Most of the options are searchable on www.2010destinationplanner.com, which links to Vancouver and Whistler area hotels, motels, B&Bs and vacation rentals, as well as an RV village and even a cruise ship.
One of the more innovative solutions is Go West Campers' RV Village in Coquitlam, just east of Vancouver. The recreational vehicles can't be driven, but will have electricity, propane, plumbing, linens, fully equipped kitchens, and even weekly maid service. With room for up to six (though we imagine four would be more comfortable), rates per RV start at $240 a night. A shuttle to the Braid Street SkyTrain station means guests can get to downtown Vancouver in about 30 minutes.
For a more intimate experience, Exposure Travel has a 35-metre (114-foot) private yacht moored at Vancouver's Coal Harbour, complete with a crew and a private chef. Available throughout February, it can sleep eight or accommodate 45 for a harbour cruise; rates start at $6,500 per person for a three-day package including meals and transfers.
Budget options also abound: campers can, for example, score a place in the Olympic zone for as little as $10 a night. That's the fee for a walk-in campsite at Porteau Cove Provincial Park, on the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler; RVers can enjoy a full-service seaside site for $35 a night. The million dollar view of Howe Sound is absolutely free. Temporary RV sites will also be available at Vancouver's Spanish Banks and Jericho Beach parks, while Sunnyside Campground at Cultus Lake, about an hour east of Vancouver, will also open for camping during February.
Non-campers can save pennies by booking into a hostel dorm. Samesun Hostel, a backpackers' hangout on Granville Street downtown, has bunks for $39.50 a night, while Hostelling International still has Games-time dorm beds at their Jericho Beach and Whistler locations for $31.50 and $45 respectively.
Another option is to stay with a Vancouver family and help fight homelessness at the same time. Home for the Games is a non-profit organization that links visitors with Vancouverites offering anything from a spare room to a whole house. Hosts set a moderate rental fee and donate half the proceeds to two charities that help Vancouver's homeless -- the Streetohome Foundation and Covenant House Vancouver. Hosts and guests can find each other at www.homeforthegames.com.
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