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Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
by andyoz If any of you have read any of my recent reviews, you will know I back in January I spent three weeks in Canada. Whilst there I spent two weeks in Vancouver and a week in the Yukon. For this to be possible I had to use Vancouver airport on four separate occasions. This gave me a pretty good idea of the airport and so it seems only ... right I should review it. Vancouver airport is located in Richmond, one of the out lying areas of Vancouver. The airport is the the South of downtown and is about a twenty minute drive from the city centre, although this depends on traffic. The airport has excellent transport links, we used a taxi on one occasion, we twice used the sky train which is very easy to use. And we also hired a car and found no problems finding our way upon leaving the airport. Vancouver airport is Canada second biggest airport next to Toronto. As you can imagine this makes this a very large and at times bust airport. My first experience of the airport was on arrival from our flight from Amsterdam. The first thing you always notice in airports is the passport control. It was easy to get to and the people working there were unusually friendly. It normally impossible to get so much as a smile from these guys, but the ones in Vancouver were very friendly and one of them even cracked a joke! It was all very well organised and we got through very quickly. There were big screens all around directing us to our luggage carousel. The next thing I noticed was how beautiful this section of the airport was. I have a feeling much of it has been given a face lift for the Olympics but this is no bad thing. All around was local art and traditional carvings. A massive waterfall cascaded down the centre of the stairs as we descended from the upper level. I really did not feel like I was in an airport! Are bags started arriving as soon as we got to the carousel, and to our relieve our bags were on of the first off. It was east to find our way out of the airport, there were handy cash machines which we needed. An we were helped to find a taxi that would be big enough for my friends snowboard bag. All in all in was quick and easy, everything you would want after a twelve our flight. Our next experience of the airport was a few days later when we were flying north to the Yukon. We entered the airport and really struggled finding our check in point. Everything seemed to be well sign posted but we could not find our 'Air North' check in desk. We soon gave up and went looking for help. the lady at the help desk was very nice. She told us we were in the wrong part of the building a drew us a map of how to get to the right end. She even offered to have someone take us there. Ten minutes later we had found our check in, tucked away at the back of the airport. Apparently not many people fly to the Yukon! The people on the desk were wonderful, so friendly and helpful. They upgraded us to better seats and ask us what adventures we had planned. We were really made to feel welcome. Next we went to find some food. We were in the smaller part of the airport as this was just an internal flight. However there were still plenty of shops to look in, and a few nice restaurants and bars. WE found a quiet on to have our breakfast in. The service we received in this bar was not great. We only had twenty five minutes before we needed to move through into the boarding area. So we asked the waiter if we would have time for breakfast. He said we would. He was the most miserable person we met on out whole trip. While taking our order he never smiled once. He wandered off and our food took nearly fifteen minutes to arrive. Fortunately a waitress brought our food and was much more friendly and helpful. We said we were in a hurry so she brought is our bill while we ate our food. Now I must mention, despite having to wolf down my breakfast, it was probably the best one I had in Canada. Three eggs, crispy bacon, beans, hash browns, some awesome toast and a few strawberries and a piece of mango. Delicious! And a beer to wash it all down. The prices were very reasonable as well to say we were in an airport. After our rushed gobble, we went through all the buzzers and beepers. A little queue but it went down pretty fast. Again everyone was very friendly and helpful and we were soon waiting to be boarded. The flight was on time and there were no problems. Yet again I had no complaints apart from one grump waiter! A week later we were back from the Yukon! We arrived in a different part of the airport this time as we were on an internal flight. I would say this section of the airport was not quite as glamorous and impressive as where we arrived last time, but it still was very nice. We had no problems picking up our baggage and again there were some very friendly staff around to help out if we had any problems. For the next leg of our journey we were hiring a car. So we threw all our luggage on a trolley and went looking for the hire car area. We quickly found it despite it being quite a walk. The man on the desk was very helpful, he told us everything we needed to know about are car. My friend who fusses about everything inquired about an upgrade and the man on the desk was very patient and helpful. After deciding our car was fine we packed up and left the airport. It was very easy to find our way out of the car park, everything was well sign posted and we had no problems getting out and heading for Downtown. Another successful trip to the airport. Our final experience with Vancouver airport came at the end of our holiday. We were flying back to Amsterdam. Our friends who we had stayed with warned us to set off very early for the airport. We were driving across town at mid afternoon and a drive that takes half an hour late at night, can take over two hours in rush hour. So we did the sensible thing and set off early. Traffic was bad, but not as bad as we had thought. So our journey took and hour which meant we had nearly three hours to kill at the airport. This time we were in the part of the airport and had no problems finding our check in desk. Everything went smoothly and the staff were again friendly and helpful. After leaving the check in desk we hit the shops. After spending three weeks with each other me and my friend were sick of the sight of each other so we agreed to spilt up and meet half an hour before our flight for a beer. So off I went into the massive airport lounge. There were all the shops you would expect to see at a large international airport. Plenty of shops selling alcohol and perfume, shops selling electronics, book shops and magazine shops, cloths shops, shops selling Olympic memorabilia and shops selling local art and gifts. Pretty much everything you could imagine. I soon got bored of all these shops and as I only had about $15 left I decided spending it on tat was not wise. So I wandered. As I wandered it stuck me what a magical airport Vancouver actually is. I've been in quite a few airports over the years but this has to be the nicest. As I sat in a big comfy leather chair, watching the fish swim in the massive aquarium in front of me and hearing the sound of fountains and waterfalls cascade around me I realised. This is what Canada has been all about. It so relaxed and easy, so spectacular and beautiful, they have almost tried to create a miniature Canada in this airport. They have not done a bad job of it at all. When it was time to meet my friend I headed for the bar we had agreed to meet in. To our surprise and almost for comic effect who were we greeted by? Our old friend the grumpy waiter. I assume the people in the other part of the airport had had enough of him making them all miserable so they relocated him here. If he remembered us he didn't let on, yet again he never smiled or tried to welcome us. He just sat us down and left us to it. Fortunately we got a different girl serving us and she was much more pleasant. We had a beer and spent the last of our change on a tip, we were hoping Mr Grumpy boots would not be seeing any of that! So we headed for our flight. Again we had no problems getting through all the security, the checks were quick and easy, the staff were again friendly and helpful, as it seems pretty much all Canadians are. Then we were soon boarding our plane, on time and with little fuss. Out of all the airports I have ever been too I would have to say this is by far the best. The facilities were excellent, the toilets were clean and easy to find. The staff were friendly and seemed to know what they were doing. There was plenty to do and see. Despite being a massive airport and a very busy one, I felt relaxed and at ease in the pleasant surroundings. Everything about Vancouver airport was first class. I know you don't really choose the airport you visit, they are just a necessity of any trip. But if you our flying to Canada and you are heading anywhere near Vancouver, then this is a great airport to visit! They really do make you feel welcome here! Read the complete review |
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Halifax International Airport (YHZ)
by djwhite1982 Halifax, Nova Scotia is a little of the beaten track when it comes to Europeans planning their holidays in Canada, so perhaps not a very common place for people to visit. If you do like a bit of peace of quite, and would love to spend some time with a really nice community of people who genuinely will want to help you out and ... improve your holiday, then perhaps Nova Scotia is a good place for you to visit. In which case you'll need to go through YHZ, Halifax International Airport. In the last few years there's been quite a bit of work done on the airport, some may argue it's a little unnecessary (I know a few of the locals who do), but it certainly does make for a more pleasant experience as the tourist coming through. As you arrive you'll notice the airport is reasonably small, so there are no massive walks from your plane to customs, it's nearly always a couple of minutes. As you get to customs you're greeted by a rather pretty little water feature, which ok, may be a bit of a waste of money, but it certainly beats arriving to 6 miles of HSBC adverts as you do at London Heathrow. Once you get to customs you'll notice there's no segregation between Canadians and foreigners, which I find quite refreshing and gives you and instant sense of the kind of atmosphere you can expect from Nova Scotia. Its everyone together, as opposed to them, and us. Sure the customs agent isn't going to be that friendly with you, but you can excuse them, as they have to maintain a level of professional scepticism in their line of work. The line generally moves pretty quickly and they tend to be fully staffed all through busy times (as opposed to 100 empty booths which many of us are used to!) Baggage claim has always been really quick in my 5-6 experiences and I've never seen anyone having any problems. I'm sure if you did the staff would definitely look after you. When travelling the other way, starting from the outside, they've got enough parking to cope with an Olympic Games! On top of that the first 20 minutes is free, which is a real novelty if you're used to UK airports! Transport links to the "city" (sorry people from Halifax), are pretty limited, so hiring a car is definitely worth while. I think there is a bus, but not sure of the frequency. Getting through customs has always been quick and painless. Of course there's the usual checks, but rarely is there a line and once you're through it's a mere escalator ride to the airport lounge. As for the services inside the airport, this is a small airport so don't expect to be doing any major shopping. There's a small duty free shop where you can pick up the basics and then there's the usual amenities of a sports bar, and of course a Tim Horton's (anyone who's been to Canada will know these are more frequent that Gregg's in North England!). There's also a nice little runway viewpoint at the top of the airport, which gets you away from any crowds and gives you a bit of peace and quiet, a novelty for any airport. The airport is always really clean, and there's always lots of people on hand to help you if you have any questions. It actually makes flying quite relaxing! Read the complete review |
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Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
by cyberem78 Lester B. Pearson airport is located approximately 17 miles northwest of the city of Toronto, Canada in the town of Mississauga. This was the airport I flew to and from when I recently took a holiday to Toronto. I flew with airline Air Transat but the airport serves many airlines including Air Canada (for whom the airport is the main ... transfer point), West Jet and Sunwing Airlines. The airport It is Canada's busiest and largest airport and has three terminals, with a Link train between terminals 1 and 3, and five runways. In actual fact, the airport does not feel that busy and as long as your transport drops you off at the correct terminal then there is not much walking ground to cover either. When I arrived at the airport on my flight from the UK it was only a short walk to the nearest transport area. There were plenty of luggage trolleys available and several areas where taxis could be booked. I chose to take the Airport Shuttle bus out to the city as this bus drops tourists off at all these major hotels in Toronto: Westin Harbour Castle Hotel Fairmont Royal York (Union Street, Strathcona) Intercontinental Hotel (Front Street) Holiday Inn on King Sheraton Centre Metropolitan Hotel / Chestnut Residence (U of T) Toronto Bus Terminal The Delta Chelsea Inn Bond Place The bright yellow Airport Express bus picks you up at your terminal and the fare costs $29 Canadian dollars return or $17 single. The bus is luxurious and clean. I found the driver to be pleasant and there is relaxing music piped through the bus. You can also get no. 192 bus, the Airport Rocket which runs daily to Toronto. There are other bus services available too. See this website for more information: http://www3.ttc.ca/ Car and taxi routes lead off from Highway 427 or 407. I had to spend more time at the airport on my return home. Check in was a relatively quick process and there were helpful staff in the area reducing queues. I was travelling with a person who has a bad leg and needs to sit down regularly. It was then that this became a problem. There are hardly any seats in the area before you go through to the departure lounge. It was very uncomfortable. There were people sitting on the floor. The facilities in this area were scant too. There were a couple of cafe-restuaurants which did not serve anything more exciting than pizza and hotdogs. There were also a couple of magazine/book stores and a few gift stores, one specialising in jewellry and fine art pieces. If you have a while to wait prior to going through to departures you are in for an uncomfortable period! Once through into the departure lounges there is a lot more to do and places to sit and wait. There are bars, cafes and lots of shops selling souvenirs and things to keep you busy on the flight. There is a fair bit of walking to do until you reach the gates and an extra security measure but overall the departure lounges are very good. There are several toilets all within easy reach so no long treks! This airport was not one of the best I have been through but it was acceptable. I would suggest that they need to improve their facilities in the landside area - increase seating areas and provide a greater variety of stores and eating places. Read the complete review |
Canada Airport |
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4 reviews Toronto Pearson International Airport, or Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport (IATA: YYZ, ICAO: CYYZ), straddling Mississauga's northeastern boundary with neighbouring Toronto, is Canada's busiest airport and part of the National Airports System. In 2005 the airport was ranked ... |
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1 review Halifax International Airport, 1 Bell Boulevard, Enfield, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2T 1K2. Location: The airport is located 35km (21 miles) north of Halifax / Airport code: YHZ. |
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1 review Lester B. Pearson International Airport, PO Box 6031, 3111 Convair Drive, Toronto AMF, Ontario L5P 1B2, Canada. Location: The airport is located 27km (17 miles) northwest of Toronto / Airport code: YYZ. |
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1 review Vancouver International Airport (IATA: YVR, ICAO: CYVR) is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about 15 kilometres from downtown Vancouver. It is the second busiest airport in Canada, behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to Asia... |
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