how to get between Vancouver and Whistler

horse drawn carriage in Stanley Park, (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Be watching for our Top Ten List from Virtuoso Travel Week. In the meantime, I wanted to pass along a simple tip I learned from our rep from the Four Seasons Whistler.

The drive from the Vancouver airport to Whistler is 84 miles, just over two hours by car according to google maps. What's the best way to make the transfer?

(1) Hiring a limo is the most costly but most luxurious option (unless you want to rent a helicopter). If you're looking for a luxury experience, from the moment you board your flight and sit in your First Class seat, this may just be the ticket for you.

(2) It used to be possible to take the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Whistler, but now that leg is only available as part of one of their three day train expeditions to Lake Louise or Banff ... highly recommended trips, by the way!

(3) I wouldn't recommend the horse-drawn carriage in the picture above, as it's probably not the best way to journey 84 miles!

(4) Here's the tip: book a one way car rental in each direction. If you make your rental through the Avis office in Whistler, there's no drop-off charge. This saves you the not-insignificant daily parking fee at your resort in Whistler. The Avis office is in the lobby of Whistler Cascade Lodge, and you can telephone at (604) 932-1236.

Or the concierge at Four Seasons Whistler or Fairmont Chateau Whistler can make the rental arrangements for you. We can get you Preferred Partner or Virtuoso amenities at either of these resorts.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.