Vancouver next year (summer) - advice please

[Pepperpot99]

Hi there, we have decided we would love to go to Vancouver next summer. I need advice please:

-when is the best time (cheapest ) to book flights, and which airlines are best ? we are in London.

-Where are the good places to stay? my dds will be 12 and 15 so hotel not so good, are their apartments anyone knows of to rent?

-what trips and sights would you definitely recommend?

thanks in advance folks

we did a 3 week summer trip to Vancouver with our teens. I have loads of info so if you message me I will send it over. we flew into Vancouver stayed at Sechelt then in Vancouver itself then up to the rockies and finally stayed in a fab place called Golden. 4 places in 3 weeks was perfect. I could write for hours so please message me and I will send it all over to you.

Recommend Vancouver Island - Victoria is lovely with great museum, Butchart (?) gardens and whale watching.
We then went to Tofino on west coast of island and then back to the mainland via Nanaimo and then on to Whistler which is great for mountain biking and walking.
Vancouver's gastown is nice to walk around and Stanley park is good too.

Thanks a lot mummymeister and ShanghaiDiva; I am thinking of between 2 and 3 weeks, around 17 days or so. MM I have PMd you as well

Anyone else? advice re booking flights gratefully received too. Thanks again.

We flew Air Transat and they seemed fine, I'd just use sky scanner to see what's available.
I'd do a few nights in Vancouver then off to Tofino
hire a car and get the fab ferry across , it's a very scenic 3 hr drive from the ferry terminal. We stayed at www.crystalcove.ca which were fabulous cottages/cabins beside the beach.
You could then drive directly to Whistler - we stayed there for 4 nights I think it was and there is loads of super high quality cheap accommodation in the summer because they're geared up for ski season. Loved Whistler, so relaxing and so much to do.

We went over for 3 weeks and flew back from Calgary but I think in retrospect we tried to do too much.

My SIL lives in Vancouver and flys over here with Canadian Affair - Vancouver to Gatwick once or twice a year. It is a lot cheaper than BA etc and the flights including with her DDs have been good.

thanks everyone

I don't know about apartment rentals in Vancouver - you could check out AirBnB etc. We stayed in the Hotel Sylvia which had a family room that might work for you. It had a main room with 2 double beds, then a very small room with a 1 3/4 size bed. The hotel is in a super location right on Stanley beach, but it is showing it's age these days and the room was a little tired, so you may well be better renting an apartment.

Oh Air Transat is the airline used by Canadian Affair.

for holiday rentals you could check out flipkey which is part of the tripadvisor website. Have used them in the past for Japan and Australia but not Canada.
We flew with air canada (from Shanghai) - flights were good but entertainment system was dire (imo) - Asian airlines are much better.