Had a 1 Star interaction and a 5 Star interaction on the same night, averaging out to 3 Stars. With an earlier positive interaction, the final is 3/5. First interaction was pleasant with a ticket counter employee (from Winnipeg, MB, he said) exchanged our printed tickets. The baggage counter employees (francophones) also gave good information about priority seating. The second interaction on July 28th was extremely unpleasant. Indian / Punjab security guard loudly antagonized my support person and myself for being seated in the priority boarding area. As my physical/psychological disabilities are invisible usually, he was not able to see that I was having vision complications due to a neurological condition, and that my GAD was already wracked by losing part of my field of vision. He singled us out, and everyone in the busy station was listening to him berate us for being in the section we were entitled to. My chaperone alerted the manager - a blonde francophone woman - who was very polite and kind with me. I explained that this was the second negative experience I had this month in a Via Rail station, although this was worse than the first (in Halifax, NS). She looked after us until boarding and informed us that she had had issues with the same security guard before, and that she would be doing a follow-up to ensure it doesn't happen again. I hope she holds to this, as it would seem security has done other things (see comments by other users) that are unbecoming of CS staff, and which negatively affect Via Rail's image.

Bus service is fine and the station is clean and tidy (dutiful employee going around with a duster - fair play that’s a lot of dusting to do). My two stars is because of the vile security guard working in the station. I asked him a simple question “I’m on Amtrack is it a train or a bus? I don’t really know how this works (I’m not from Canada). Do I need to print off a ticket or is the email fine?” This person barely looked up from his phone and asked “can you time travel?” To which I said no… So he said “then get the bus from over there like everyone else”. I then repeated my question of whether I needed to print off my ticket and he, visibility’s annoyed at my question, responded “no just go over there and wait 25 minutes”. Then he went back to staring at his phone. I don’t expect a welcome mat and a warm hug from a security guard. But is it really too much to ask for someone to just look at you when speaking to you and not practically snarl at me for asking basic questions. There wasn’t another employee in the place to field my questions to (apart from the cleaner) so he should surely expect to have to deal with members of the public to some degree? Just a horrible person.

Came up from Seattle by train to catch a cruise ship. We have a mobility-challenged travel companion and were located in the handicapped car (the one with the wheelchair accessible bathroom). I figured we would be released right after the business class, but no, we were the last car released. That meant we had a really long line to go into the station. Luckily, after waiting a little while, they recognized we needed assistance and escorted us through the line; however, there was very little room on the platform to walk past the line. Once we got through the customs, we were surprised to find no taxis waiting to pick up passengers. The security guards were nice enough to put out an APB to the major taxi companies. But it makes no sense for the taxis to not come meet the train. And with the mobility needs, not having a dispatcher there meant we had to plead other passengers to give us access to a SUV or minivan taxi. So, overall, my least favorite train station to-date.

I take a Service from here once a month. The building is pretty cool but the bathrooms have been awful (but they're currently being remodelled), there is not much for drink or food services (sushi, a&w, convenience and gift shop, and a cappuccino bar that doesn't host regular hours. There is however a VIA rail lounge being remodelled). The only real interaction I've ever had with Pacific Station staff other than security and the bus drivers was with a woman over the phone on the second floor who couldn't transfer me to an agent anywhere in the building or give me an alternate number; and when I asked if she could ask someone about delays she said, "what do you think this is? I'm on the second floor and this place is huge. I cant just go running around". Yikes. Ps: the building isn't 'that' big. LoL Otherwise, the service agents at the gates and walking around seem nice, although maybe they could smile more often. They look nice but sad.

The station itself has an oldworldy charm that is kind of neat. Try not to be put off by the homeless directly out the front as it is honestly an unavoidable fact if Vancouver and they do tend to keep to their own if not aggravated. The boarding process is quite manual, the trains conductor calling instructions as loudly and nicely as possible without any kind of microphone. Try to have a valid ESTA before arriving as it’s not considered essential but helps speed up the process when clearing customs before boarding a USA bound departure. The ride to Seattle and back is enjoyable as we love train rides, and the scenery at various stages in the day is beautiful. Food on board is nothing special but not horrible either, and not overly expensive. Does the job considering not much nearby is open if you’re taking an early departure. Except for Tim Hortons across the street. Overall staff were friendly and made the journey enjoyable.

Beware the automated parking metres... I dropped off my significant other for the midnight bus and remained in the car in their parking lot for maybe a total of 7 minutes. There was no indication that I was being ticketed and since it was dark it would have been impossible to read the parking rules. Fast forward one month and I received a $78 dollar fine in the mail. This is an absolutely ridiculous amount for a single parking ticket to start off. Being recently new to the city, I was completely unaware that automated parking metres were even a thing. It seems very unfair that I am now on the hook for this massive fine. When I tried to contact the company, all that I got were automated messages. Seems that everything to do with this company isn't human... Will not be returning the Pacific Central Station as long as they have those god awful machines.

The American company they use to exploit people who use their parking lot and drop off area cost me $160.00 to pull up and let my mother out give her a hug goodbye and leave. Beware of automated parking meters that take pictures of your vehicle after '5 minutes' and then mail you an obscene fine with barely any time to pay. Disputing is pointless as the company is basically impossible to reach and they will just bully you into paying either way. Will no longer be using Pacific Central or its affiliates until they decide to go with a fair, local company to maintain their spaces. This has left such a bad taste in my mouth and reading all the news articles and reviews about the same company MPS (municipal parking services) makes me wonder how it's possible they operate the way they do.

This review is for March 2022, I hope that when Amtrak resumes in April, it'll be better. The station is pretty much a ghost town. There are no shops open and instead of information, it's all reading printed signs. Found it very confusing and not at all traveler friendly. Understand COVID has hit this industry hard, just surprised by how empty it is. Nowhere to buy Amtrak tickets (currently a bus), so definitely buy in advance. It does say you can buy them from the driver, but capacity is much smaller using busses. Luckily there are some shops near the local T station, but just be advised that before noon, no food options. Pretty disappointed. Was going to get some last minute souvenirs, no dice. Maybe it's perkier in the later part of the day?

Very old historic building. You can catch the Amtrak train to USA or bus if you like. You can also catch the Via Rail that goes across Canada. It's a few minutes walk from the Main St skytrain station. They have a small paid parking that monitor strictly. Washrooms are open to public and are located to the left when entering the station. The main doors shut down around midnight. An A&W is located inside to the left from the entrance. Some small shops are in business inside y station main lobby. Sometimes movie shoots happen in this building. Cons : Security is a bit rude and they try to discourage you to use the washroom or take photos but if you insist they get out of the way. They don't seem to be professional workers.

Beautiful and historic train station, but interactions with the only employee working in the facility (the security guard) left a lot to be desired. At this time, no (or very few) trains are operating out of Pacific Central Station, and therefore, most people are taking busses to their destination. I'm not familiar with bus travel or Pacific Central Station, so I decided to ask the security guard where I am supposed to go. He wouldn't even answer the question, and seemed visibly annoyed that I asked it. It seems that I was not the only one getting this response, as other travelers were asking similar questions (while receiving shockingly rude responses). I hope that the situation improves in the future.

The interior and exterior architecture of this building is interesting and picturesque, with strong 1920s vibes. It's a shame the place otherwise feels abandoned, with multiple closed shops, empty ticket counters, and dark lighting. The facilities (including washrooms) were fairly clean and well-maintained. The info desk attendant / security guard was every bit as unhelpful and rude as others here have said; he seems to actively hate his job and to resent interactions with travelers. The bus boarding process was painless. All in all, a mixed experience that could be improved with better lighting, friendlier staff, and perhaps additional food services.

Arrived from Seattle to spend a day in Vancouver. We asked the Customs Agent where we should head to get lunch. She advised to go out of the station and take a right. As we were walking through what we now know as the East Side, by Hastings St., we encountered a woman doing drugs on the sidewalk and more homeless than we could count. We were extremely uncomfortable and couldn't wait to get back to the station and head back to Seattle. It would've been nice if the agent advised us to avoid this area, not to send us in that direction. Visitors be aware and steer clear of the East Side.

I am a regular visitor to this Station as I drive a bus up from Portland twice a week. Almost every time I pull in, I get harassed by the security there for one thing or another. It's usually which slip I'm unloading in. Today I got harassed for exceeding a 25 minute loading limit when I had only been there for 13 minutes when this guard started harassing me. These people need more training on how to read a clock and also to pick your battles. Harassing drivers isn't a good way of doing business when your business is travel. I only have 2 stars because it's a beautiful station.

I am beyond disappointed . My husband and I booked our very first train ride from Vancouver to Portland. We had seen on the website that there was long stay parking so we drove down there from our home in Surrey. We get there with time to check in and there is no long stay parking or any parking around there .We ended up cancelling our tickets and driving down because we had concert tickets in Portland. I very much wanted the train experience and instead it caused a whirlwind to a disappointing vacation. If there isn't parking then it shouldn't be advertised as there is .

Pacific Central Station it's one of the historic buildings in the city of Vancouver more than 100 years old It was built nicely and kept with stone architecture. Originally was built for Canadian railways and right now it's servicing via Ray Canada Amtrak rail from us Plus Greyhound and Bolt Buses so whether you traveling by train or with any bus company this is the location for getting in or dropping off at the end of your destination in Vancouver. It's a very clean place and the staff is very friendly and helpful to all visitors.

You can catch the cross-country train, 'The Canadian' operated by VIA Rail from Vancouver to Toronto from this heritage station building. The building is about a hundred years old. Amtrak's train to Seattle and Oregon, 'Cascades' also start from here. Some Intercity buses also use Pacific Central as a terminal for their bus tours. There are some restaurants and cafes in the Food Court, as well as some gift and book shops. It is staffed by the VIA Rail and Amtrak staff who will help you check in your baggage and answer your queries.

This is a nice spacious and open building where you go through Canadian Customs if you arrive from the US. You can also exchange currency. Staff are polite and helpful. You can call for a cab on a wall phone near the front door; but the phone does not actually connect you with a cab company, but instead just gives you a recorded message with different ways for you to then contact the cab company on your own phone or online. I don’t know why that phone does not just connect you with a cab company directly.

This is a gem in the overcrowded and condomania city. It is convenient from the point of view of transferring to Science World Skytrain station and of taking the number nineteen bus directly into Stanley Park, the lungs of this city. Years ago, there used to be a barber charging low fees for passenger haircuts. That is gone. So is the courier of the Greyhound company, as it has moved to Thornton Street. Before long, a 70-storey high-rise will replace the station, just count your fingers

Pacific Central Station is a transportation hub located in Vancouver, Canada. It serves as a major transportation hub for intercity buses and trains. The station is well-maintained and provides a clean and comfortable environment for travelers. The staff are helpful and friendly, and there are plenty of amenities including food options and shops. Overall, Pacific Central Station is a convenient and efficient transportation option for travelers in Vancouver BC Canada.

I am a frequent traveler, so this is my go to station when going to and travelling from the U.S. to Canada and back. They have updated their washrooms some years ago, now they are modernized and fully accessible to mobility device users. Staff on site is friendly, and there is a small mall and convenience store inside. The station serves Amtrak and Via Rail (Cross Canada Rail) as well as regional BC provincial busses and shuttles. Facilities are clean!

So unorganized. No clear signs as to where to go. When you ask someone, they don't all necessarily know what is going on. I arrived about an hour early for a bus and then when I asked a staff member, they basically implied that was really silly to show up so early and that I'd only need to arrive 15 minutes ahead of time. There isn't much to do at this bus depot at all. There is an A&W for food.

one lineup to get your ticket, do the customs and immigration and youre on the train. the crew were very helpful. the view of beaches and farmlands matchless. even the coffee was great. went business class and enjoyed the leather seats.....the business coach on the return trip didnt have the big seats. and we were an hour late. still, it was a whole lot better than flying "cattle class."

This is the most poorly organized rail station that I have ever been to. There's no system of any kind to understand the departures and arrivals properly and my experience looking for a bus and boarding it was very poor. If you expect to see any kind of info panels, directions or clear identification, this station doesn't offer any of it. I only give 2 stars because of clean restrooms.

Surprisingly clean and calm here. The public washrooms were very clean. There is very little help here. So please know what you need to do before arriving. Amtrak, Bolt Bus, Greyhound to Seattle and VIA rail are here amongst other passenger carriers. No fruits, vegetables and especially weed if you are going into the USA to avoid cross-border hassles.

Rude staff. Absolutely filthy. Crackheads sleeping around the station. Busses break down constantly. Driver's Drivers are very very rude most of the time. Dont bother asking them anything they are useless. Dont smoke on smoke breaks. If they smell smoke they kick you off the bus. Just a terrible experience all 4 times i took the greyhound

This is a source of shame for Canada and Vancouver. The train system and bus line and city managers should take a trip to the less developed countries like Malaysia and Panama and Korea. Then they can come back and feel ashamed of what we have here and the enormous waste of money here and the run down facility they run in this city.

Why does every train station refuse to post appropriate signage to indicate where to go? The only way you’ll be able to figure out where to board is if you happen to be within earshot of one of the employees mumbling the information to themselves. How about some signs and a loudspeaker with some official announcements?

Not well organized. Literally no one from Amtrak or anyone working here to guide you on where you're going or where to wait. Also have to agree that the security guard here is rude as hell and was annoyed we even had questions on where to go or wait (there were no representatives to ask this question to).

I love this building, it's so beautiful! Opened in 1919, much of the original elegance has been retained and very well maintained. I'm glad something of this magnificence has been designated a Heritage Site (in 1994.) It was lovely to hang out here during my transfer while taking the Greyhound

Nice and clean station. Took an early morning Amtrak out of here. Despite the train being pretty full customs didn't take too long. They didn't have a lot of staff working there but It was enough. Took maybe 20-30min. I would recommend arriving 45min to an hour beforehand though to be safe.

Very bad service. The security guard do not let me use any outlet in the train station even when the charger machine station was broken. The guys who work on the window did not want to help to check if they were tickets available for a going bus. Please avoid to use this place.

The building is magnificent and beautiful. It is the historical terminal of Canadian Pacific Railway. However the attitude of the border inspector is really bad when she asked me why I came to Canada. I have been to Canada more than 10 times but this was the worst experience.

If you’re going down to Seattle and want a relaxing trip sit on the right of the train to soak in the view. I would not recommend taking this train any further south though (e.g. Portland) it always gets delayed and if time is valuable to you, it would be better driving.

Be forewarned if you have an injury or disability this station cannot provide assistance if you are taking Amtrak. It's pretty terrible. They just pass responsibility back and forth. There are actually wheelchairs at the station but only if you are taking via rail.

This is a nightmare. We are traveling Cascade from Seattle. Arrived on time at 11:40 am Dec 14, 2017 and at Vancouver we were waiting for another hour until they had two freight trains pass before we can park. This was my first and last time. Thank you Vancouver!

Be very careful at this station of the stalls run by "Municipal Parking Co." They charge 75.00 plus tax for more than the 5 min grace period. Do not even slip in there to text or make a phone call. Absolute robbery. Check out the 59 complaints on the BBB site.

This is such a beautiful old building. I’m surprised by how clean they are able to keep the washrooms especially considering the area. Unlike other train and bus stations I have never seen a needle. Whoever does the cleaning here is doing an amazing job.

Very spacious station. Grab food before you come only a sushi place (which is good!) And a small cafe stand. For bolt bus don't have to check in anywhere just go to the right out of the doors and will get on the bus there. Have to pay for parking.

Came here for the early morning Amtrak Cascades train #517 heading south towards Seattle, WA and Portland, OR. Station is clean, spacious, and organized. Arrived an hour prior to departure with boarding starting about 45 minutes before

Very nice and clean inside. An A & W, gift store and a Sushi place. Lots of seating for waiting. It is a beautiful old building so neat to have a look around. The second floor is also home to some businesses and Ostieopath school.

Just at the Main Street Science World skytrain station, the Pacific Central Station is a must seen building, even if you are not gonna get the train or bus from there. A historical building from 1919 designed by Pratt and Ross.

Poor facility and simply station One fast food restaurant A and W, one grocery store, one simple cafe, one car rental company, staff there are no helpful, no Wi-Fi Only that the location is in the city and easy to reach

Dinged by an automatic parking meter that takes a picture of your license plate. Was parked for 3 minutes in an empty parking lot at 1130pm. Cost me $75. Will never be using the services offered at this location again.

The station is beautiful and the boarding process was pretty quick, but as others have mentioned, there is little support around. If you’re a first time traveler through this station, give yourself a few extra minutes.

Clean washrooms. Still has a few coin and credit card operated telephones. One phone to direct line to taxis. Also paid secure cellphone charging station. Has A&W, sushi place, and coffee shop plus convenience store.

Very cool train station with large neon sign outside. Got the train to Seattle from here, American customs was painful, the border staff are extremely rude and try to be as unhelpful and unpleasant as possible!

Such a beautiful building. So clean, but the security guard was kind of rude (bring him some coffee) it’s like a block away from the skyrail station and it is close from downtown. Some homeless around.

Beautiful station... but be careful was harrased by VIA rail staff for taking pictures of station with cell phone. Telling me I need a permit. And to delete all photos .. yea whatever …

An information stand right as you walk in the door would be appreciated. It was organized for getting through customs and onto the train, but one did have to find a person to ask basic questions.

This train station is easy to use online for cascade trips. Get there extra early. Request seating on the right side if possible for better views. The staff was very accommodating and helpful.

I had a great experience loading on to the Via train to Seattle, departing at 0630. Staff were efficient and organized. The station was clean and beautiful. Will use this great service again.

Great long distance rail terminus. Have taken Amtrak from here. Hope to ride Via Rail from here as well. Beautiful 1919 Heritage building. One of the great rail depots of North America.

Beautiful,safe station. Stunning architecture . No restaurant but coffee place inside. Hopefully in the future more trains will stop there. Rode the Amtrak out of there All positive.

It's a bus station so what you see is what you get. Free wifi which is a plus when you come in from the US and don't have any data. Also they have an AW in case you want a root beer.

We used this station to get on the train to Seattle. They have all the required facilities you expect from a rail station. But, there are too many beggars outside but no policing.

I was there to take an Amtrak bus to Seattle in the morning. This route is less known to people but was a very nice trip with few passengers. Highly recommend this bus route.

Security man that was working tonight needs to work on his interaction skills . Just walked up to ask him a question and before i could finish he was like " i dont know"

Well maintained and friendly staff. But the arrows indicating where to go are very confusing. There were 2 arrows pointing in opposite directions, but both said 'trains'.

Cancel your contract with Municipal Parking Services as soon as the contract allows. Their false and misleading business practices reflect very poorly on Via Rail.

Historic place for Seattle. Barebones in terms of amenities (clean restrooms). Most everything else like coffee shops you'll have to venture outside the station.

Beautiful old building, easy transit center right outside of downtown. We arrived 25 min early for a 9am bus to Seattle, the bus arrived 855. Super easy check in

No trains at train station. Good if you like buses. No ice in lemon-aid from AAW. Air con no work in carriage ☹️ bring your own. conductor was nice though …

Nice enough, but the WiFi didn't work when I was there. Specifically, it would quickly associate at layer 2 but you would never get an IP address from DHCP.

Beautiful arquitecture. Clean and organize. There are some business inside, but close on weekends. You can pick up and drop off people inside the building.

A train and bus terminal in Vancouver, BC. convenient by bus as well as Skytrain. Inside there are A&W and sushi, coffee bar and other food choices.

We lost our backpacks on the bench and found them the next day! Thanks for security team! And the baggage claim desk was also very helpful.

Beautiful monument of Vancouver's city near the city centre. Take the train here to Toronto and expect a journey of a life time.

Quick and easy way to take the train to Seattle or Toronto. Also an easy way to catch a bus to Seattle or Whistler or Victoria

Some of the buildings being used as station stops 4 the sky train are historic in structure among other things.

It's a great station. Wish they would again open MacDonald or Subway or A&W. Can't find reasonable food heree

A classic railway station trip, just be prepared to take your time; this is not a high-speed rail service :)

Absolutely gorgeous area. Customs was fast and smooth coming in from Seattle on the Pacific Cascades train.

Smaller than my Toronto station but clean. Well run, staff friendly. Signage everywhere. You can't get lost

All you'd expect in a station with cafés, seating areas, info and ticket desks.

Took charter bus there.. Also is a train station and bus Depot

Deserted no staff available. Appears to be used little.

Clean & easy navigation station.

Nice clean and historic place.

Nice beautiful train station.

Cool station, inside anyways