Travel Information

Airport Transportation

Speakers and participants arrive at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Sunday, September 20 and return to YVR on Thursday, September 24. The UBC campus is about 15 km northwest of the airport. All prices below are in Canadian dollars; fares were verified in August 2026.

Transit ~$10 · 50–60 min Taxi $42 flat · 25–35 min Uber/Lyft ~$35–50 · 25–35 min

01 / Arrival · Sunday, September 20 · YVR → UBC

Option A · Public Transit

Canada Line + R4 Bus

~$10 · 50–60 min

From arrivals, follow the signs to the Canada Line SkyTrain station and board any train — all trains from YVR head toward Waterfront.
Get off at Oakridge–41st Avenue Station (about 16 minutes).
At street level on 41st Avenue, take the R4 41st Ave RapidBus westbound and ride it to the last stop, UBC Exchange (about 30 minutes).

Paying: simply tap a contactless credit card or your phone at the fare gates and again when boarding the bus — one fare covers 90 minutes of transfers.

Sunday fare: $3.50 (weekend 1-zone) + $6.50 YVR AddFare ≈ $10.00 total.

On Sundays, trains run every 7–15 minutes (up to ~20 minutes late evening), from about 5:10 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Option B · Taxi

Airport Taxi Rank

$42 flat rate · 25–35 min

Taxis wait curbside just outside both international and domestic arrivals — no booking needed.
Trips from YVR to UBC use a fixed zone fare of $42 (including GST), posted before you board — no meter surprises.
All YVR taxis accept credit cards.

The easiest option with luggage or after a late arrival, and economical for 2–4 people sharing.

Option C · Ride-hail

Uber / Lyft / KABU

~$35–50 · 25–35 min

Request a ride in the app after landing, then follow the signs to the designated ride-hail pickup zones outside arrivals.
Ride-hail pricing is dynamic — expect roughly $35–50 to UBC depending on demand (surge pricing).

Uber, Lyft, and KABU are all licensed to pick up at YVR.

02 / Return · Thursday, September 24 · UBC → YVR

By Public Transit

R4 Bus + Canada Line

~$5 · 55–65 min

Board the R4 41st Ave RapidBus eastbound at UBC Exchange and ride to Oakridge–41st Avenue Station.
Take the Canada Line southbound. Check the destination sign: board a train marked "YVR–Airport." Trains alternate between the YVR–Airport and Richmond–Brighouse branches — if you board a Richmond train by mistake, just step off at Bridgeport Station and take the next Airport train.
Ride to the final stop, YVR–Airport Station, which connects directly to the departure terminals.

Fare: no AddFare toward the airport. Thursday before 6:30 p.m.: $5.10 (2-zone); after 6:30 p.m.: $3.50. Use the same card or device for every tap within the journey so your transfers link correctly.

By Taxi or Ride-hail

Door to Terminal

~$35–50 · 25–35 min

Trips to the airport are metered (the $42 flat rate applies only when leaving YVR) — expect roughly $35–45 by taxi, and similar by Uber or Lyft.
Ask your hotel front desk to call a taxi, or request an Uber/Lyft in the app and meet your driver at one of UBC's designated ride-hail pickup locations.
Allow extra time for weekday traffic, especially between 7 and 9 a.m.

Tip: arrive at YVR about 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international departures.

03 / Good to Know

Compass & contactless

No ticket purchase is needed for transit — any contactless Visa/Mastercard, Apple Pay, or Google Pay works at fare gates and on buses. A Compass card (from station vending machines) saves about $0.65–0.90 per trip if you'll ride often.

Getting around UBC

The workshop venue (SBQMI, Room 311) and campus accommodation are within walking distance of UBC Exchange, the campus bus terminus where the R4 arrives.

Questions

If you have any trouble arranging transportation, contact the organizers — we're happy to help coordinate shared taxis for groups arriving at similar times.

Entering Canada: depending on your citizenship, you may need an eTA or a visitor visa — check the official Government of Canada entry-requirements page well before travelling.