For literally years, I’ve wanted to go to Vancouver, BC—after all, it’s just right across the border in the U.S., and I’ve heard wonderful things about the city. I finally got an opportunity to go to Vancouver for the first time when my sisters, brother and I met there for a siblings weekend, in part to celebrate my younger sis who is about to have a baby. While I was planning our trip, I wondered, Should I rent a car in Vancouver?

I turned to the internet, of course, and what I didn’t find was an article outlining the pros and cons of whether to rent a car in Vancouver, BC. So I decided to write it.

I’m confident this guide will help you figure out if you should rent a car in Vancouver. Read on for the factors that will influence your plans the next time you visit Vancouver, BC—and read to the end to see what we ended up choosing!

Is it worth it to rent a car in Vancouver?

I’d never been to Vancouver, BC before my siblings trip so I didn’t know exactly what to expect. If you haven’t been to this beautiful Canadian city, either, here are things to consider before deciding to rent a car in Vancouver.

1. Cost of a rental car vs taxis and public transportation

A taxi ride from the Vancouver Airport (YVR) to downtown is $35 Canadian, plus tip. Fares are likely more expensive if you are traveling farther out than downtown, as well as returning to the airport. If you add it up, you’ll likely pay at least $80 Canadian in taxis to and from the airport.

On the other hand, you can also depend on public transportation. The Canada Line, Vancouver’s rapid transit train, leaves from both the domestic and international terminals. You can get downtown in about 30 minutes—roughly the same amount of time as a taxi.

The Canada Line fare from the airport to downtown costs between $8-10, depending on if you’re using cash or a metro card. Fare to the airport is between $3-4. Here are details on where to catch the Canada Line from YVR.

Compare those costs to renting a car from YVR. For a weekend trip with a compact car, you’ll pay around $50 US, which is about $66 Canadian, including fees.

2. Weekend vs weekday

The cost of renting a car might vary from weekends to weekdays; in addition, traffic is a lot different! Much like other cities, weekday traffic is significantly worse than on weekends. If you’re uncomfortable driving in an unfamiliar city in dense traffic, you should consider not renting a car in Vancouver during weekdays.

3. Day trips outside Vancouver, BC

When you visit Vancouver, will you be staying within the city, or are you planning day trips? There are gorgeous parks and hikes within an easy drive of Vancouver, and Whistler is only an hour and a half away.

Shuttles can get you between Downtown Vancouver or YVR and Whistler; here is a list of shuttles to the mountain. Know, though, that going on a shuttle will take longer than driving directly, and you’ll be limited to when you can go and leave. What’s more, you need to consider the time (and effort) it takes to get yourself (and your ski gear) to the shuttle stop.

If you’re planning a lot of day trips from Vancouver, you should consider renting a car at YVR.

4. Are you staying downtown?

When you visit Vancouver, you’ll see a wide selection of high-end hotels downtown. If you’re staying downtown, renting a car in Vancouver doesn’t make a lot of sense for several reasons.

Firstly, you’ll have to deal with downtown Vancouver traffic, which is more congested than elsewhere in the city. Next, you’ll have to pay to park, which is quite expensive if you’re parking overnight or at the hotel valet service. Finally, if you’re downtown, you’re central to public transportation and many of the things you’ll want to do in Vancouver.

If you stay outside the city (e.g. in one of Vancouver’s short-term rentals like AirBnB), it might make more sense to rent a car in Vancouver. Take into account how far away you’re staying from public transportation lines.

5. How many people are you traveling with?

If you’re traveling with more than four people, remember that if you take a taxi, you’ll need two. After all, only five people can squish into one cab, and one of them has to be the driver! If you rent a car in Vancouver, though, you can pick a car or crossover that will fit your entire group. That might make it more economical to rent a car instead of relying on taxis or public transportation.

6. No rideshares

When I first asked, Should I rent a car in Vancouver?, I just figured we could Uber or Lyft when we needed. Then I realized that Vancouver doesn’t have ridesharing services.

7. Are you traveling with kids?

If you’re going to Vancouver with kids, that will affect your decision to rent a car or not. Dealing with car seats on your flight is a real pain, but once you install them in a rental car, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Usually, driving yourself is quicker than dealing with public transportation—a real consideration for parents, since you don’t want to squander valuable meltdown-free time in shuttling your kids between bus lines.

If you take taxis, your kids won’t be riding in car seats, which isn’t the safest option. But a taxi will drop you directly at your destination and you won’t have to deal with parking.

On the other hand, taking public transportation with kids can be great. My children love riding buses and trains. Most public transportation also allows strollers. On the downside, you may have to transfer between lines (and potentially wait out in bad weather). And once you reach your stop, you may have to walk to your actual destination, which can take a lot of time and effort for little ones.

8. Dealing with parking in Vancouver

When I asked a travel Facebook group Should I rent a car in Vancouver? just about everyone mentioned how awful parking is. That said, I didn’t find it to be that bad, at least over a weekend!

Street parking is available in just about all of Vancouver’s neighborhoods. Some is even free if you leave within a few hours! For paid parking, make sure you have coins to fill a parking meter. You can pay with your phone, but honestly I didn’t know how to deal with that using an international number.

Did I rent a car in Vancouver?

I know you guys have been held in suspense (ha!), so here is the big reveal: I did rent a car in Vancouver, BC. And I’m so glad I did! Here’s why:

• There were 5 of us who met up in Vancouver, and most of us arrived at different times. That meant we would have spent $160 Canadian on taxis to and from the airport alone.
• If we wanted to take a taxi within the city, we would have needed two, since our group couldn’t fit in one car.
• We stayed outside of downtown in a lovely 4-bedroom AirBnB. I loved the neighborhood feel of our place, but it was a bit of a trek to public transportation.
• I wanted things to be easy. My sister is 7 months pregnant, and I didn’t want us to spend a bunch of time figuring out routes on public transportation.

The real cost of renting a car in Vancouver, BC

Here’s what I spent on our rental, all in Canadian:

• $112 on a rental for a crossover, including basic insurance and fees
• $22 in gas
• $16 in parking

That’s a total of $150 Canadian, which is $113 USD. To me, spending that money wasn’t significantly more than what we’d all pay, collectively, on public transportation. And the savings of time and hassle certainly outweighed a few extra dollars on our Vancouver vacation.

If you do rent a car from YVR, pay attention to where the pick-up is located. The pick-up will say either shuttle to car or car on airport. If convenience and saving time are major factors in your decision to rent a car, make sure the rental car company you use offers car on airport—without having to take a shuttle.

I rented our car through Alamo, which had a pick-up and drop-off location about a 2-minute walk from the terminal. It was so nice to not have to ride a shuttle off-site!

I’d love to hear your experiences of renting a car in Canada or in other places you’ve gone. When you travel, do you typically rely on public transportation, or do you rent a car? Let me know in the comments!