Heathrow, hiccups and a flight worth waiting for

After more than a year of planning, the day had finally arrived: the start of our Great Canadian Road Trip. My husband Andrew and I, along with our friends Nick and Julie, were setting off on a 17-day adventure—travelling from Vancouver to Banff, on through Jasper, back to Vancouver, and finally across to Vancouver Island.

In the run-up to our departure, wildfires were affecting several areas along our route. The news footage was shocking, and we began making  a Plan B in case we had to change our route.  Thankfully, cooler weather and plenty of rain arrived before we travelled. It was an enormous relief—and our original route was back on.

First Stop: Heathrow

Because our flight left from Heathrow, we travelled down the day before and booked a room at the Thistle Hotel, with on-site parking. Our first impression was not exactly inspiring. There was no lift—which seems extraordinary for an airport hotel—so we dragged six suitcases and four bags up a long flight of stairs. Thankfully, we were only on the first floor.

Our evening meal did little to improve matters. We were shown to a table still covered with the previous diners’ plates, and when nobody came to clear them, Andrew did it himself and went in search of menus. We then had to track someone down again to order drinks and food. The meal was fine, but forgettable. After a chat, we called it a night ready for sleep.  

The following morning, however, things took a turn for the better. We travelled from the hotel to Terminal 5 in a fully automated pod that glides along its own track. It took about five minutes—and it was brilliant. Check-in was quick, and before long we headed for the Aspire Lounge. Our flight was delayed by 45 minutes, though, and oddly we were not allowed into the lounge straight away. Apparently, that is how the system works, but it still felt a little frustrating.

Once inside, relaxation had to wait. We suddenly remembered that we had prepaid for only 15 days of parking and were meant to settle the balance at the hotel. We had forgotten—and getting hold of someone to fix it took what felt like forever.

Then came problem number two: the payment for one of our Booking.com hotels had failed. For a few tense minutes, visions of arriving without anywhere to sleep flashed through our minds. Luckily, we found a motel in the same area and booked it on the spot. Crisis averted.

Premium Economy to Vancouver

For the flight out, we had treated ourselves to premium economy—and it was worth every penny. The seats were noticeably wider, with generous legroom, and the meal arrived on proper crockery with metal cutlery. We even received a printed menu, which made the whole experience feel that little bit more special. Drinks were offered regularly, so staying hydrated was easy. Best of all, after nine hours in the air, we stepped off the plane without the usual aches and pains of being folded into a tiny seat.

Automated border checks and baggage collection were impressively quick, and soon we were on our way to our hotel for our first night in Vancouver. After a year of planning, a few last-minute panics and one very comfortable flight, our Canadian adventure had finally begun.

First night fatigue

We arrived in Vancouver with a mixture of excitement and exhaustion. Although our bodies insisted it was midnight in the UK, the local clock said 4pm. We caught a taxi to take us into the city and to our base for the stay, the Paradox Hotel.

From the moment we walked in, the hotel felt elegant and inviting, and the staff could not have made us feel more welcome. Once we had settled into our rooms, we headed to the bar to make use of our complimentary drinks voucher hunger soon caught up with us.  Although none of us could decide exactly what we fancied. A charcuterie board with fries proved to be the perfect answer: meats, cheeses, bread, crackers and olives to share while we chatted in the bar. By then, however, the time difference was winning. Staying awake until 9pm—5am back in the UK—felt like an achievement, but eventually we admitted defeat and headed to bed, eager to discover Vancouver properly the next morning.

First real sight of Vancouver

The following morning, we were wide awake at about 430am, due to the time difference. It was lovely and comfortable just relaxing in the room and not rushing to get ready. However, at about 7am we were all ready to go out for the day and set off to look for breakfast. We headed towards a place recommended on TripAdvisor, but the route took us through a quieter area near several people experiencing homelessness and substance abuse. Like most cities, Vancouver has challenges.  Feeling uneasy, we decided to turn back towards a busier area and found a café called Bellagios. Whilst we were looking at the menu, an English chap who was passing said it was excellent food, so we opted to go in.

The owner was extremely welcoming and all the staff were so pleasant and helpful. The food was of an amazing quality, with breakfast potatoes which were incredibly tasty. After a really good meal and topped up with tea and coffee, we were ready to face the day.

Our next job was to find a point to get into the hop on hop off trolley bus tour. We have found this is a good way to see a city in a short space of time, getting off to visit things which catch your eye. After a short walk, we found the stop and a trolley came along within a few minutes. It was a little bit more of a novelty than the usual open top bus. The young man doing the commentary was also knowledgeable and very amusing.

Our first hop off was at Granville Island. Originally an industrial area with shipyards, sawmills, and foundries, it was transformed in the late 1970s into a public space with quirky independent shops and markets, arts centres and community theatres. We had a lovely couple of hours walking round the area, then picked up the aqua bus on the harbour to take us to Yaletown to catch up again with the Trolley Bus. After a couple of stops, we got off at the Public Library. I had read there was a roof top garden and platform with great views. The library itself was pretty impressive, but, there wasn’t much of a garden or a view to be honest. Heading back for the Trolley, we got off at Canada Place. The waterfront area, designed to look like a ship, houses a Convention Centre, the cruise ship terminal, shops and restaurants.

While looking for lunch, we saw a huge queue snaking along the cruise terminal and wondered if it was people waiting to board a ship. There was one in the terminal, that had reportedly broken down. Over a light lunch at Marneys, our waitress informed us it was for Aritzia’s famous sale, with some shoppers queuing for days.

After lunch we walked back up to the town and came across “The Round House”,  a historic Railway complex which has now been converted into an arts and cultural centre. It still houses the enormous Engine 374, which pulled the first intercontinental passenger train into the city in 1887. It was a beautiful train looked after by friendly and informative volunteers. We then headed back to the trolley and stayed on longer this time, passing various landmarks, including the A-maze-ing laughter sculpture and travelling through the great expanse of Stanley Park. There is lots to see and do at the park, but as we had been out most of the day, we decided to save a further visit for when we visited Vancouver again later in the holiday.

After a rest and shower at the Paradox, we braved the now pouring rain and returned to Canada Place for dinner at the Tap and Barrel. Unfortunately, the indifferent service, limited menu and unremarkable food made it one of the few disappointing meals of our Canadian adventure.

A few drinks later, we made our way back to the hotel, amazed by how much we had packed into one day—and thoroughly impressed by our first taste of Canada.