This Christmas holiday, I will be connecting through YVR en route from Copenhagen to Sydney. I have studied the YVR website, but I still have a few questions for all of you locals (or freq's to YVR):

1. It appears to me that intl. arrivals and departures are the same - it's just a matter of which way you walk. Am I missing something here? Can I simply exit one aircraft, find the correct gate, and enter the next aircraft? Or do I have to go through all sorts of checks (like, say, LHR) ?

2. If I were to exit the airport to get a quick look around, would that bring all sorts of dire consequences? What I'm trying to say is, would it be very complicated to go through customs and immigration, tour the vicinity for any given amount of time, and then reenter the airport, go through security and find my gate?

Thanks in advance.
- Daniel

Sterile transit is not quite as easy as in major European airports - you can't just go from one gate to another. Upon deplaning, you will be herded into a corridor leading towards the immigration and customs area. However, you will see signs for diverting to connecting flights to the U.S./international. Ask the agent meeting the flight when you get there.

Should be no problem getting out and coming back in (but keep your inbound boarding pass to save on airport taxes). Not much to look around outside unless you head into town.