The Vancouver Thread

flemzer

Hi guys

Moving to Vancouver at beginning of April, after reading this thread (very helpful ) I am wondering if anybody has bought a secondhand car there? Have you used Irish licence? And what about insurance. Obviously will bring my no claims bonus but would love to hear from somebody who has gone through the full experience!

Cheers!

TheNibbler

flemzer wrote: »

Hi guys

Moving to Vancouver at beginning of April, after reading this thread (very helpful ) I am wondering if anybody has bought a secondhand car there? Have you used Irish licence? And what about insurance. Obviously will bring my no claims bonus but would love to hear from somebody who has gone through the full experience!

Cheers!

Have looked into this myself and so far it seems you need a BC licence to buy a car. I figured this was due to the necessity to have insurance when driving off with the car. I am open to correction though? Couldn't find a definitive answer online!

ciaran67

TheNibbler wrote: »

Have looked into this myself and so far it seems you need a BC licence to buy a car. I figured this was due to the necessity to have insurance when driving off with the car. I am open to correction though? Couldn't find a definitive answer online!

Insurance is very expensive. Even if they accept your no claims and get the 40% off its still around $1300 a year. Look up the ICBC site for more info.

ciaran67

mydiscworld wrote: »

Any tips on the best time of year to move over to Vancouver, weather, accom and jobs wise?

I've heard Sep/Oct can be tricky accomodation wise with colleges back. Do most graduate jobs start then too?

Earliest I could go this year would be mid Oct. At that stage would I better better waiting for Spring, say Feb/Mar?

We haven't had a winter this year just 6 months of autumn. Its my 10th winter and ive never seen the mountains with no snow on them.

mulbot

flemzer wrote: »

Hi guys

Moving to Vancouver at beginning of April, after reading this thread (very helpful ) I am wondering if anybody has bought a secondhand car there? Have you used Irish licence? And what about insurance. Obviously will bring my no claims bonus but would love to hear from somebody who has gone through the full experience!

Cheers!

yes,bought a car here,bought it from a dealer in december,used irish license,there's no problem with it-insurance will be done in the place you buy the car,unless you buy private,you will need arrange it yourself,and it isn't very expensive considering that you don't pay road tax,nct here.

mulbot

TheNibbler wrote: »

Have looked into this myself and so far it seems you need a BC licence to buy a car. I figured this was due to the necessity to have insurance when driving off with the car. I am open to correction though? Couldn't find a definitive answer online!

no you don't,you can buy a car on irish license,

circular flexing

You can definitely buy a car using an Irish license, though strictly speaking you have to transfer your license to BC within 90 days or your arrival anyway.

Insurance is really expensive, imo. We are paying about $200 a month for a car that is brand new.

TheNibbler

mulbot wrote: »

no you don't,you can buy a car on irish license,

Great, good to know.

fergusb

From the insurance side of things, ICBC will accept no claims from Ireland for up to 40% discount. However the No Claims letters MUST contain the exact dates of start and end of policy.

I had to get multiple letters sent out as they kept on not including all the information, like saying I had X years ending on a certain date, but they needed the exact start date, they give an example here:
http://www.icbc.com/autoplan/moving-insurance/Pages/Insurance-discount-for-new-residents.aspx

breadmonkey

Am I right in thinking that being insured as a named driver for X years on someone else's policy will not get me any discount whatsoever?

fergusb

I think, if you are a named driver you 'should' get a discount.... I'm not 100% sure either way, I was planning to apply for it, but turns out I have a gap in my insurance so my named driver experience won't count regardless.

circular flexing

breadmonkey wrote: »

Am I right in thinking that being insured as a named driver for X years on someone else's policy will not get me any discount whatsoever?

Named driver doesn't build no claims bonus in Ireland (afaik) so you wouldn't be able to get a letter from your insurance company stating that you have no claims. I might be wrong though.

fergusb

I got one from Aviva saying as a Named Driver there were no claims against my name. Which although is not a No Claims Bonus, its still proof of no claims...... who knows if ICBC accept it.

Scruffy19

I cant full remember but I can find out!

When we got insurance last year im pretty sure ICBC accepted "named driving experience" as a no claims bonus!

InTheTrees

When I first moved to the USA I was shocked by the low standard of american drivers. They barely take a test at all, you're in and out with a license in about 20 minutes. And that includes the driving test.

But then I moved to Seattle and began spending time driving in BC and omg... they're absolutely atrocious. They're asleep, they dont look around them, they dont use mirrors and they dont use turn signals. And they have lunatic speed limits. 40kph on the main route out of vancouver to Seattle? Doesnt make sense. Driving in vancouver is like driving in delhi in super slow motion.

I'm not surprised insurance is expensive.

I would certainly check that you can easily swap your canadian license for an Irish one again once you get home, because it doesnt seem like an equitable swap at all, Irish standards are far above the canadians.

flemzer

mulbot wrote: »

yes,bought a car here,bought it from a dealer in december,used irish license,there's no problem with it-insurance will be done in the place you buy the car,unless you buy private,you will need arrange it yourself,and it isn't very expensive considering that you don't pay road tax,nct here.

given that there is no NCT...is it risky buying on craigslist? I have to say I don't know all that much about cars and I couldnt tell if mechanically there was something wrong... do you mind telling me the name of the dealer you bought off?

Scruffy19

flemzer wrote: »

given that there is no NCT...is it risky buying on craigslist? I have to say I don't know all that much about cars and I couldnt tell if mechanically there was something wrong... do you mind telling me the name of the dealer you bought off?

Do you know anybody in Vancouver who knows a bit about cars that you could take with you? like a friend?

Things to look out for:

-Oil leaks
-knocking or banging when driving the car
-all the electrics work and it locks ok (dont want to buy a car and not be able to lock it. know a few people who have been caught out by this)
-find out from the owner when the Timing Belt was last done etc (you dont want it going after 2 weeks of driving. TB will usually run about 80k before needing changed but this differs per model)

I bought mine from a dealer on East Hasting and Clarke. Was looking on craigslist but never seen anything nice!

fergusb

In Canada you can get a Car Check done to see if the car was involved in any claims or previously written off:
https://www.carproof.com/order/icbc?tid=icbc

Something to bear in mind if you are buying privately is you will be responsible for paying the tax on it, which is something like 15%. In a dealer, they add it onto the price you pay, but not privately. I know a couple of people who have been sent letters saying they owe a few thousand in tax.

Also if you are going to view a car, google that model and year, sometimes good information on know issues and specific things to look out for.

mulbot

flemzer wrote: »

given that there is no NCT...is it risky buying on craigslist? I have to say I don't know all that much about cars and I couldnt tell if mechanically there was something wrong... do you mind telling me the name of the dealer you bought off?

hey,i always think it's risky buying private,no matter where you are-unless you are or have a trained mechanic with you,have diagnostic etc- i found alot of them here very cheesy and full of bulls**t- i'll pm you the name of the guys i bought from,in fact 4 other guys i work with who came from,uk,scotland,ireland all ended up buying there!!

LadyMayBelle

Love advise on this- so i am going to Vancouver later this month- staying with family but also want to give them lots of space as they have a new baby..so I am figuring:

*4 days and 4 nights with them doing Vancouver stuff..
*take early morn Bolt Bus to Seattle, get in round lunch time and do stuff
*either one or two nights in Seattle (Im not sure..gotta research)
*Amtrak to Portland and spend 2 nights there
*Amtrak back to Vancouver (mainly for views etc!)
*Back to Vancouver for 4/5 nights with family...home!

I'm traveling solo, so any suggestions welcome- I am researching what to do in Seattle etc with minimum time...bit longer in Portland ..

Thanks!
Excited!

TheNibbler

mulbot wrote: »

hey,i always think it's risky buying private,no matter where you are-unless you are or have a trained mechanic with you,have diagnostic etc- i found alot of them here very cheesy and full of bulls**t- i'll pm you the name of the guys i bought from,in fact 4 other guys i work with who came from,uk,scotland,ireland all ended up buying there!!

Would you mind sending me the name of the guys you bought from too in case I need it? Thanks

Karlos_Macca

Hi all, I arrive in Vancouver in 2 weeks through the 2 year IEC Visa. Just looking for initial accommodation through AirBNB. I'm interested in areas like Fairview and Mt Pleasant which seem a bit cheaper than Kits and Downtown.....Just wondering how far down Main Street before I'm a bit too far out of town or where all the decent shops/cafes/bars stop. Are buses good along there?

Any info would be appreciated.

scottmcb04

mulbot wrote: »

hey,i always think it's risky buying private,no matter where you are-unless you are or have a trained mechanic with you,have diagnostic etc- i found alot of them here very cheesy and full of bulls**t- i'll pm you the name of the guys i bought from,in fact 4 other guys i work with who came from,uk,scotland,ireland all ended up buying there!!

can you send me on the name of the guys that you bought from as well please? thanks...

circular flexing

Karlos_Macca wrote: »

Hi all, I arrive in Vancouver in 2 weeks through the 2 year IEC Visa. Just looking for initial accommodation through AirBNB. I'm interested in areas like Fairview and Mt Pleasant which seem a bit cheaper than Kits and Downtown.....Just wondering how far down Main Street before I'm a bit too far out of town or where all the decent shops/cafes/bars stop. Are buses good along there?

Any info would be appreciated.

There's a couple of buses that run a long Main St, 3 and 8.

Personally I wouldn't go further than Main and King Edward Avenue.

Stinjy

Karlos_Macca wrote: »

Hi all, I arrive in Vancouver in 2 weeks through the 2 year IEC Visa. Just looking for initial accommodation through AirBNB. I'm interested in areas like Fairview and Mt Pleasant which seem a bit cheaper than Kits and Downtown.....Just wondering how far down Main Street before I'm a bit too far out of town or where all the decent shops/cafes/bars stop. Are buses good along there?

Any info would be appreciated.

Hey, I'm not that long here myself but what I can say is if you're near a skytrain you'll be grand! (the Canada line runs along Cambie St from the waterfront down to marine dr. and beyond! it's my most used method of transport ) Busses are still pretty good but they add to your journey time (traffic etc)

I hear that most of the nightlife is centered around Granville St though I could be very wrong I'm not out that much!

as for how far down, I'm on 41st and I find it grand. The 41 runs along it from UBC in the west to Joyce stn on the east which is at the boundary with Burnaby so basically the bus comes every 10 minutes ish more sometimes at rush hour. Usually I get it to Cambie and get the sky train to make journies shorter depending on where you're going.. but any of the major roads usually have a bus that runs the length of it.. so Broadway has the 9, King Ed has the 25, Granville has the 10, Cambie has Canada line, so basically I would say live near a main road but if it's only for a few days/weeks when you first arrive I wouldn't worry too much everything is pretty well connected. You can suss out the area you'd like to be in!

A friend of mine who has lived here all her life said that the best place to be is from 2nd to King Edward Ave between Granville and Main if you can look at that on a map you'll see the area!

Hope this helps, Good luck!

InTheTrees

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

Love advise on this- so i am going to Vancouver later this month- staying with family but also want to give them lots of space as they have a new baby..so I am figuring:

*4 days and 4 nights with them doing Vancouver stuff..
*take early morn Bolt Bus to Seattle, get in round lunch time and do stuff
*either one or two nights in Seattle (Im not sure..gotta research)
*Amtrak to Portland and spend 2 nights there
*Amtrak back to Vancouver (mainly for views etc!)
*Back to Vancouver for 4/5 nights with family...home!

I'm traveling solo, so any suggestions welcome- I am researching what to do in Seattle etc with minimum time...bit longer in Portland ..

Thanks!
Excited!

(We're in Seattle).

I think one of the main attractions of the Pacific northwest is the Puget Sound. Absolutely beautiful. The bay and islands stretch for 200 miles. There's a whole network of ferries that will take you from Vancouver down to Seattle. Well worth it. There's also Victoria BC, which is the provincial capital, on Vancouver Island. You can get a ferry from Vancouver to Victoria BC, then there's a ferry from Victoria to Seattle. (my GF is in Victoria for 3 days right now.)

The San Juan Islands:

http://www.visitsanjuans.com/the-islands/orcas-island

One way of doing the trip is by floatplane. $120(?) one way is a pretty unique way to do it, they fly from City centre to city centre too.

http://www.kenmoreair.com/

Liam90

My Girlfriend and I are in Kelowna. We left Ireland this day 3 weeks ago and we are loving it so far. The weather has been great and really can't wait for the long hot summer here! I landed a job in our first week here which really shocked me and since then we have found an apartment and my girlfriend has also landed a job. Really can't believe how smoothly everything has gone and feel very lucky

decos77

Karlos_Macca wrote: »

Hi all, I arrive in Vancouver in 2 weeks through the 2 year IEC Visa. Just looking for initial accommodation through AirBNB. I'm interested in areas like Fairview and Mt Pleasant which seem a bit cheaper than Kits and Downtown.....Just wondering how far down Main Street before I'm a bit too far out of town or where all the decent shops/cafes/bars stop. Are buses good along there?

Any info would be appreciated.

Hi there,

Myself and my fiancé moved to mount pleasant about 6 weeks also and we think there is no better area but of course we haven't been here too long. I'd definitely recommend this area at least because of the great coffee shops, restaurants and bars to hang out. Main St near broadway is full of them. We stayed in downtown for the first week and it seemed too busy and fast for us but it depends what you enjoy.

Hope that helps and bon voyage.

Karlos_Macca

circular flexing wrote: »

There's a couple of buses that run a long Main St, 3 and 8.

Personally I wouldn't go further than Main and King Edward Avenue.

Stinjy wrote: »

Hey, I'm not that long here myself but what I can say is if you're near a skytrain you'll be grand! (the Canada line runs along Cambie St from the waterfront down to marine dr. and beyond! it's my most used method of transport ) Busses are still pretty good but they add to your journey time (traffic etc)

I hear that most of the nightlife is centered around Granville St though I could be very wrong I'm not out that much!

as for how far down, I'm on 41st and I find it grand. The 41 runs along it from UBC in the west to Joyce stn on the east which is at the boundary with Burnaby so basically the bus comes every 10 minutes ish more sometimes at rush hour. Usually I get it to Cambie and get the sky train to make journies shorter depending on where you're going.. but any of the major roads usually have a bus that runs the length of it.. so Broadway has the 9, King Ed has the 25, Granville has the 10, Cambie has Canada line, so basically I would say live near a main road but if it's only for a few days/weeks when you first arrive I wouldn't worry too much everything is pretty well connected. You can suss out the area you'd like to be in!

A friend of mine who has lived here all her life said that the best place to be is from 2nd to King Edward Ave between Granville and Main if you can look at that on a map you'll see the area!

Hope this helps, Good luck!

decos77 wrote: »

Hi there,

Myself and my fiancé moved to mount pleasant about 6 weeks also and we think there is no better area but of course we haven't been here too long. I'd definitely recommend this area at least because of the great coffee shops, restaurants and bars to hang out. Main St near broadway is full of them. We stayed in downtown for the first week and it seemed too busy and fast for us but it depends what you enjoy.

Hope that helps and bon voyage.

Thanks everyone. Great advice. Sounds like a decent area!

stop animal cruelty

What are the chances of someone getting a job, didnt go to universitie or college, just have a fetac qualification....l work in the bar/resturant area...any hope for me??