times, ensuring that people aren't late for work.
As for the stations, the blue T logo in my opinion is a bit ambiguous. Having a picture of a train would've been more efficient. I've had friends from out of town ask what that logo meant. To me that means it's not intuitive enough.
Now if only Vancouver had more SkyTrain lines.. -
Review from Roger A.
3/15/2012
This has to be the best of all the transport trains I've been on, so my review is based against these Trains:
San Francisco's BART train
London's Underground
Seattle's Sounder
New York's Metro
Well, It seems that they are renovating a few stations. That I have been. Most of the stations are accessible to shopping centers and what not.
The train does get crowded at times, but I havent had any issues as it seems many people get off shortly after.
There seems to be alot of police and security folks walking around... which is a good thing.
The price depends on how many zones you go. But the train goes to many different locations.
The BEST PARTS:
Frequent skytrains, I'm talking less than 8 minutes the most, all day long.
Once you pay, you get a 1.5hrs to get back on the train and dont have to pay the fee again. So if you go to the mall to shop and get done in that time frame, you can hop on the train and not worry about paying.
The train is pretty clean and quiet as well. -
Review from Michael W.
4/12/2012
I cannot tell if this is the greatest metro system ever
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Review from Dan C.
5/2/2012
Considering I am a mass transit novice, the SkyTrain got me nearly everywhere I wanted to go while I was visiting Vancouver a couple years back. The trains I rode were clean and got me to where I needed to go. Since I was new to train travel I was a little confused on one of my exits, but that was definitely on me =). I didn't know this until midway through my trip, but you can take the SkyTrain to the Canada Line to get to the airport. I'll have to give that a shot next time I'm out there so my friend isn't taking time off work to pick me up.
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Review from Daren D.
4/17/2011 5 photos
Holy smokes! Now THIS is awesome transit. Dedicated ROW. No overheard power sticking out. Fast. Efficient. Popular. Stations are pretty good. Massive coverage.
The bad is that the [newer?] Canada Line is freaking noisy going through curves---especially in the tunnel... wtf? I seriously wanted some earplugs.
The [older gen?] Expo trainsets are cool in that it sounds like the electric motor is shifting up from 1st to 3rd.
I'm not sure I noticed all trainsets with surveillance cameras in them. I didn't ride the Millenium line.
P.S. 9 bucks DayPass FTW when visiting! -
Review from Steven S.
11/29/2011
I want to direct this review to people who are visiting Vancouver and are going to and from the airport. This is the fastest and most cost efficient option. This train is also unbelievably clean and quiet. I'm not sure what it's like as a daily commuter, but if you are an air traveler, do not hesitate to jump on the train to get where you need to be in the city, or hitch a ride back to the airport.
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Review from Toshi I.
5/9/2011
For my first visit to Vancouver after a cruise, I was not really keen on renting a car in Canada. I took a chance and checked out public transportation and it's remarkably easy to use with convenient locations.
The kids had a blast sitting right up front pretending to be the train conductor. It's clean, fast and very economical. It's $9 per adult & $7 per kid purchased at a 7-11 for an all day pass. It's also a great way to familiarize yourself with the city and people watch by sitting through all the stops.
Strangely enough, no one ever asked to see our pass but I wouldn't take the risk. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
2/28/2011
Nothing is more awesome than Free stuff. SkyTrain is Free for those in-the-know. That is if you have a pro-risk mentally hoping no SkyTrain authority would check your payment stub. This SkyTrain is much more than the smaller track-scale Scarborough(Toronto) LRT...
I like the fact that once you've paid, you can travel back and forth until the time-limit ends(although who's checking?). This works because there are no official turnstiles but rather just a Yellow Line on the ground stating the area after the line is for paid customers only. Who are they kidding??
I like that it's relatively clean-looking which overall I am almost comparing it to the one in Taipei, Taiwan. I don't like that for 2 instances on the same day, I was unlucky enough to find a seat that had a Beverage spill. I like that there are Security cameras so at least safety on board shouldn't be too bad.Listed in: Vancouver'ing for the Week
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Review from Eva B.
10/22/2011
Old train, moderately old train, new train, nice people, smelly people, impolite people, loud people. Not much changes on the train day to day. It is reliable and efficient. It gets me to where I want to be without delay. Well except for those once in a while days where things get bunged up, but this rarely happens. If I were to choose bus or sky train the train would win every time.
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Review from John G.
1/17/2010
I'm used to BART, where you have to purchase your ticket and insert said ticket into a turnstile. So when we visited Vancouver years ago, my uncle, who was familiar with the system, failed to mention that to me. I had my ticket at hand and was looking for a turnstile to insert the ticket to.
I must have looked like a stupid tourist as the locals were passing by me thinking I was an idiot for standing in place, blocking their path. Now I know how tourist feel like when they just stand on the left side of the escalator when taking BART.
Definitely a culture shock since this public transformation is based on honesty. I mean anyone can just jump in the train and not pay for the fare.
But you know what? That rarely happens.
I mean this is Canada for Christ's sake. They're honest, nice and friendly.
This public transportation is cool since it can take you almost anywhere in Vancouver and the trains come very frequently. It's also very efficient and environmentally friendly. -
Review from Naurry K.
1/9/2009 1 photo
Incredible! Public transportation that actually works on the West Coast..?
Ok, ok, I don't know exactly how popular or useful the SkyTrain is for everyday uses like getting around town or commuting to work but it's an incredible venue for the best New Years party in recent memory. The randomness, the strangers, the costumes, the music, the noise, the kisses (supposedly), made for a fantastic guerilla party. I highly recommend it!
Oh, Yeaahh! -
Review from Bora K.
2/11/2010
We seriously need one of these in LA.
Why is it that everything in Canada seems like it's so much cleaner and more efficient than things here? A perfect example would be the SkyTrain. It's public transportation done extremely well and best of all (at least for my specific purpose) it takes you to and from the airport into Vancouver. And it costs like $5/person opposed to the $30 cab ride! There's a station across from the Opus Hotel and someone at the front desk suggested we use the SkyTrain instead of taking a cab to the airport since it would save us some money and plus it was just an easy way to get around.
I was a little reluctant about taking it to the airport (we had suitcases and snowboards and I thought it might take too long) but in the end I'm glad we did because we got there in about half an hour flat with enough time to spare to get through customs and do some duty free shopping.
The SkyTrain is awesome. Seriously.Listed in: Beautiful Vancouver, BC
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Review from Eric C.
Burnaby, BC
1/18/2009
This is directed specifically at that little wiggle in the track just before stopping at Lougheed Station coming from Braid Station.
You make me laugh every time. Why you ask?
If any you have felt the wiggle or ever seen the reactions of all the people on the train once the train jolts from left to right by a poorly functioning interchange, you know what I'm talking about.
It's amusing to watch people awake from cat naps, spill coffee on themselves, drop their bags, and knock over little kids.
I know. I know. I shouldn't laugh... but neither should you. So stop giggling with me whilst we get off the train. -
Review from Bill T.
BC
7/8/2009
Gets me to the church on time, as David Bowie used to say.
Seriously, I have no serious problems with skytrain, except, as people have pointed out, their service ends far too early. This normally wouldnt be a problem a year ago, but nowadays, I'm in Surrey for events that go past 11p, and I could stay longer, except the fact that I have to start thinking about getting home. Other than that, no real problems, just put on my headphones, and get a seat, and watch everything sail by. -
Review from samuel a.
Vancouver, BC
2/11/2010 3 Check-ins Here
After not using SkyTrain for years, and years, I've been on it 3 times in the past week.
It really does beat driving.
I can't understand the lack of turnstiles ($5 for an adult at peak times?!?) - invest in some turnstiles people - which I know they're bringing in, but come on ...
SkyTrain parking is (and granted with all the Olympic crap it's exacerbated) a HUGE gong show if you're coming from the Surrey side.
All in all though, not bad. -
Review from Christopher T.
7/28/2010
If you're 3 or less travellers I would definitely suggest taking the train down into Vancouver. It is a pretty no brainer. Faster and it will cost you less in the end with the cab...and it is eco friendly.
The only possible confusing part that snagged me for a bit was how to determine how many zones I would be going into and what I would need to pay.
More cities to connect major transportation hubs with their downtowns! -
Review from Megan S.
12/13/2008
I have a crush on the skytrain. I love it when it's slightly crowded, so that I have to stand up. When I'm on the bus, I like to read, when I'm on the skytrain I like to pay attention. See the shifting skyline change with each curve, examine how the shadows and sun fall on the buildings and peek out from in between.
I do agree with the other reviews that more information would be better. Why not post bigger signs for those who only know their stop name, and not the name of a bigger destination on their route.
The Canada Line (coming soon) will take you all the way from YVR to Waterfront in Gastown. That is huge! Right now I ride the skytrain simply for a fun commute to Commercial or Burnaby. But transportation to and from the airport would be so incredibly useful! Can't wait! -
Review from Jenni B.
7/21/2009
Ahhh skytrain. This is easily the most consistent form of public transportation (growing up in the burbs I remember busses failing to show up for hours sometimes). Skytrain for me has been mostly reliable, it gets you most places (ooooh so excited for the Canada line to the airport!), and despite being packed at rush hour, the ride isn't so bad.
I love seeing tourists taking the "Skytrain Tour" (especially during summer months), being above ground level for the most part gives tourists the unique opportunity to see everything along the line, including the classic slowdown between Science World and GM for the perfect picture.
It is the most viable option for events in Vancouver, especially sporting or concerts. Pay Imparks $25 "Event Fee" even blocks away, or just jump on the train. BC Transit runs ticketing and loading seemlessly, and they seem to get better every year.
Plus, when choosing the train over my car, I feel like a good environmentalist :) -
Review from Bob M.
1/19/2010
This review is of SkyTrain in general.
Oh, it is like a Disneyland ride smack dab in Vancouver! We found this to be a great way to see the city for a reasonable cost.Listed in: Vancouver BC for goobers
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Review from Eros A.
7/23/2010
Cool, fast and free(?)...
I was impressed with transportation option in Vancouver, and this was no exception. Pretty well organized, clean, and affordable... free if you dare.
With public transportation like this and others in Vancouver; never need to take a taxi, or private transportation... take that NYC!
yay! I'm a fan.Listed in: iLike it
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Review from Sheila W.
BC
12/12/2008
I'm not really on a SkyTrain route, so it does have a bit of a novelty when I take it from downtown to Commercial Drive. I love the views and the frequency of the trains is really convenient. I am very, very excited for the new Canada Line to be operational along Cambie to the airport!!
The one thing that I have to beef about is that in every other major city I've been in that has a subway (or similar system of public transport) knows how to mark things better. How hard would it be to put up a sign on the wall behind the tracks that has the line, the stops on the line, the direction that the line is going and other useful information?
For example, at Stadium Station the signs tell you to take one train to the suburbs or another train to Waterfront. What if I want to go to Burrard Station? It's not the suburbs. It's not the waterfront, either. Sure, once you take the train once or twice you know which way to go. But tourists and newcomers use trains too, so marking the stops and the direction the train is going would be really useful!
It could look like this (at Staduim station):
Expo Line (Waterfront - King George)
Waterfront --Burrard--Granville-- **Stadium**-- Main-- Broadway--Nanaimo--ETC!
Then an arrow below telling you if it's going towards Granville or Main next.
Then the opposite on the other side so there wouldn't be any confusion about which train to get on. -
Review from Mercedes G.
Vancouver, BC
10/16/2008
If you have had the unfortunate situation of living in a city where public transportation is the pits (ahem, Calgary!) you will truly appreciate the wonders of the Skytrain in Vancouver. The Skytrain is fully automated and I can count on one hand the number of times there have been any 'technical problems', whereby the situation is handled quickly and efficiently, allowing passengers to continue on their journey. There are two train lines for your convenience, the Expo line which runs from downtown Waterfront Station to King George station in Surrey and the Millennium Line which runs from Waterfront Station to VCC-Clark via Columbia. The website is great for explaining how to get around and the trains run anywhere from 2-8 minutes depending on the time of day.
As with all public transportation, there are peak times when the SkyTrain is much busier, a good time to open your book or pop in your earphones and ignore the masses. -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
9/19/2008 1 photo
I use the SkyTrain pretty regularly these days, and there are days when I actually love it. Such as when you're flying along the Expo Line on a sunny day and look out to the south to see the Fraser Delta and the islands, and to the north to the North Shore mountains and the city. There are days when I hate it, especially when the train is crowded, and I curse the maniac who designed the handholds on the newer, Millennium line cars - there's practically nothing to hang on to! - forcing people to crowd around the doors all the time.
The line that goes from VCC to Braid (along Lougheed Highway) has nice stations, even if there isn't much around most of those stations worth getting off for. Somebody, please explain to me the attractions of Lake City Way? Or Braid? But if you do take the time to look at the stations, they actually do have some interesting public art, such as the giant Salish spindle whorl at Gilmore Station.
Just don't get in my way while you're looking. Walk left, stand right, and would it kill you to stand aside and let people exit the train? Thank you and have a nice day.Listed in: Surrey. Yes, Surrey.
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Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
12/14/2008
Ah transit. It's a little hard to yelp about yet, there's something strange ticking inside all of us which really shows snap judgments to what transport method you prefer. For me, it's always going to be skytrain.
There's something about the design of these trains that mean you can be pretty packed in without it smelling or being really annoying like a B-Line or other large bus. You tend to have all the room you want standing or sitting and it's definitely less of a task.
The line still has huge gaps in it, yes, but hopefully the Olympic expansion is going to make it a much more useful way to travel around the whole of greater Vancouver.
The fatal flaw of the skytrain should be noted though: When it is late, it is epically late. Like most major train systems it operates on the whims of both extreme crippling mechanical failure and the old 'person throwing themselves in front of the train'. There's not much you can do about it as a rider and much they can do about it as transit. If you run into one of these situations and are lucky enough to not be stuck between stations you can usually get a bus that preforms the same basic route.
Also of note: It's a gamble to not pay. It's very easy not to but Skytrain is one of the few systems that they do a solid job of policing. They come quickly and out of nowhere and have $100+ fines so it's your gamble. -
Review from Gustafo M.
3/16/2010
SkyTrain. It's really awesome. Get around the city and see great parts of Vancouver's sprawling Metropolis. Ride in the first car and imagine yourself as the operator of the train running across the longest transit-specific bridge in the world. Enjoy the park at the King George station, and be back downtown in 25 minutes.
SkyTrain is awesome...but I think you already heard that from me. -
Review from Reesa T.
2/21/2010
Okay... Seattle girl here... we are ever-so-slowly working on a similar train....
Good system. Little more pricey than I'd prefer, but then I admit I'm cheap.
Decently clean, even amongst all the Olympic's craziness! Well timed, especially going into the Olympic area downtown, trains were backed up but not obnoxiously and you could tell there was a certain amount of safety considerations. Also, being a non-local tourist type... they sky strain security staff or whatever were really helpful. Overall, good system and a great way to get around in Vancouver!
Parking was a total pain in the ass though btw. -
Review from Diane T.
2/25/2010
This might quite possibly be the best public transportation I've ever experienced. It could be because I live Seattle where 21st century public transportation is almost non-existent or it could be because it was clean, cheap, and efficient. I couldn't believe how easy this was to use during the Olympics. Granted there were quite a few stops between Surrey and Vancouver, it still beats sitting in traffic any day.
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Review from Catherine W.
New Westminster, BC
5/4/2010 7 Check-ins Here
So if I have a Wine Store as my place of worship, then this is my second home lol. I have travelled to many cities and the Skytrain is comparable to the Subway in NYC or the Underground in London, although definintely not on as large a scale. The reason I only gave it 4 stars is that they need to extend the hours. The time it takes to get from New West to Downtown is less than you can drive, it also costs less than any parking you are going to find downtown lol.
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Review from Kate R.
6/28/2009
I love how frequent it runs and how accessible it is, but the trains stop running by like 1 am! Seriously?! You have to be kidding me, BC.... with such strict policies around drunk driving, you can't have the bars close after public transit stops running. It makes no sense.
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Review from Bryan W.
Vancouver, BC
10/5/2010
I've always liked the skytrain.Its a great place to people watch.The skytrain is pretty clean unless you dont mind newspapers astray.Its fast and frequent and usually doesn't break down and runs 21 hours a day.The skytrain is computer controlled and doesnt require a driver.You can even ride the skytrain for free but beware..there are skytrain cops that will do ticket checks at random and fine you for $173 if you dont have one.but thats rare.I bet a lot of americans are jealous that they dont have something like this in their cities
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Review from Kaaren D.
11/28/2008
I love the Sky Train. Although it is a small version of what we see in larger US cities, it made me long for something similar near where I live. Sis and I were able to park our RV, and take the Sky Train +/- bus to anywhere we wanted to go in Vancouver. It was relatively inexpensive, but well worth the price. If I had needed to park in Gastown, I would have been a wild woman. This way we talked to interesting people every day on the train and got more insight about the city.
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Review from Angel I.
2/25/2010
I love the skytrain! Even better than it goes all the way to the airport now! I wish we had something like this here in Seattle. Even during the Olympics, it didn't feel anymore crowded than NY or London. It makes going to Vancouver a lot more assessable since you don't need your car--public transportation is even great outside of the city limits!
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Review from Skylar L.
8/6/2008
I love the Skytrain. It makes life so much easier. Really, Vancouver transportation can't be beat. It's easy to navigate and goes to all the important places. As someone who would just go to the city for a show or a shopping day, the Skytrain proved invaluable.
