After not using SkyTrain for years, and years, I've been on it 3 times in the past week. It really does beat driving. I can't understand the lack of turnstiles ($5 for an adult at peak times?!?) - invest in some turnstiles people - which I know they're bringing in, but come on ... SkyTrain parking is (and granted with all the Olympic crap it's exacerbated) a HUGE gong show if you're coming from the Surrey side. All in all though, not bad. read more

Nothing is more awesome than Free stuff. SkyTrain is Free for those in-the-know. That is if you have a pro-risk mentally hoping no SkyTrain authority would check your payment stub. This SkyTrain is much more than the smaller track-scale Scarborough(Toronto) LRT... I like the fact that once you've paid, you can travel back and forth until the time-limit ends(although who's checking?). This works because there are no official turnstiles but rather just a Yellow Line on the ground stating the area after the line is for paid customers only. Who are they kidding?? I like that it's relatively clean-looking which overall I am almost comparing it to the one in Taipei, Taiwan. I don't like that for 2 instances on the same day, I was unlucky enough to find a seat that had a Beverage spill. I like that there are Security cameras so at least safety on board shouldn't be too bad. read more

This was our first experience on the Sky Train in Vancouver, BC. Found it to be easy once the destination was determined via the SkyTrain route maps. Easy to jump on and off with an inexpensive tourist day pass (also good for the bus routes and the SeaBus to North Vancouver). If you want to explore Vancouver without the hassle of finding and paying for parking, the Sky Train is the way to go. Nice experience! read more

I have a crush on the skytrain. I love it when it's slightly crowded, so that I have to stand up. When I'm on the bus, I like to read, when I'm on the skytrain I like to pay attention. See the shifting skyline change with each curve, examine how the shadows and sun fall on the buildings and peek out from in between. I do agree with the other reviews that more information would be better. Why not post bigger signs for those who only know their stop name, and not the name of a bigger destination on their route. The Canada Line (coming soon) will take you all the way from YVR to Waterfront in Gastown. That is huge! Right now I ride the skytrain simply for a fun commute to Commercial or Burnaby. But transportation to and from the airport would be so incredibly useful! Can't wait! read more

I'm a SkyTrain newbie, but have ridden NYC Subway, Chicago CTA "L", SF Muni, and Los Angeles' Metro before. We took a quick trip from the Tsawwassen (say that 10 times fast!!) ferry station and transfered to SkyTrain for the run up to Vancouver Harbor (while trying to beat the parking lot closing time) and made it without issue! I must say, our SkyTrain experience was great - super clean and on time. Very obvious security presence, which was nice. In Los Angeles, I never see people courageous enough to whip out iPads or laptops on public transit and still feel safe, but it is Canada, after all. ;^) read more

If you're 3 or less travellers I would definitely suggest taking the train down into Vancouver. It is a pretty no brainer. Faster and it will cost you less in the end with the cab...and it is eco friendly. The only possible confusing part that snagged me for a bit was how to determine how many zones I would be going into and what I would need to pay. More cities to connect major transportation hubs with their downtowns! read more

Great way to get into the city for 7.50 per person. It does have a lot of stops but from talking to the locals it is a lot quicker and CHEAPER then taking a taxi especially during commute times. We have taken it twice. Super easy to purchase tickets and very clean announcements of stops. read more

On this occasion, two day passes with a start and end point of Lake Lafarge Douglas, eastern terminus of the newish Evergreen line. Many stops within Vancouver city, including Granville Island was on our agenda, so we opted for the 'pass', as opposed to individual tickets for buses, seabus, trains. On a Saturday, twas quiet on the eastern front, getting busier as expected as we entered the BIG city centre. We transferred to #99 cross town bus at the Commercial Drive, and used #19, and #50 lines amongst others. Lots of walking and steps in between. The pass was a good idea, just swipe upon entry, no fumbling for change, a single purchase at a self serve machine by placing credit on the COMPASS card. A lovely bilingual supervisor gentleman at the Lafarge station assisted the process). Trains are ok, windows need cleaning, but seating is comfortable, and not overcrowded during our journeys. Frequency is fair, no long waits on the day. Would recommend, as opposed to DRIVING one's own car, when entering the city of Vancouver and it's legendary traffic / parking issues. read more

Cool, fast and free(?)... I was impressed with transportation option in Vancouver, and this was no exception. Pretty well organized, clean, and affordable... free if you dare. With public transportation like this and others in Vancouver; never need to take a taxi, or private transportation... take that NYC! yay! I'm a fan. read more

I'm not really on a SkyTrain route, so it does have a bit of a novelty when I take it from downtown to Commercial Drive. I love the views and the frequency of the trains is really convenient. I am very, very excited for the new Canada Line to be operational along Cambie to the airport!! The one thing that I have to beef about is that in every other major city I've been in that has a subway (or similar system of public transport) knows how to mark things better. How hard would it be to put up a sign on the wall behind the tracks that has the line, the stops on the line, the direction that the line is going and other useful information? For example, at Stadium Station the signs tell you to take one train to the suburbs or another train to Waterfront. What if I want to go to Burrard Station? It's not the suburbs. It's not the waterfront, either. Sure, once you take the train once or twice you know which way to go. But tourists and newcomers use trains too, so marking the stops and the direction the train is going would be really useful! It could look like this (at Staduim station): Expo Line (Waterfront - King George) Waterfront --Burrard--Granville-- **Stadium**-- Main-- Broadway--Nanaimo--ETC! Then an arrow below telling you if it's going towards Granville or Main next. Then the opposite on the other side so there wouldn't be any confusion about which train to get on. read more

SkyTrain. It's really awesome. Get around the city and see great parts of Vancouver's sprawling Metropolis. Ride in the first car and imagine yourself as the operator of the train running across the longest transit-specific bridge in the world. Enjoy the park at the King George station, and be back downtown in 25 minutes. SkyTrain is awesome...but I think you already heard that from me. read more

I cannot tell if this is the greatest metro system ever

Ahhh skytrain. This is easily the most consistent form of public transportation (growing up in the burbs I remember busses failing to show up for hours sometimes). Skytrain for me has been mostly reliable, it gets you most places (ooooh so excited for the Canada line to the airport!), and despite being packed at rush hour, the ride isn't so bad. I love seeing tourists taking the "Skytrain Tour" (especially during summer months), being above ground level for the most part gives tourists the unique opportunity to see everything along the line, including the classic slowdown between Science World and GM for the perfect picture. It is the most viable option for events in Vancouver, especially sporting or concerts. Pay Imparks $25 "Event Fee" even blocks away, or just jump on the train. BC Transit runs ticketing and loading seemlessly, and they seem to get better every year. Plus, when choosing the train over my car, I feel like a good environmentalist :) read more

I love the Skytrain. Compared to the train systems in other cities I've been to, the Skytrain: - comes most frequently - is quiet (relative to, say, the Chicago CTA, or NY Subway, or London Tube) - has really nice view when not cloudy - is generally clean - stations are generally clean - can access most major places, now including airport - has cell phone reception except downtown underground part (e.g. NY Subway doesn't) The only drawbacks are: - not 24/7 - fares are expensive and only gets more expensive every year - when there is a problem on a track, you get stuck for a long time (no other train alternative; just bus or cab) read more

If you have had the unfortunate situation of living in a city where public transportation is the pits (ahem, Calgary!) you will truly appreciate the wonders of the Skytrain in Vancouver. The Skytrain is fully automated and I can count on one hand the number of times there have been any 'technical problems', whereby the situation is handled quickly and efficiently, allowing passengers to continue on their journey. There are two train lines for your convenience, the Expo line which runs from downtown Waterfront Station to King George station in Surrey and the Millennium Line which runs from Waterfront Station to VCC-Clark via Columbia. The website is great for explaining how to get around and the trains run anywhere from 2-8 minutes depending on the time of day. As with all public transportation, there are peak times when the SkyTrain is much busier, a good time to open your book or pop in your earphones and ignore the masses. read more

I rarely use public transportation nowadays but decided to use it during my recent stay in Burbaby with my friends to go to Holland Park in Surrey for FVDED in the Park. The condo we were staying at was conveniently located across the Metrotown station and the Metropolis Mall. It was confusing figuring out how to pay for the fares at first since we are obviously not from the area and not everyone had chips on their card, but we eventually figured it out. Everything is on a Compass Card and you tap a machine to say you "tapped in." It didn't take long at all to wait for the train to come every time we had to use it (probably because they were aware of the event going on). The train does look a bit worn down (not too much though) but at least it got us to where we needed to be; It did take a while to get to the King George station, where Holland Park was at, but still a cheaper alternative than driving around everywhere and finding parking. I like how the train shows the routes and zones it passed, but I wish they had more of those around the train since it got really crowded. One thing I must say is I did not appreciate one of the security being rude to my friend after my friends and I were trying to get through the gate as a group but cutting us off when we only needed three of our friends to pass through. No, she was not touching you and you didn't have to sound so threatening. I understand it's stressful handling that many people, but don't be rude to my friend when we were all trying to stick together. Again, we are not from the area and definitely didn't want anyone to get lost. Besides that, thank you Sky Train for getting us to where we needed to be in one piece! Definitely felt like we saved a lot of time and money getting around. read more

This has to be the best of all the transport trains I've been on, so my review is based against these Trains: San Francisco's BART train London's Underground Seattle's Sounder New York's Metro Well, It seems that they are renovating a few stations. That I have been. Most of the stations are accessible to shopping centers and what not. The train does get crowded at times, but I havent had any issues as it seems many people get off shortly after. There seems to be alot of police and security folks walking around... which is a good thing. The price depends on how many zones you go. But the train goes to many different locations. The BEST PARTS: Frequent skytrains, I'm talking less than 8 minutes the most, all day long. Once you pay, you get a 1.5hrs to get back on the train and dont have to pay the fee again. So if you go to the mall to shop and get done in that time frame, you can hop on the train and not worry about paying. The train is pretty clean and quiet as well. read more

To someone used to only steam trains, buses, cars planes and cycles...Sky Train was a step up ! To someone used to only city transportation systems that grew out of disarray...Vancouver's Sky Train system, coupled with the buses and Ferries; makes for a transportation dream, come true. Even after the ' Mountaineer,' I can safely say...go Sky Train. To someone who on their first few rides got it all wrong and even went so far as ending up @ the end of the line and having to walk back to the station from the turn-around...yes it happened...too quiet ! To someone who sat up front and felt better than with an X-box or Play station game...like a big kid again.....what a blast. Then there are the other practical benefits...you get there quickly, you meet interesting people and see the sights as well. So from the position of ignorance [ not having traveled tubes before ] I say SKY TRAINS of VanC...are WONDERFUL. I even enjoyed the escalators and ticketing system. I even missed the last train a few times and had to take the bus from Metro-Town...no problemo. read more

Coming from San Diego, CA it reminds me of our trolleys, but better! It's kinda like a subway too because when it gets closer to downtown waterfront, it goes underground. Ticket fares are $2.75 if you get the fare pack from Richmond centre's drug store right by the station if you're coming from there. Fast and easy!! Not too many stops and lines in San Diego's trolleys. read more

SkyTrain - People watching at the Waterfront station - Trains Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

I want to direct this review to people who are visiting Vancouver and are going to and from the airport. This is the fastest and most cost efficient option. This train is also unbelievably clean and quiet. I'm not sure what it's like as a daily commuter, but if you are an air traveler, do not hesitate to jump on the train to get where you need to be in the city, or hitch a ride back to the airport. read more

This might quite possibly be the best public transportation I've ever experienced. It could be because I live Seattle where 21st century public transportation is almost non-existent or it could be because it was clean, cheap, and efficient. I couldn't believe how easy this was to use during the Olympics. Granted there were quite a few stops between Surrey and Vancouver, it still beats sitting in traffic any day. read more

After traveling for years in different countries and cities it's hard for me to make a legitimate complaint about skytrain beyond their operational hours that makes getting home from the bar and or shows complicated. Do they need to do track maintenance as often as they do at night? The regular line seems to break down lately more frequently than it has any business doing. Canada line seems to be more reliable. read more

So if I have a Wine Store as my place of worship, then this is my second home lol. I have travelled to many cities and the Skytrain is comparable to the Subway in NYC or the Underground in London, although definintely not on as large a scale. The reason I only gave it 4 stars is that they need to extend the hours. The time it takes to get from New West to Downtown is less than you can drive, it also costs less than any parking you are going to find downtown lol. read more

In comparison to Toronto, whose population is 3Xs more than Vancouver, the SkyTrain was a pleasant surprise! (I live in a 'burb outside of Toronto and have a car, so it was definitely eye opening experience to say the least!) Good: - somewhat easy to figure out how to get from one place to another. The only thing I had problems with was figuring out the fare, especially if I was transferring from bus-SkyTrain - even though it runs on the Zone system, for the most part, it's cheaper than the TTC! - came quite frequently - never stalled for no reason...which seems to happen ALL. THE. TIME. on the TTC - runs on the Honour System, so no one actually collects fares/checks tickets unless you're getting on the bus - since the SkyTrain travels slightly above the city, on a track, it's a nice way to see the city as a tourist! - you can use your phone to call/go on the internet - they've hired Customer Service Reps who wear neon vests who always seemed to be around when I got lost/had a question - train actually goes to #YVR, imagine that Toronto!!! (Wasn't sure of the price, but it was as expensive as $9 or as cheap as $2.75 from the 'burbs) N/I: - train itself is small. If you're travelling with a bike/luggage, you may get dirty looks - since it's Zoned, it can get pricy depending on where you're going - at a couple of stations, I found it confusing as to what direction the train was travelling to, no signage Toronto *just* introduced UP (Union Pearson Express) train, but from Union Station, without a Presto card, it's $27.50! True, it does take only 30mins, but it doesn't address the 'burbs, only people who live downtown and can get to either Union/Bloor GO/Weston GO, so it's only 3 stops in total!!! read more

This a clean, efficient subway system is relatively straightforward to use. (Especially after you use it once.) It runs you from YVR to downtown in around 30mins for C$2.75. read more

I love the Sky Train. Although it is a small version of what we see in larger US cities, it made me long for something similar near where I live. Sis and I were able to park our RV, and take the Sky Train +/- bus to anywhere we wanted to go in Vancouver. It was relatively inexpensive, but well worth the price. If I had needed to park in Gastown, I would have been a wild woman. This way we talked to interesting people every day on the train and got more insight about the city. read more

Old train, moderately old train, new train, nice people, smelly people, impolite people, loud people. Not much changes on the train day to day. It is reliable and efficient. It gets me to where I want to be without delay. Well except for those once in a while days where things get bunged up, but this rarely happens. If I were to choose bus or sky train the train would win every time. read more

How come every time i go on the skytrain someone is either puking on the floor, yelling at other passengers or passed out asleep across the seats. It's bad enough that the skytrain doesn't get you most places in the city of Vancouver. It's overpriced and needs better security. Booooo-Urrrrrrnnnss read more

It was a pleasure to experience Vancouver's Sky Train with my host family. Trains were clean and the ride was fairly smooth. It wasn't as quiet a ride as I had envisioned, with squeaking and squealing. The $9.75 day pass was a good value as it could be used for both the train and buses. Ample number of trains meant short wait times. Los Angeles could learn from Vancouver about that. read more

I love the skytrain! Even better than it goes all the way to the airport now! I wish we had something like this here in Seattle. Even during the Olympics, it didn't feel anymore crowded than NY or London. It makes going to Vancouver a lot more assessable since you don't need your car--public transportation is even great outside of the city limits! read more

I love the Skytrain. It makes life so much easier. Really, Vancouver transportation can't be beat. It's easy to navigate and goes to all the important places. As someone who would just go to the city for a show or a shopping day, the Skytrain proved invaluable. read more

Today September 5th, 2015 writing this review from skytrain where I am stuck for the last 15 mins. Heading downtown art gallery from 29th avenue station. Usually it takes about 15/20 mins but it is stuck on a Saturday stopping frequently and there's no apology announcement from translink . Wondering since all zone fare going to be same , are they compensating with the service? read more

It could be better but it is probably the best system in western canada and better than most North American cities. Need to get the free loading cheats and the lower the price a bit. Also should run longer hours. read more

I've always liked the skytrain.Its a great place to people watch.The skytrain is pretty clean unless you dont mind newspapers astray.Its fast and frequent and usually doesn't break down and runs 21 hours a day.The skytrain is computer controlled and doesnt require a driver.You can even ride the skytrain for free but beware..there are skytrain cops that will do ticket checks at random and fine you for $173 if you dont have one.but thats rare.I bet a lot of americans are jealous that they dont have something like this in their cities read more

When I am in Vancouver. I take the sky train . It is easy to use, quit , speedy and faster then taking the bus.the train is crowned in going to downtown Vancouver from 6-8am from the city of Vancouver 3-6pm read more

The lake of security is kinda scary at many station at night, and the bus is unacceptable if you value your time in any way ... They recently spent 1 billion $$ to help make people pay and still no security witch would solve both problems and would have saved lots of money ... read more

Didn't start using SkyTrain until the Evergreen line opened in late 2016. Now, I can get downtown in about 50 minutes and to North Van in just over an hour (with NO parking or traffic fuss). I've taken it to and from the airport twice now and, although it's a full 90 minutes from home that way, there's still no traffic or parking stress or expense so totally worth it. Really happy to have this mode of transportation in my city now, and the Compass Pass makes it super easy and fast. read more

Very expensive to build and expensive to use. These are 'driver-less' trains; run by a computer and control center. The cost to ride about 30 minutes during a weekday is double or triple the cost in many other metro cities. Funny thing... they don't have any ticket windows or gates, so there must be thousands of people riding for free ! No, there were no 'conductors' or ticket takers on the trains either ! Weird. read more

Considering I am a mass transit novice, the SkyTrain got me nearly everywhere I wanted to go while I was visiting Vancouver a couple years back. The trains I rode were clean and got me to where I needed to go. Since I was new to train travel I was a little confused on one of my exits, but that was definitely on me =). I didn't know this until midway through my trip, but you can take the SkyTrain to the Canada Line to get to the airport. I'll have to give that a shot next time I'm out there so my friend isn't taking time off work to pick me up. read more