The easiest way to reach Metrotown Shopping Centre is the SkyTrain Expo Line to Metrotown Station. From downtown Vancouver the ride on the Expo Line from Waterfront Station takes about 20 minutes, and the station sits beside the centre. By road the same trip is about 14 km and 25 minutes.
Both options work, and the right one depends on where you start in Burnaby, how much you are carrying and how you feel about parking.
SkyTrain to Metrotown Station
The Expo Line serves Metrotown Station, so anyone starting at another Expo Line station can ride straight there without changing trains. Board in the direction of Vancouver if you are east of Metrotown, or toward Surrey if you are coming from downtown. The platform leads to the shopping centre, and signs inside the station point the way.
If your starting point is on the Millennium Line side of Burnaby, you will need to change to the Expo Line at a connecting station. Travel times depend on the transfer, so enter your start and end points in the TransLink trip planner and it will show the current option.
Local buses feed the SkyTrain stations across Burnaby. Pick the bus that serves the station nearest to you, then continue by train. TransLink publishes live schedules and service alerts, which are worth a look before you leave, especially on weekends when track work can change the plan.
Driving to Metrotown
Kingsway runs past the centre, and most drivers come in from Kingsway or from one of the cross streets. The centre has its own parking, and there are other lots in the blocks around it. Prices, hours and the busiest times change, so check the centre’s own parking page or the signs at the entrance before you commit to a spot.
Weekends and the weeks before holidays are the busiest. If the garage looks full, a short walk from a quieter lot beats circling for a space.
Taking a taxi from Burnaby
A taxi suits a group, heavy shopping bags or an early start before transit gets going. Metered fares depend on distance and traffic, and the taxi fare estimator gives a rough figure for your trip. For rides that begin in Vancouver, see the Vancouver taxi page.
Leave a little extra time at rush hour. Kingsway slows down in the late afternoon, and the train is often the faster choice then.