vancouver: what to pack.

1. Waterproof foot wear. You'll see a lot of rubber boots in Vancouver, for good reason. Especially in winter. (I have Hunter's which recently developed a hole in them so I'm not sure how I feel about them.)

2. Based on the first one, this should go without saying, but a rain coat.

3. Sunglasses, Because the weather changes on a dime, here.

4. Earplugs because there's a lot going on in the city, even at night.

5. Bus tickets! Okay, so you can't actually pack these, but here's a money-saving tip for you. If you arrive in Vancouver by plane, go to a drug store or convenience store in the airport and buy a pack of one zone bus tickets. Not only will they come in handy during your trip, but they will also save you paying the airport tax on the Canada Line into the city. Use one ticket to get anywhere on the the Line after 6PM on weekdays and on weekends and simply use the ticket machines on the platform to put a one zone AddFare on your ticket if you arrive any other time of the day. A regular ticket bought from the platform will cost you more than $7. Using bus tickets will cost you about $2.10.