Walking to YvR
 

What would be the safest path to walk to YVR from downtown Vancouver? Google maps is suggesting I "walk" across the skytrain bridge and take a back road, and Grant McConachie lacks a sidewalk from Arthur Lang to the airport it seems...

​​​​​​Is it just generally a bad idea to walk to an airport?

Yes it is generally a bad idea to try and walk into or out of any major airport. Especially when there is a cheap public transportation option to begin with.

https://www.translink.ca/Fares-and-P...R-AddFare.aspx

It's actually free from Templeton station to YVR. But I think the point is to either bike or walk the entire way. I see no reason why air terminals are special compared to say, bus terminals or train terminals, especially in metro Vancouver, a city that prides itself on bike lanes and such.

BTW this is a serious query. I intend to walk starting 3:30AM tomorrow to my YVR-SFO J seat. Right now it looks like knight street to Bridgeport will be the way... Aweful path for pedestrians, especially in the anticipated -8C overnight.

Wish I knew that last year when I walked from west Richmond where I stayed at an AirBnB before my coach flight to DEN connecting to my DreamLiner Biz flight to Asia.

It was OK, as I ended up hopping on a parking lot shuttle to the airport - lots of pax, so I did not look out of place.

Gotta say, from Vancouver it's an awfully long way to walk, especially if forecast calls for -8 :eek: :(

If you do walk, we have a thread on walking to airports in Budget Travel. Don't recall posting about YVR, but maybe I should give the thread a bump ;) (with a legitimate post).

Well to each his own DrunkCargo. I don't know why and you haven't said why you want to do this but it's your choice.

There is apparently a bicycle route into the airport and presumably you can use that to walk in as well. You can find a bicycle map linked here: Bicycles and Cycling | YVR

So why would anyone want to start walking at 3.30am in -8C weather when they could ride in nice warm public transportation for free?

Agree about walking at Zero Dark Thirty in freezing (and likely since it's Vancouver) wet weather, but the free part is only from Templeton station, but that is only about 45 minute walk to the terminal IIRC (yes, I took a shuttle to, but walked to west Richmond FROM terminal day before).

It's a free country, but I'm genuinely curious about why on earth you would do this???

What's the matter with walking?

I've walked into or out of a number of airports over the years - YUL, LGA, LAX, and SYD come to mind.
Maybe it's a way to get some exercise on the road. I'd take a good urban walk over a hotel gym treadmill any day.

Bolding mine.

And I HAVE personally walked to YVR from west Richmond, but since there is a river in the way, the long way, about an hour and a half.

Why not walk and swim:
"True North Strong and Free" :D

Having spent my last three college years and most of my working life in Texas, that has a whole 'nother connotation :eek:

And that river is pretty wide .... for a swim anyway.

I missed a bus stop once (driver issues) so ended up walking from the side of the road back and into the airport.

It’s certainly possible. But most airports are designed for vehicles so sidewalks may be limited or missing. For that reason doing it while dark could be dangerous.

I’m not an expert on YVR to judge accessibility by foot.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with walking. I walk a lot myself. I'm just not sure that it's sensible (which is why I'm trying to understand the motivation) to walk to an international airport (designed for car access) at 330 in the morning, in the dark at -8C. If it's exercise OP is after, how about a stroll through Stanley Park the afternoon before?

My suggestion is to walk down Miller Rd. There's sidewalk nearly all the way from Russ Baker Way to the airport.

Follow the bike path coming down the Arthur Lang and that'll get you onto Miller Rd.

Alternatively, that you could walk across the skytrain overpass as shown on Google maps. That'll take you to N Service Rd. Walk all the way down and you'll end up at Intl arrivals.

Great suggestion if anyone else intends to walk, but given that OP is probably at the airport or already in the air ....