Photo: Destination Vancouver
Canada’s largest food and drink celebration, Dine Out Vancouver Festival (DOVF), is just around the corner, coming in the new year from January 17 to February 4. Diners should plan ahead on how they’ll safely travel to one or many of the 380 participating restaurants or selection of culinary events.
SkyTrain, Photo: TransLink
Public Transit
Luckily, you can get to most areas in the Metro Vancouver area populated with restaurants connected by TransLink‘s public transit network, whether by city bus or SkyTrain rapid transit (Canada/Millennium/Expo Line). Plan your trip ahead of time through the handy Trip Planner tool.
Many of the city’s top restaurants are within walking distance of major transit stations in the downtown core, including Waterfront Station, Vancouver City Centre, Granville Station, Burrard Station, and Yaletown-Roundhouse Station.
Several of DOVF’s tasty events are hosted at downtown venues like L’Abattoir, Bacaro, and the Vancouver Art Gallery, including Street Food City, located near transit stops. Also, the Chinese food-themed events are easily accessible from Stadium–Chinatown station.
Photo: Evo Car Share
Car & Rideshare
Evo Car Share is one of the most convenient and affordable ways to get around Vancouver if you don’t want to use public transit and get to a restaurant directly in a hybrid vehicle with hundreds of cars available all across the city.
If you need a connection between transit stops or other transportation on the North Shore, Richmond, and Coquitlam on your way to a restaurant, try renting one of Lime‘s electronic scooters. Their Lime Assist system even allows customers to reserve and drop off a special scooter for people unable to walk long distances.
Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft have also made wining and dining responsibly more convenient than ever as long as you have a smartphone and internet connection.
Vancouver has a variety of taxicab services available 24 hours a day, including Maclure’s Cabs, Vancouver Taxi, Black Top & Checker Cabs, Yellow Cab, North Shore Taxi, Richmond Taxi, and Sunshine Cabs.
Photo: Hullo Ferries
Ferry or Boat
Hullo Ferries is a new and affordable fast-ferry service travelling between downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo. It’s an easier way to enjoy a day trip to the mainland with four daily roundtrip sailings and special late night sailings throughout January and February. Visitors can now enjoy brunch, lunch, or dinner at participating Dine Out venues and still make it home.
SeaBus (a part of TransLink) is your best bet to and from Downtown Vancouver and the North Shore, departing from the centrally-located stations at Waterfront and the Lonsdale Quay. The large passenger ferry is the most pleasant and convenient way to cross the Burrard Inlet, with sailings every 10-15 minutes during peak hours.
AquaBus is the most scenic way to travel around False Creek from Granville Island to downtown, with eight docking locations, including Yaletown and David Lam Park. It’s a great way to see downtown and makes for a nice outing as part of your Dine Out plans.
Photo: The Westin Bayshore
Hotel Stay
Depending on your plans and if you’d prefer not to transit, an overnight stay at one of Vancouver’s finest hotels may be the best way to maximize your Dine Out experience. One of many of the city’s lodgings, The Westin Bayshore is centrally located in the beautiful Coal Harbour area adjacent to the Waterfront neighbourhood in walking distance to many participating restaurants with easy access to attractions like the Seawall, Stanley Park, other destinations, and transit nearby.
Destination Vancouver is also offering its own promotional hotel deal during Dine Out. Guests may receive a $75 prepaid Mastercard per night (for up to 3 nights) for their stay at a participating hotel by booking here.
