Compare Vancouver car hire 

Hiring a car from Vancouver Airport (YVR) is easy thanks to the great range of major car rental companies. Hertz, Enterprise, Avis and Budget all have rental offices here, and it takes just thirty minutes to drive to Downtown Vancouver.

When collecting your hire car from Vancouver Airport, it’s worth noting where the pick-up points are. Most major companies have kiosks in the Main and South Terminals, just beyond the baggage claim area. However, some are based further afield – for instance, Enterprise's pick up location is outside the airport site, and to reach it you'll need to use a complimentary shuttle service that leaves from the Level P1 car park.

The centre of Vancouver is approximately 12km (7 miles) from the airport. Once you’re out of the airport, you’ll need to drive north along BC-99 for around 20 minutes before turning onto Seymour Street, which takes you through Yaletown and Downtown Vancouver.

Car rental companies that have desks at Vancouver Airport include:

• Avis (Tel: +1 604 606 2847)
• Hertz (Tel: +1 604 606 3700)
• Enterprise (Tel: +1 604 303 1117)
• Budget (Tel: +1 800 268 8900)
• Alamo (Tel: +1 800 992 9823)
• Thrifty (Tel: +1 604 668 7000)
• National (Tel: +1 800 327 2501)
• Dollar (Tel: +1 604 606 1696)
• Mr. Rent-a-Car (Tel: +1 604 273 0099)

As well as collecting a hire car from the airport, there are also various pick-up locations in Vancouver, including at Vancouver and Waterfront stations, that may offer competitive deals. If you’re visiting Vancouver Island, you can take the passenger ferry across to the port city of Nanaimo and hire a car from there.

Vancouver is a densely populated city and is often busy, but its road network is laid out in a grid system that’s easy to navigate. That said, some of the big city centre roads are one-way and have no U-turn points, so do bear this in mind. Planning your route in advance is a good idea – try to use online tools or up-to-date satnavs to be sure one-way systems are taken into account.

If you want to pick up a car in Vancouver city centre, you'll find a good range of hire companies around Seymour Street and Howe Street in the West End, including Avis, Hertz and Enterprise. There are also some options to the south of the West End, in the Kitsilano and Mt Pleasant districts.

Car parks in Canada are known as parkades, and there are many just south of Vancouver city centre in Fairview and South Granville. You can expect to pay between $4-12 for a two-hour stay. In the downtown districts street parking is more common, but it's also expensive and stays are limited to two hours. It’s often better to park further afield and use public transport to get to the central sights.

Vancouver Island

Driving time: Two hours

Located a two-hour ferry ride from the city, Vancouver Island is a magnet for the active and outdoorsy. You’ll arrive into the coastal city of Nanaimo, whose Old City quarter is packed with interesting independent shops and galleries. Catch the last ferry back, or stick around a little longer to kayak in Pacific Rim National Park or watch grizzlies catching salmon in Campbell River.

Victoria

Driving time: Three hours 20 minutes

For a dose of old colonial Canada, head to Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It’s the historic capital of British Columbia, and is full of quaint English-style architecture, intriguing museums and charming gardens. It’s a little further afield so is probably best visited as an overnight trip.

Skiing at Whistler

Driving time: One hour 40 minutes

The highly popular Whistler resort is less than two hours’ drive from central Vancouver, making it the perfect day trip for skiers and snowboarders. It’s a fairly easy and very scenic drive along BC-99, but you do need to make sure your vehicle is ready for snowy conditions (see driving tips, below). Once you're there you'll find 200 runs to choose from, as well as a lively European-style après-ski scene.

1. Avoid making U-turns. On many roads in Vancouver, especially at intersections, it’s illegal to make a U-turn. The city is full of traffic cameras too so they’ll likely pick up on it if you do.


2. Don’t use your phone while driving. Unless you are legally parked, it’s strictly prohibited to use your phone for any reason when driving in and around Vancouver.


3. If you're taking the BC-99 to Whistler between October and March, snow tires are a legal requirement. Make sure you factor this in when booking your hire car.

Fair fuel policy

A fair fuel policy (also known as full-to-full or same-to-same) means you’ll only pay for the fuel you use. All car rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket come with a fair fuel policy, so you can book your hire car safe in the knowledge there will be no nasty surprises at drop-off. More information on TravelSupermarket’s commitment to fair fuel policies can be found here.

No hidden fees

All rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket include mandatory fees (for example, one-way and young driver surcharges) in your rental quote at the time of booking, meaning you’ll know the full price of your car hire upfront.