Pretty much. There are passenger ferries across False Creek, which is not likely important unless you want to visit Granville Island. (It's accessible via bus as well but the ferries are faster.)
TransLink covers a large service area, roughly from the US border north to the suburbs of North Vancouver and West Vancouver, and between the ocean and Langley, though the further you go from the city proper coverage isn't as strong.
There are frequent connections to Seattle and Portland via Amtrak and Bolt Bus.
One day passes are CAD 10 and cover all Skytrain zones. Otherwise you can pay as you go on a contactless MC/Visa or get a Compass card (Compass is to TransLink what MoBIB is to SNIB) for lower fare costs.
Network information is well integrated into Google Maps. The Transit app (@transitapp) gives up to the minute arrival times for any given stop.
Rates are $3.25 on flag pull and $1.88 per km. Not that bad, to be honest. Essentially the same rate as taxis in Brux except in CAD except EUR (Brux rate is €3 on flag pull and €1.90/km.)
I'd recommend taking Skytrain from the airport instead of a taxi, depending on your destination. If you're staying downtown, Skytrain is the fastest way in. If you insist on taking a cab from the airport, be aware that fares are fixed from the airport depending on your destination. (Cabs have been known to overcharge. Shocking I know.)
There is an app based taxi hailing service called Kater. You are paying the same taxi rates but you should also know that Kater drivers are paid a fair wage and benefits as opposed to TNC drivers that get nothing. (Sorry for the rant.)
Flip side is that Vancouver is #1 for carsharing. You might have enough time to get set up with Evo, a one way carshare service. We also have car2go, which has operations in Belgium as well.
Mobi is our Villo. (mobibikes.ca)
30 day pass is $25.
Waterfront Station, which is directly connected to the con site, has bike rentals. Renting a bike is pretty easy.
There are several parks within Translink service area. Pacific Spirit Park by UBC, Stanley Park, Dude Chilling Park, Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area circling SFU, Capilano and Grouse Mountain.
The parks are a good start, as are the unis. There are fantastic beaches, and a favourite spot of mine when the weather isn't as rotten as it is today is Kitsilano Pool, a 130+m saltwater pool on the edge of the ocean.
Granville Island has a lot of touristy crap, but TheatreSports is world class improv. (Colin Mochrie of Whose Line started there, for example.)
A lot of cinema and TV is shot in the Lower Mainland. There are websites that direct you from site to site. You'll likely run across signs of a production wherever you go.
If you want to go a bit further out, BC Ferries will take you to Vancouver Island. Express buses will get you to the pier.
Depending on your preferred mind alterant, you can find great options. There are plenty of microbreweries, brew pubs, and microdistillaries across town. I have a soft spot for Liberty Distilling's "young whiskey". Fair warning: booze is pretty heavily taxed and consequently is pricey. Cannabis is an option as well, as it is legendarily legal in Canada.
If you're looking for a stack of flapjacks, there are mom and pop diners that do a better job than the big chains. Fable Diner at Main/Broadway and the Ovaltine Cafe on Hastings/Main are great dives. (Warning about Hastings and Main: that is the epicentre of our opioid crisis but it is not nearly as bad as places stateside. I'm a chick who walks through that area regularly and I've never been accosted.)
There's also De Dutch which makes really great pannenkoeken with sweet and savoury toppings.
Oh, and bring an umbrella. Summer so far has been unusually cool and wet.
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