Where to Stay for FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Vancouver
- Marc S. Tremblay
- Jan 18
- 3 min read
Where to Stay for FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Vancouver is a question on many fans' minds.
With BC Place hosting matches and downtown hotels filling up fast, finding affordable and convenient accommodation may feel impossible. But there is a novel alternative that many visitors haven’t yet considered. Just a short ferry ride from Vancouver, The Grove B&B on Mayne Island offers a calm, scenic base for the tournament. Guests can enjoy nature, avoid the stress of city traffic, and still reach all World Cup venues using BC Ferries and public transit in Vancouver.
A Novel Option for FIFA World Cup 2026™ Visitors
For now, few World Cup fans are thinking about staying outside Vancouver for FIFA World Cup 2026™, and that makes it an opportunity. Accommodation downtown is scarce, expensive, and often stressful to navigate. By choosing Mayne Island, visitors can enjoy a quieter, nature-filled setting without missing a minute of the action. Planning ahead allows travelers to combine island living with match-day excitement, taking the ferry as a walk-on passenger and then hopping on public transit to reach BC Place and other World Cup venues, such as the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) grounds and the new 10,000-seat amphitheatre.
Close Enough to Work, Far Enough to Breathe
Mayne Island is part of the Southern Gulf Islands, set between Vancouver Island and the mainland. It is peaceful, green, and grounded in nature. Yet it remains well connected to the region’s transportation network. Guests can travel by bike or as walk-on passengers on BC Ferries, avoiding the complexity of bringing a vehicle. Ferry schedules and booking options are available here.
From the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, TransLink public transit connects directly to downtown Vancouver and BC Place Stadium. During the World Cup, public transportation will be strongly recommended due to road closures, security zones, and limited parking.
For guests arriving without a car, transportation assistance to and from the Mayne Island ferry terminal can be arranged in advance.
Why This Makes Sense for World Cup Fans
This approach offers something that downtown stays often cannot during major events: predictability, calm, and value.
Instead of competing for hotel rooms at peak prices, guests can base themselves on the island and plan match days with intention. The ferry ride becomes part of the experience rather than an obstacle. The return to the island offers quiet evenings and space to rest between matches.
For international visitors, this also means experiencing a side of coastal British Columbia that rarely appears in tournament itineraries.
A Thoughtful Fit for International and Francophone Visitors
The Grove B&B regularly welcomes Francophone travellers.
We speak both English and French, a detail that takes on added relevance in 2026. Vancouver will host the Canada vs Switzerland match on June 24, drawing visitors from Québec, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and beyond.
For travellers navigating a busy tournament schedule in a foreign city, staying somewhere personal, calm, and linguistically welcoming can make a real difference.
An Option That Is Still Flying Under the Radar
Large events tend to funnel visitors into the same patterns. Downtown hotels. Short-term rentals near the stadium. High prices and limited choice. Staying on Mayne Island breaks that pattern.
For now, it remains a largely untapped option for World Cup visitors. That may not last. As awareness grows, availability will narrow, just as it has in Vancouver itself.
Looking Ahead
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ is about more than football. It is about the people you meet, surprising encounters, and memories shaped as much by place as by the matches themselves.
Official Vancouver match listings are available here:
For those willing to think a little differently, The Grove B&B on Mayne Island offers a novel and practical solution to one of the tournament’s biggest challenges: where to stay.
It’s worth noting that some matches in Vancouver start late, which can make taking the last ferry back to the island impossible. That said, this option works perfectly for key games like Canada vs Switzerland on June 24 and early-evening matches such as those on July 7.
A clever approach is to combine both worlds: stay at The Grove B&B when the schedule allows, and book downtown Vancouver accommodations for evening matches. Think of it as a “surf-and-turn-like” strategy; enjoy the calm of the island while staying being part of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ excitement!
Sometimes the best ideas are simply the ones no one has thought of yet...
