Translink is the transit company that operates in Greater Vancouver. There are three types of transit: Bus, Skytrain, and Seabus.

If you come from the US, you might be amazed by the quality of public transit provided in Greater Vancouver. I often encourage people to think twice about their decision to buy a car, and I always mean it.

Payment

You can pay your fares in one of three ways:

Using Compass Card. Compass Card is available from machines in most Skytrain stations, such as the airport. You pay a $6 one-time fee for the card, but enjoy discounted single trip fares, and allows you to pay for a day pass or a monthly pass. Compass Card allows free transfer within 90 minutes (more details below).

Using a tappable credit card. Tappable credit cards (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) can be used to board a bus or take the train. You will pay the full price (e.g. in 2022 that’s $3.10 vs $2.50 per trip; refer to Translink website for exact amounts). Credit cards allow free transfer within 90 minutes (more details below). This option makes sense if you are a tourist, but usually not for residents.

Paying cash when you board a bus. You should be able to board the bus using coins or paper bills. There is no exchange, and you might not be eligible for 90-minute transfers.

Zone-based fares

Skytrain and Seabus follow a zone-based fare system. There are 3 zones:

1. Vancouver
2. Burnaby, New Westminster (via Skytrain); North Vancouver (via Seabus); Richmond (via Skytrain)
3. Coquitlam, Surrey

Your fare gets a little higher when you cross zone boundaries.

Zone-based fares only apply to Skytrain and Seabus. It doesn’t apply to bus—you can take a bus to go from UBC to Surrey and only pay 1-Zone fare.

Zone-based fares does not apply if you initiate the trip after 6:30 pm on a weekday, or if you travel on a weekend or stat holiday.

Tap-in, tap-out

With the Skytrain and Seabus, you need to tap out to leave the station. If you tapped in with a credit card, make sure to tap out with the same card. Note that your Apple Pay and your physical credit card are considered different by the system.

90-minute free transfer

If you pay by credit card or with compass card, you have 90 minutes to transfer as much as you’d like without being charged twice.

The timer begins when you tap in on a bus or at a train station. As long as the last trip is initiated within the 90-minute window, free transfer applies.

Example:

• You tap in on a bus 10:00 am Monday
• You get off the bus and get in Skytrain at 11:25 am
• You get off the train at 11:45 am

You pay just one fare, because the second trip was initiated within the 90-minute free transfer period.

Nitpicky details

Airport surcharge. When you tap-in at any of the three airport stations (YVR, Templeton, Sea Island Centre), and you tap-out at a non-airport station, a $5 surcharge applies. Monthly Pass holders are exempt. Day pass purchased at an airport station is also charged the surcharge.

Students. Most registered university and college students in Greater Vancouver will pay for the monthly pass to school. It’s 50% off the regular priced monthly pass, and you will need to activate your monthly pass every month.

Websites:

• Translink: https://www.translink.ca
• Compass Card: https://www.compasscard.ca

大温地区有三家共享汽车服务在运营：Evo, Modo, 和 Zipcar。如果你平时乘公交出行，只是偶尔开车出远门的话，这种按时/按天计费的共享汽车服务很划算。

I have been the user for Evo for the longest, and Evo is much more prevalent than the other two. They are a Toyota Prius fleet and lets you rent by the minute, hour, or day. You can find cars around the City of Vancouver, as well as hotspots in Burnaby, North Vancouver and New Westminster.

With Evo, you can drive one-way trips as long as the trip ends in their “home zones”. It’s really convenient.

The 3 companies have different rules when it comes to parking and car return. But they generally only charge you by time; you don’t pay gas and don’t have to worry about insurance. (If you do get into an accident, though, the deductible is pretty hefty; you won’t go bankrupt, but still need to pay up to $1,000 with Evo if you are responsible in an accident.) Consult each of the company’s website for details.

Websites:

• Evo: https://evo.ca
• Modo: https://www.modo.coop
• Zipcar: https://www.zipcar.com/ziptopia/Vancouver

Note that Car2Go shut down in North America in 2020. You may still come across articles about them but they are no longer in business.

BC Ferries 运营连接大温大陆地区、Bowen Island、Sunshine Coast 和温哥华岛的航线。BC Ferries 并非私营公司，也不以盈利为第一目的。它更像是 BC 海岸地区的交通基础设施。

你可以在 BC Ferries 官网预定船票，或是在现场买票。你可以开车上船，或是作为普通的步行乘客上船。

官网: https://www.bcferries.com/

Websites:

• DriveBC: https://drivebc.ca

False Creek Ferries

False Creek Ferries (aka Granville Island Ferries) is a local ferry taxi line operated independently from Translink. The line travels along False Creek between Vancouver West Side and Downtown.

You cannot use Compass Card on the ferries. You can pay by cash or by card; the lines are fairly touristy, so it’s something to consider when you feel touristy or when you show out-of-town friends around.

Website: https://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/