Vancouver

Getting around: The driverless SkyTrain network (Canada Line, Expo Line, Millennium Line) is efficient, with a Compass Card or direct contactless tap at the gates. From YVR Airport: the Canada Line reaches Waterfront Station in 26 minutes, but carries a special AddFare for trips originating at the airport, raised in July 2026 to $6.50 (bringing the total to roughly $10.50) — it doesn't apply to monthly pass or U-Pass holders. Uber/Lyft from the airport to downtown run roughly $35–50.

Halal & prayer places: A real halal scene, though smaller than Toronto's — about 93 verified halal restaurants and 9 mosques/prayer spaces per Zabihah. Downtown itself holds the densest cluster (~37 restaurants) spanning Mediterranean, Lebanese, Middle Eastern and Malaysian cuisine, and North Vancouver adds roughly 16 more. Notable mosques include Masjid ar-Rahman, Masjid Omar al-Farooq, and Jamia Masjid Vancouver.

Local safety: The one area to avoid is the Downtown Eastside along East Hastings Street (roughly Main to Clark), where homelessness and open drug use are concentrated; it's unsettling but rarely targets tourists. Avoid it especially at night, and don't head east from Gastown after dark.

Cost figures: 2026 prices: casual fast-food meal ~$15, mid-range restaurant ~$55/person (dinner for two around $110), SkyTrain fare from the airport including the AddFare ~$10.50, Capilano Suspension Bridge $75–80 for an adult.