Where is Whistler Canada?
Whistler is located in British Columbia near the west coast of Canada, approximately 125km (76 miles – 1:30 hour drive) north of Vancouver and 350 km (217 miles – 4 hour drive depending on border crossing times) north of Seattle. Squamish is 58km (36mi) south of Whistler and Pemberton is 33km north of Whistler BC.
Flights to Whistler
The main gateway airport for
Whistler Blackcomb is Vancouver (YVR), located about 140km south of Whistler. The drive takes about 1:45 hours.
Vancouver airport receives direct flights from the US, Asia, Europe, Australia and other airports within Canada. To make searching for flights to Vancouver easy, use one of the recommended
flight search engines that compares flight options from multiple airlines.
Getting from Vancouver Airport to Whistler
There are many transfer options available to get from Vancouver and Vancouver Airport to Whistler.
Driving from Vancouver to Whistler
Once in Whistler, you don’t need a car but for travelers who want the freedom of driving, you can rent a car at Vancouver Airport or in Vancouver. Use one of our recommended
car rental search facilities to get a good deal. The incredibly scenic Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler had a major upgrade prior to the Olympics.
Whistler Shuttle
Various modes of Whistler shuttle transfers are available (and are generally in the budget to moderate price range) including private vehicles, taxis, minibuses and coach transfers. Here are a few options for your consideration to get from Vancouver or Vancouver Airport to Whistler.
Getting to Whistler by Luxury Transport
For those who want to add that special touch to their holiday of a lifetime in Whistler, limousine and helicopter transfers are also possible.
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Whistler Royal Limousine Service
Travel to Whistler in style in your own private town car, Escalade, stretch SUV limousine, or limo bus. You will be picked up at the airport and dropped off right at your accommodation. Up to 18 passengers. |
Getting to Whistler By Train
The Whistler Mountaineer provides train travel from North Vancouver to Whistler daily. The journey is 3.5 hours so it takes much longer than by road and it’s more expensive, yet some people like to take the trip just for the spectacular views. Reservations are required.
Orientation to Whistler BC
The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort consists of two adjacent mountains: Whistler Mountain to the south of Whistler Village (lookers’ right from the village) and Blackcomb Mountain to the east (lookers’ left from the village).
Whistler Mountain has two base areas. The main base area is at
Whistler Village on its northwest flank which features a gondola up Whistler Mountain as well as the Blackcomb Excalibur Gondola that heads up Blackcomb Mountain. Whistler Village is large and extends out for over a kilometre where it becomes
Village North.
The other base area for Whistler Mountain is
Creekside which is on its southwest flank. Creekside was the original base for Whistler, but Whistler Village has significantly outgrown this relatively small village. This area is sometimes referred to as Whistler Creek.
Blackcomb Mountain has one small base area called Upper Village which is primarily serviced by the Wizard Express chairlift.
Whistler Village and Upper Village (Blackcomb base) are about a 10 minute walk apart. It’s possible to ski from the Upper Village across to the Whistler Village via the aptly named Village Run. To get from Whistler Village to the Blackcomb base, you need to catch the Blackcomb Excalibur gondola up and then ski down.
Whistler Village and Creekside are interconnected via the lifts and slopes, but by road it’s about 5km between the two villages.
Getting Around Whistler
On Foot
Walking around the villages is fairly easy as there are many pedestrian-only walkways. Considering all the shops, the walk offers a feast for the eyes. Most of the time the Whistler Village walkways are not snow covered, so girls if you really want to wear your stilettos you can!
Whistler Bus System
Another option is to use the various Whistler shuttle buses to get around. Some of these buses are free whilst others attract a small fee. They run at regular intervals and operate pretty late in the evening (aka early morning!) for the party-goers.
One of the main routes is a loop from Whistler Village to marketplace in Village North. There are also buses from Whistler Village up to the Blackcomb Mountain base and the many accommodations in Upper Village. There are also buses between Whistler and Creekside.
Some of the upmarket hotels also provide their own complimentary shuttles.
By Taxi
There are two taxi services available in Whistler that operate 24 hours a day. A trip between Creekside and the Whistler Village costs about $10.