Every country, in fact, every city is unique in many respects. If you have your cheap flights booked for a vacation in a new city, it is utmost important to gather some basic information.

Here are some practical travel tips and information about one of the most popular Canadian holiday destination – Vancouver.

Some Quick Facts About Vancouver

·         Population

Vancouver is eighth most populous Canadian city. It is home to about 2.4 million people. This coastal seaport city is among youngest cities of British Columbia.

·         Language

Vancouver has mixed population with multicultural groups. And because of this, languages like English, French, Punjabi, Spanish and more are spoken commonly here. However the services of Federal government department can be availed in English and French languages.

Most people in Vancouver speak English as their second language. It is a cosmopolitan city and different people coming from all across the world follow their native traditions often moderated with Canadian culture.

·         Currency

Local currency or money exchange is the next thing travelers generally worry about after arranging for cheap flight tickets. While traveling in Canada, one needs to use CAD – Canadian Dollars. Travelers can exchange currency at credit unions, Canadian Chartered banks, foreign exchange brokers or trust companies. It is always good to have local currency in hand before you land in Canada.

Some Canadian shops, merchants, hotels and restaurants accept American and other country’s currency at a predetermined rate that may change daily according to financial institutions.

A Canadian Dollar has 100 cents. Coins are in denominations of 5 (nickel), 10 (dime), 25 (quarter), dollar 1 (loonie) and dollar 2 (toonie). You can find notes for dollar 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1000.

·         Time Zone

Canada has six different time zones but Vancouver lies in the Pacific Time Zone. Daylight Savings Time is observed from second Sunday of March till first Sunday of November. It is recommended to check Vancouver’s time in relation to other cities before visiting.

·         Taxes

A provincial state tax of 7% is charged on most purchases in British Columbia. There may also be additional 5% goods and services tax applied on certain items with some exceptions such as on liquor and accommodations.

If you plan to stay in a hotel, you may be charged 3% hotel tax over 8% provincial state tax also known as PST. Common goods like kid’s clothing, magazines, books and restaurant meals etc are exempted from this tax. It is suggested to enquire about the applied taxes before you make a big purchase.

·         Working Days

Like any other major city in Canada, Vancouver runs for 24 hours a day, all 7 days of the week. Offices and other governmental services have standard working days from Monday to Friday roughly between 9 am and 5 pm. Retail shops and stores can be found open 365 days of the year from 9 to 6 except on Thursdays and Fridays when they may be found open till late. Some retail stores and emergency services are open nearly round the clock. Some hotels, restaurants and motels also remain open all the time.

With all these practical travel information about Vancouver, you can enjoy your trip safely and most confidently. Just get your cheap tickets & flights to Vancouver booked right here to experience this wonderful city.