Vancouver International Airport (CYVR/YVR)
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The YVR crew card
| Fastest into town | Canada Line train from the station attached to the terminal: about 25 minutes from YVR to Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver. Leaving the airport on a weekday before 6:30 p.m. costs CAD 4.20 in Compass stored value for the 2-Zone fare plus a CAD 6.50 YVR Airport AddFare, so CAD 10.70 in total |
|---|---|
| First and last train | First train from YVR-Airport to Waterfront 5:09 a.m., last train 12:54 a.m. Inbound, the first train from Waterfront to YVR-Airport is 4:48 a.m. and the last is 1:08 a.m. The N10 NightBus covers most of the gap, roughly every 30 minutes between about 1:37 a.m. and 4:09 a.m. on weekdays, with nothing between 4:09 a.m. and the first train |
| Payments | Tap a Compass Card or a contactless credit or debit card at the fare gate on the way in and again on the way out; the system works out the zones and deducts the AddFare automatically. Contactless pays the cash rate, CAD 5.10 for a 2-Zone trip, so a Compass Card at CAD 4.20 is cheaper if you already hold one |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Emergency | 911 (City of Vancouver and Province of British Columbia numbers) · non-emergency 604-717-3321 |
| Solo & at night | After the last train the N10 NightBus leaves from YVR Domestic Departures at Level Three, not from the rail station. On most bus routes, Request a Stop lets you get off between regular stops between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. if you tell the operator at least one stop ahead |
| Crew knows | The CAD 6.50 AddFare is charged once, on the leg that starts at the airport, and never on the way back in, so the trip toward YVR is the cheap one. And after the last train at 12:54 a.m. the N10 night bus boards at YVR Domestic Departures on Level Three, not on the rail platform. |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · YVR crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Nov 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Getting from YVR Airport into downtown Vancouver: the Canada Line, the night bus, or a taxi?
The Canada Line does the work: the station is attached to the terminal and runs one seat into downtown Vancouver. The catch is the AddFare, which is charged leaving the airport and not arriving at it, so the trip back into YVR is the cheaper leg.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train (Canada Line) | about 25 minutes between YVR and Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver every 6 minutes at peak, 8 minutes midday, 10 minutes early morning, 12 minutes evening, 15 minutes late night, and 8 to 15 minutes at weekends and on holidays |
leaving YVR on a weekday before 6:30 p.m., CAD 4.20 Compass stored value for the 2-Zone fare plus the CAD 6.50 YVR Airport AddFare, so CAD 10.70; after 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and all day at weekends and on provincial statutory holidays the trip drops to a 1-Zone fare of CAD 2.85 plus the AddFare, so CAD 9.35. Paying contactless instead of Compass stored value costs CAD 5.10 or CAD 3.50 for the same trip, plus the AddFare | There is no AddFare on journeys to the airport, so the return leg costs CAD 4.20 or CAD 2.85 and nothing more. The AddFare is charged on eastbound trips starting at YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre, or Templeton and ending at any station from Bridgeport onwards; travel between those three Sea Island stations is exempt and refunded when you tap out. First train from YVR-Airport 5:09 a.m., last 12:54 a.m. |
| Bus (N10 NightBus) | six departures a night from the airport, roughly every 30 minutes: 1:37 a.m., 2:09 a.m., 2:37 a.m., 3:07 a.m., 3:37 a.m., and 4:09 a.m. Monday to Friday; 1:37 a.m., 2:12 a.m., 2:42 a.m., 3:12 a.m., 3:44 a.m., and 4:18 a.m. on Saturday; 1:36 a.m., 2:06 a.m., 2:36 a.m., 3:06 a.m., 3:36 a.m., and 4:16 a.m. on Sunday | a 1-Zone fare of CAD 2.85 in Compass stored value or CAD 3.50 in cash or contactless, because all bus trips are a 1-Zone fare at all times and all travel after 6:30 p.m. is a 1-Zone fare. Cash fares paid on a bus cannot be transferred to SkyTrain or SeaBus | The route is named N10 Granville-YVR and it boards at YVR Domestic Departures on Level Three, not at the rail station. It runs up Granville Street into downtown Vancouver. TransLink’s NightBus overview page labels the same route Downtown/Richmond and does not name the airport, which is why this row is carried by the route page, the stop page, and the operator’s published schedule data together rather than by the overview page. |
| Taxi | flat zone fares apply picking up at YVR. The Canada Place / Down Town zone is CAD 42.00 with GST, and the same provincial rule prints CAD 46.00 for that zone in its column that adds a CAD 4.00 premium location charge, so budget for the higher figure. Nearer zones: Sea Island CAD 20.00, North Richmond CAD 21.00, South Vancouver CAD 24.00, Central Vancouver CAD 31.00. Stanley Park is CAD 44.00 and North East Vancouver CAD 47.00. Rates include tax and do not include tips | Zone fares run one way only: trips to YVR are metered, at CAD 3.75 for the first 45.95 metres and CAD 0.10 for each additional 45.95 metres, which works out at CAD 2.18 per kilometre, plus waiting time at CAD 38.93 an hour. The airport’s own zone card tells passengers to confirm the zone fare with the driver before leaving YVR. A requested stop en route adds CAD 6.00 for the first 10 minutes and CAD 2.00 a minute after that. If two passengers are going to different addresses in one zone, the zone fare covers the first drop and the meter runs for the rest. | |
| Rideshare (ride-hailing) | app-priced, and no official fare to downtown is published. British Columbia sets only a floor: a ride-hailing trip in the Metro Vancouver region cannot be priced below CAD 4.43 including GST, and operators may not add a surcharge to recover card processing fees | Ride-hailing is licensed provincially as transportation network services. We do not state a pickup zone here. Follow the signed ground transportation route in the terminal. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Vancouver, from downtown at the end of the Canada Line out to the Richmond hotel belt
Downtown and Waterfront: The end of the Canada Line and the shortest possible layover trip: the harbour, Canada Place, and the shopping core within a few blocks of the station.
Yaletown: Converted warehouses, patios, and restaurants around Davie and Mainland streets, one stop short of downtown on the same line.
Olympic Village and False Creek: The waterfront walk and seawall on the south side of the creek, served by its own Canada Line station and easy to combine with downtown.
Cambie Village and Queen Elizabeth Park: A quieter run of shops and food along Cambie Street with the city’s high park a short walk from King Edward station.
Richmond Golden Village: The hotel and night market belt closest to the airport, dense with Asian food along No. 3 Road, and the practical choice on a short window.
What to Do on a Layover in Vancouver, from staying on the airport side to a full day in the city
Under 5 hours: Stay on the airport side. Even at 25 minutes each way the downtown round trip plus screening on the return does not sit comfortably in a short window, and the AddFare is charged once, on the leg that starts at the airport.
5 to 9 hours: One clean move works: the Canada Line to Waterfront, the harbour and Gastown edge on foot, and back on the same line. Fix the train you intend to catch back before you leave the platform.
9 hours plus: A proper city run is realistic: downtown, one neighbourhood beyond it such as Yaletown or the False Creek seawall, and a meal, with the last train at 12:54 a.m. and the N10 NightBus behind it if the evening runs long.
Crew Tips for Vancouver and YVR Airport: the AddFare, the overnight gap, and confirming the taxi zone
The AddFare only applies one way: Leaving YVR costs CAD 6.50 more than the same trip in the other direction. TransLink states plainly that there is no YVR Airport AddFare for journeys to the airport. It is charged on eastbound trips starting at YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre, or Templeton and ending at any station from Bridgeport onwards, at all times of day. It went up from CAD 5.00 to CAD 6.50 on 1 July 2026, so older figures are wrong.
How to avoid paying the AddFare: The exemptions are specific and worth knowing on a multi-day trip. A DayPass not bought on Sea Island is exempt, and so is a single-use Compass Ticket not bought at YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre, or Templeton. Monthly Pass holders and program-pass holders are exempt outright. Buy the DayPass on your way into the airport rather than on your way out and the CAD 6.50 does not apply; buy it at the airport machine and it does. An adult DayPass is CAD 12.55 for all zones.
Timing after 6:30 p.m.: Every trip across the system starting after 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, and all travel on weekends and provincial statutory holidays, is charged as a 1-Zone fare. Leaving the airport at 6:35 p.m. instead of 6:25 p.m. drops the base fare from CAD 4.20 to CAD 2.85 on Compass stored value. The AddFare is unaffected and still applies at all times. A single fare is valid for 90 minutes across bus, SkyTrain, and SeaBus.
The overnight gap and where the night bus actually stops: The last train out of YVR is 12:54 a.m. and the first is 5:09 a.m. In between, the N10 NightBus runs about every 30 minutes from roughly 1:37 a.m. to 4:09 a.m. on weekdays, but it boards at YVR Domestic Departures on Level Three, not at the rail station, so do not wait on the platform. It costs a 1-Zone fare. If you miss it, the taxi to downtown is a flat CAD 42.00 to CAD 46.00 zone fare.
Confirm the taxi zone fare before you load the bags: Taxi fares out of YVR are flat zone rates set by the provincial regulator, not meter runs, and the airport’s own zone card tells passengers to confirm the zone fare rate with the driver before departing. Name the destination and the cross street rather than a zone number: the airport’s card and the provincial rule number their zones differently, so a zone number can mean two different things. For addresses sitting on a boundary road, the rule requires the lower of the two zone rates on both sides of the street, so it is worth naming the cross street.
Carry your proof of payment: Trains, buses, and everything inside the fare gates are Fare Paid Zones, and Transit Police check. Failing to pay, or using a fare product you are not eligible for, is a CAD 173 fine. Tap the same physical or digital card throughout the journey, and take the card out of your wallet before tapping so a second card is not charged. If you tap in and change your mind, tapping out at the same station within 21 minutes reverses the charge.
Emergency Numbers for Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada
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| Emergency (police, fire, ambulance) | 911 |
| Vancouver Police non-emergency (past crimes, tips, found property) | 604-717-3321 |
| HealthLink BC health advice, nurses 24 hours a day | 8-1-1 |
| BC poison control (exposure to a toxic substance), 24 hours | 1-800-567-8911 or 604-682-5050 |
| BC poison control, Lower Mainland line (use this one if a 1-800 will not connect from a foreign SIM or a hotel switchboard) | 604-682-5050 |
| Canada country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Vancouver airport to downtown Vancouver?
Take the Canada Line from the station attached to the terminal. TransLink puts the ride at about 25 minutes between YVR and Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver, with trains every 6 minutes at peak, 8 minutes midday, and 12 to 15 minutes in the evening and late at night. Tap a Compass Card or a contactless card at the fare gate going in and again coming out.
How much does the Canada Line cost from YVR to downtown Vancouver?
Leaving the airport on a weekday before 6:30 p.m. it is CAD 4.20 in Compass stored value for the 2-Zone fare plus a CAD 6.50 YVR Airport AddFare, so CAD 10.70. After 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, and all day at weekends and on provincial statutory holidays, the base drops to the 1-Zone fare of CAD 2.85, so CAD 9.35. Paying by contactless card costs the cash rate instead, CAD 5.10 or CAD 3.50, plus the same AddFare.
What is the YVR AddFare and do I pay it both ways?
No, only on the way out. The YVR Airport AddFare is CAD 6.50 and TransLink states there is no AddFare for journeys to the airport, so the trip back into YVR is the cheaper leg. It applies to trips starting at YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre, or Templeton and ending at Bridgeport or beyond, at all times. Monthly Pass holders are exempt, as are DayPasses and single-use tickets that were not bought on Sea Island.
Does the SkyTrain run all night from Vancouver airport?
No. The last Canada Line train out of YVR-Airport is 12:54 a.m. and the first is 5:09 a.m. The N10 NightBus covers most of the gap, roughly every 30 minutes from about 1:37 a.m. to 4:09 a.m. on weekdays, with nothing between 4:09 a.m. and the first train, but it boards at YVR Domestic Departures on Level Three rather than at the rail station. A taxi to the Canada Place and downtown zone is a flat CAD 42.00 to CAD 46.00.
Is tap water safe to drink in Vancouver?
Yes. Metro Vancouver states the water is safe to drink, is continually tested, and meets federal guidelines and provincial regulations. The utility tests daily and analyses more than 45,000 samples a year. It has also posted a note that some residents notice an earthy or musty smell or taste, while confirming the water remains safe to drink.
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Crew Discounts in Vancouver: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you tap through the fare gate. Next Vancouver rotation you start on the rates instead of from scratch.
