BC to Vancouver for medical & interview, transport questions

[garnet80 1]

My fiance is going to likely be bussing from his home in BC, to Vancouver, I guess once for the medical and once for the interview (K-1 Visa). He doesn't drive, so renting a car is out. I have heard that getting a cab is rough in Vancouver? Does anyone know if the bus (greyhound?) depot is near the medical building, or the embassy, in case he has to walk? He has absolutely no one that can give him a ride (or rather, that is willing to). We don't have much money, so a motel room might be out of the question too. >.< This is our biggest worry right now. It's still a good four + months away, but still a game plan would be nice. Does anyone have any tips about getting around in Vancouver? I've never been... he doesn't know the area, *stress*

[ZansGirl 0]

where does he live in BC??? There are lots of transit options....search BC Transit....

[garnet80 1]

He's in Westbank

[BriCar 0]

4 months is lots of time to learn the bus/train/transit routes to the medical clinic and the consulate. Study the times that the routes have available. See if you can hit both places the same day. Then plan it out on paper. Then go on a couple dry runs to test it out to become familiar and see if your transit plan allows you enough time in case it requires a little walking.

Good Luck!

Edited January 29, 2010 by BriCar

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Okay, that's not too bad. The main Greyhound Terminal is on the corner of -- surprisingly enough -- Main and Terminal! No joke. So that's right on the edge of downtown, right by Science World. It would probably take at least half an hour for him to walk from there to the Consulate...probably more like forty-five minutes. The better bet would be for him to walk over to the Skytrain terminal, which is only two blocks away from the bus terminal, and take the Skytrain to either Burrard or Waterfront station, then walk a few blocks to the Consulate. I think Waterfront Station would be a bit closer. I'm guessing that a bus trip from Westbank to Vancouver would be about six hours...so if he could catch a late night bus, arriving in the early morning on the day of his interview, that should be fine for that.

Now bear in mind that Vancouver is quite a bit more flexible in terms of having the medical and the interview on the same day or next day. He can probably work it out so that he can have his interview on the same trip as the medical. That would save time and likely money. There are some cheap hotels right by the bus terminal, but I assure you that they are all dives...and you do NOT want to stay there. Not exactly skid row, but very close. That Main and Terminal area is not a great place to be at night. Not exactly dangerous, per se, but a lot of low-lifes, addicts and generally impoverished folks around there. Oddly enough, it changes only a few blocks North of there once you're actually in Vancouver...

But what I would do, when the time comes, is try to arrange for an interview on a Wednesday. That way he can go, get his medical done at 6:30 in the morning (again, he'll have to schedule it in advance, once he has his interview date confirmed), and be out of there by no later than 9:00 or 9:30. Then he can go to his interview, which will be about fifteen or so blocks away, and they'll either deny him (hopefully not!), or approve him, pending on the medical results. He would then go back to the medical office, pick up his results (which are available around 2:00 PM the same day), and return once more to the consulate to give them those results.

That would probably be the ideal situation for him. A lot of walking, sure, but it IS possible for him to get it all done in a 24 hour period. He can sleep on the bus. It's just going to require sympathetic scheduling on the part of the Vancouver Consulate, combined with bus routes that work in his favor. Other than that, it's all doable, in my opinion.

Just remember that there are many "hidden" or "intangible" costs associated with the process. Lots of things pop up that it's easy to forget about while going through it. Try your damnedest to save as much scratch as you can before the time comes, because unforeseens invariably occur.

Good luck!

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Here's a GoogleMap of the three key locations he'll need to know.

Oh, and good news: it looks like there is a regular bus from Westbank to Vancouver that gets to the main station at 5:15 AM. That might be perfect!

Edited January 30, 2010 by Wyatt's Torch

[ZansGirl 0]

You did it a lot faster than me Wyatt...That is exactly what I was just gonna post!! LOL...great minds!!

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

You did it a lot faster than me Wyatt...That is exactly what I was just gonna post!! LOL...great minds!!

It's kind of ironic that the only time in my life I've been really able to utilize my knowledge of Vancouver is when I'm about to LEAVE it!

[garnet80 1]

Thank you all so much for the help. I will share this with my fiance, and with all of this new information hopefully he can figure it out. Thanks again!

[HeatDeath 430]

Look up a hotel called the Burrard Inn. They are, literally, next door to the Medical Clinic, and they have budget rooms that are about $60 - $70 per night, which is pretty darn good for downtown Vancouver. The place is very very basic (a step or two down from Motel 6), but they're clean, and VERY conveniently located for getting up at the crack of dawn to get in line for the medical. They are literally 250 feet down the block from the Woking Medical clinic, and about a 15 minute walk from the consulate.

Edited January 30, 2010 by HeatDeath

[garnet80 1]

Look up a hotel called the Burrard Inn. They are, literally, next door to the Medical Clinic, and they have budget rooms that are well under $60 - $70 per night. The place is very very basic (a step or two down from Motel 6), but they're clean, and VERY conveniently located for getting up at the crack of dawn to get in line for the medical. They are literally 100 feet down the block from the Woking Medical clinic, and about a 15 minute walk from the consulate.

Ooh great tip, thank you very much!

[TimandJoyce 1]

I can appreciate you planning in advance! nice to have a few ducks lined up so you don't have to worry. I don't think a cab from the consulate and back to pick up his medical would be too bad. Maybe around $20, give or take. Just to make that last bit a little quicker for you. The interview itself starts at 1:00, and he may be in the office there for a couple hours. He probably won't be able to pick the med results up at 2:00 but maybe about an hour after that. He just needs to let them know he wouldn't get there till later. Then he will probably be able to dash in, pick up results, and dash out, and the cab could wait for him.

[HeatDeath 430]

My K-1 Interview was April 29. Here's how it went, schedule-wise:

April 28: 4:30 pm:

Finish work,

drive home,

pick up luggage (already packed),

go to airport,

7:00ish flight

Arrive in Vancouver 12:30 am

Taxi to Burrard Inn ($28.00!)

Register 5:30 am wake up call

Wednesday April 29: 5:30 am

Wake up, get dressed, walk 250 feet down block to Medical, don't even have to cross any streets

2nd in line for medical. Finish around 9:30. See other people's detailed Vancouver medical reviews.

Walk 4 blocks to travel medical clinic to get TDap vaccination.

Walk back to Medical Clinic to give them vaccination receipt so they can mark it as done in Medical.

They say results will be available after 2:00. They close, but will leave results with XRay desk in same lobby for pickup.

Go get lunch,

K1 Interview at 1:00. See other people's detailed Vancouver consulate reviews.

Approved pending medical results.

Hike back to medical clinic to pick up results.

Hike back to Consulate (just make it - they close at 4)

Getting tired of hiking up and down Burrard street

Visa approved. Am told to leave passport, can pick it up tomorrow after 2:15.

Hike back to hotel. Sleep.

Thursday April 30

Wake up at a decent hour

check out of hotel, leaving luggage in hotel's safe/locking closet.

Walk up to Stanley Park along the river and back down to consulate.

I had two days of beautiful sunny weather. This is apparently rare in Vancouver.

Lots of people out enjoying the weather, even though it's a weekday.

For $3, leave camera at cigar store across street from consulate, as electronics not allowed inside.

(There are two cigar stores in that block. This is the more northern one.)

Pick up passport and visa package.

Walk back to hotel. Pick up luggage.

Catch 3:30 shuttle bus back to airport. ($13.00)

Almost miss 5:00 flight. Should have taken earlier bus. Oh well.

5:00 flight back to Winnipeg.

Arrive Winnipeg about midnight.

Work tomorrow.

Edited January 30, 2010 by HeatDeath

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Yeah...the new "Canada Line" portion of Skytrain now takes away any need to get a cab from the airport to Vancouver, and vice versa. There are four or five Skytrain stations in the downtown core now, and all of them are within walking distance from where you need to go. Maybe once Ali (from Dan and Ali) gets back she'll chip in her $.02 of flying and taking Skytrain to get to the locations.

[TimandJoyce 1]

I had two days of beautiful sunny weather. This is apparently rare in Vancouver.

Wow, you timed that well!! And good point. My interview was in late June. I flew from the Island and took the shuttle to the hotel, checked in, had a lunch then got ready for the interview. Of course most of the afternoon was taken with that. It was a beautiful warm day. Met some friends that live there, and we walked down to Gastown to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner. Beautiful evening. That was on Tues. On Wed. I woke up EARLY and walked about 10-15 minutes to the clinic. Got there way before 6:00, but was still number 6 however. I was out by 8:30. And for those that have been there, you know you can "see" the sky...and I saw it cloud over, and drops fell on the sky lights!! ( I also forgot to pack a jacket...long story) So I was soaked by the time I got to the hotel. And I wanted to go to Granville Island!!! So I went back to my room and slept and dried off. Checked out at noon. Got my results, (took cab for that cause of the rain) took them to consulate, left my x -press envelope and passport, ( I knew I was approved the day before) flew home to the Island that evening. Passport and visa arrived on Friday!!

Guess that's the long way to say...pack a coat!!!