Getting To Whistler Before The Olympics Mania Begins

January 12, 2009 at 12:15 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

Juliana just took a field trip to the Winter Wonderland that is Whistler in British Columbia, Canada. All this week she'll be reporting back on what to do there this ski season. Remember this place will be jammed up for the Winter Olympics in 2010, so you might want to go now or wait until 2011. Any questions? Let us know.

As is the case for most ski mountains, getting to Whistler Blackcomb is not easy. Vancouver International is the closest airport but the mountains are still about two hours away. We took a United/Sky West jet from Los Angeles which cost around $275, not including the $15 baggage fee for our first checked bag.

The flight was about three hours long and the plane was small, with two-by-two seats in each row of the CRJ700. The ride was "surprisingly smooth," according to our flight attendant who said the flight is usually much bumpier. That's not to say there wasn't any turbulence. If you forgot your Xanax, the $6 Chardonnay will also do the trick in calming your nerves.

Once we landed, we blew through customs (it was 11 pm), grabbed our bags and schlepped to the rental car area. This is the most popular way to get to Whistler, though taking the bus is much cheaper. We round up both options after the jump.

Rental Cars: Vancouver Airport has all the major rental car companies, most specializing in SUVs, which you will need driving up the mountain. It's especially worth it to pay extra for the navigation system: Getting to Whistler involves driving through Vancouver which is no easy task.

The Sea to Sky 99 highway to Whistler is also a bit treacherous. There's the Pacific Ocean on your left side and, for most of the way, it's an unlit two-lane highway. Making it more difficult is the massive construction that the government is doing to prepare for the Olympics, involving widening the highway to four lanes.

It's much better to do this drive in the daytime. But if you feel comfortable driving snowy, slushy winding roads at night--and if you have a durable cherry red RAV-4 like we did--then by all means go ahead. Also don't forget to check the road report. Rental car rates start at C$110 ($92) a day.

Buses: If you aren't the best driver or if you have extremely poor navigational skills, let someone else drive you there.
· Pacific Coach: This bus line has ticket counters at the Vancouver airport and departs 12 times a day. Rates are C$58.57 each way.
· Snowbus: This bus departs from various stops in Vancouver, the closest to the airport being the Richmond stop about three minutes away. It's not as convenient as Pacific Coach but it is cheaper at C$42.86 for a round-trip from the city. (Tickets from Richmond are C$57.14.) Both bus lines drop off right in Whistler Village.

Seasonal Options: The Whistler Train also provides a way up to the mountains but only from April to October. Rates for 2008 were C$199 for a round-trip. Similarly, Whistler Air is open from May to October and provides guided tours along the coast and mountains, starting at C$129 a flight.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more from our Whistler Field Trip.

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