Vancouver holiday

[ShelleyS]

With my �2,000 redundancy payout due next year, I am thinking of taking my bloke to Canada for his birthday (Vancouver is the dream destination) He is mad about mountain biking, and I want to take in the sites, so need sugestions on cheap flights, places to stay, places to see and good downhill courses for the amateur mountain bike rider - can anyone help?

[crimbo]

I went to Vancouver in 1999 and its a great place. I flew with Canada 3000 which have since gone bust, but I managed to get the flights from the flight centre in Londin during hight season for about �450return. Places to stay- I stayed at the Victorian Hotel in Gastown which was a lovely (but a bit twee) family run hotel only a block away from centre of vancouver. Not too expensive either! As for sights there are so many, Stanley Park is a great has so much to offer and loads fom naturs watching to lying on the beach. The shopping is great on Robson Street and cds are much cheaper in the uk incase you were interested. The is a huge science park which was great fun even if you don,t have kids. Go over to north Vancouver on the sea bus to Grouse Mountain and take the cable car ride for some spectacular views of vancouver and if its clear you can see MT Baker in the USA which is a snow capped volcano which regularly has smoke rising from it. As for Mountain buking, head up to Whistler. Whilst best known as ski resort, during the summer it is a mecca for mounatinbikers and outdoor pursuits junkies. I stayed at the Shoestring Lodge just out of town. It is aimed at the budjet traveller but has communal dorms as well as double rooms for those that don't wish to share.The place was very clean and cheap to stay at. It has its own restaurant, off licence and a bar/ venue. All of these places can be looked up on the net to give you a good idea of what youre getting. Have a great trip. Crimbo. PS if you have kids avoid the das boot ballet in whistler, its a strip club!