It is convenient to get around the North Shore by driving or taking the bus. There is also a variety of hiking and biking trails. The bus service is mostly aimed at getting people downtown so travelling from one part of the North Shore to another may involve a transfer. However, it is possible to reach many of the attractions by bus. There is excellent service between the SeaBus and many of the attractions on the North Shore, such as the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge or the Grouse Mountain Skyride.
Parking is quite plentiful and usually free on the North Shore. The City of North Vancouver has talked about installing meters around Lonsdale Avenue, but so far nothing has been done.
Villages In The North Shore
It is common to see references to areas like Deep Cove and Horseshoe Bay when books, websites, locals, etc. talk about the North Shore. These areas are like village centers within the city, but are not big enough to be districts. They include:
Deep Cove
(http://www.deepcovebc.com/) is nestled below Mount Seymour next to Indian Arm and is a great area to relax and enjoy the scenery. Very busy on the weekends in summer, it has a number of small shops, restaurants, parks, canoe/kayak rentals and hiking. Or you can grab some takeaways, sit on the grass and watch everyone play around you. Deep Cove is reached by taking the Dollarton Highway exit from Hwy 1 first exit after crossing the Second Narrows Bridge and following it until it ends or by bus #212 or #211.Lynn Valley
lies north of Highway 1 near Lynn Creek and is focused on Lynn Valley Road exit 19 on Hwy 1 or by bus #228, #229, #210 or #255. It includes shops and restaurants plus two regional parks with hiking and swimming opportunities. It is also home to the North Vancouver archives and boasts a new Library and plaza designed to give the community a central meeting place.Lower Lonsdale
refers to the lower portion of Lonsdale Ave and the waterfront around Lonsdale Quay. Parts of it were previously used for industry and ship building, but it is now being converted to condo towers, shops and restaurants. Lower Lonsdale can be reached by heading south on Lonsdale Ave from Hwy 1 exit 18 or on the SeaBus and many other bus routes via Lonsdale Quay.Edgemont Village
is a two block strip of small shops and restaurants in the District of North Vancouver. To drive there, head north from the Westview exit on Highway 1 exit 17, turn left at Queens Ave and then turn right at Edgemont Rd. Alternatively, head north on Capilano Road and turn right onto Ridgewood. Bus service is provided by the #232 from Lonsdale or the #246.Ambleside Village
(http://www.amblesidevilla...) is in West Vancouver across the harbor from Stanley Park. It has many shops and restaurants, plus a park and beach. To get to Ambleside from the Lions Gate Bridge, take Marine Drive west and drive past Park Royal Shopping Center. From Highway 1, take the 15th Street exit. Further west along Marine Drive is Dundarave (http://www.dundaravevilla...), another village along the waterfront. Like Ambleside, it has shop and restaurants although on a smaller scale, and there is a park with a small beach and pier that provides views across the harbor to Stanley Park and UBC.Horseshoe Bay
is a small village with a picturesque setting amongst the mountains that line Howe Sound. It also marks the end of Highway 1 and the start of the Sea-to-Sky highway, as well as having a BC Ferries terminal, so it provides both transportation and sightseeing opportunities. There are a small number of shops and restaurants and a couple of parks. A live web cam view (http://www.westvancouver....) of the bay shows all the marine traffic and BC Ferries ships as they travel in and out of the area.
By road
Two provincial highways -- Hwy #1 and Hwy #99 -- cross the North Shore and provide main thoroughfares for getting around it. Hwy 1, or the Upper Levels Highway, runs east-west from the Second Narrows Bridge in North Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. Hwy 99 runs north-south through West Vancouver from Horseshoe Bay to the Lions Gate Bridge.
Another major street that runs east-west, roughly parallel to the waterfront, is the combination of Marine Drive - 3rd St - Cotton Rd - Main Street roughly one street but different names in different spots. Lonsdale Avenue runs north-south through middle of the City of North Vancouver, while Capilano Road and Taylor Way provide access from the northern parts of the cities to the Lions Gate Bridge. Many shops, restaurants and businesses are located along Marine Drive and Lonsdale Avenue.
By bike
For those who want a good workout there are a lot of hills, there are many designated bike routes on the North Shore. Generally, they are well signed and on quieter streets, but do not always have bike lanes marked on the pavement. A map is available from the Translink website.
By bus
The North Shore bus system is built around the three hubs of Park Royal in West Van, Lonsdale Quay in North Van and Phibbs Exchange in North Van. Buses run between each of these hubs and out to the various attractions and parts of the region e.g., Grouse Mountain, Horseshoe Bay, Deep Cove, etc.. Park Royal and Lonsdale Quay have buses that connect with downtown Vancouver while Phibbs Exchange has buses that connect with Vancouver and Burnaby. Travel within the North Shore on the bus system is considered one zone and costs $2.50. Taking the bus outside of the North Shore will be two or three zone travel and will cost more $3.75 or $5, depending on the destination, unless it is a weekday after 6:30PM or a weekend/holiday when all zones are $2.50. If you are a student in some cases a valid student ID will be requested then the fare for one zone is 2.50. If it is after 6PM or a weekend/holiday then the fare will be $1.75 regardless of zones crossed.
West Vancouver has Blue Buses with a distinctive appearance, but they take the same transfers and fares that the other Translink buses in Greater Vancouver do.