Getting Around Abbotsford
Abbotsford is a Fraser Valley city on the Trans-Canada Highway, and its biggest shows gather right beside the runway. Tradex, the Fraser Valley Trade and Exhibition Centre, sits next to Abbotsford International Airport, with two exhibition halls of about 60,000 sq ft each that can run separately or as one show floor. Its calendar includes the BC Sport & Wilderness Show in March, and in April 2026 it hosted the Skills Canada BC provincial trades and technology competitions.
If your week splits between a client in Surrey, 44 km west (35–45 minutes on Highway 1), and offices or sites around Abbotsford, book hourly chauffeur service: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve.
Vancouver is 67 km away, 55 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, and Burnaby 57 km, 40–55 minutes, so a meeting in downtown Vancouver and the drive back to the valley that evening can go into one round-trip booking. Send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop.
Airport Transfers in Abbotsford
Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) is only 7 km from the city centre, 10–15 minutes by car, and it handled 1,025,655 passengers in 2025. It is the Lower Mainland's second airport after Vancouver, close to Highway 1 and the US border, and it has no US preclearance. Book with your flight number. For an arrival, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pickup to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur.
Vancouver International Airport, 75 km away, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, has the long-haul routes and is a preclearance airport. With US preclearance, you clear US customs before boarding a flight to the US. Across the border, Bellingham International Airport is 47 km from Abbotsford, 45 minutes to 1 hour, and Seattle–Tacoma 211 km, 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 25 minutes. The right one depends on your airline and route.
For a departure from Abbotsford, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: allow 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes to YVR, and add time if your route to Bellingham crosses the border. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pickup time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Cross-Border Travel from Abbotsford
Abbotsford lies on the US border. The Abbotsford–Huntingdon crossing leads to Sumas, Washington, and is open 24 hours a day. Bellingham is 45 km away, 45 minutes to 1 hour, and Seattle 189 km, 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours, with the same chauffeur and car from start to finish, with no change of vehicle at the border.
Waits change through the day. CBSA shows live waits for the return into Canada on its website and in the CanBorder app, and US CBP posts southbound waits at bwt.cbp.gov. CBSA's advice is to cross early in the day, above all on long-weekend Sundays and Mondays. Visitors who need an ESTA must have it approved before they cross into the US by land, and they receive their I-94 record at the land port. Carry the travel documents your nationality and itinerary require.
Within Canada, Whistler is 189 km from Abbotsford by Highway 1 and the Sea-to-Sky Highway, 2 hours 25 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes. Kelowna is 325 km inland over the Coquihalla and the Okanagan Connector, 3 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 25 minutes.
Groups & Event Travel in Abbotsford
The Abbotsford International Airshow takes over the airport each August; in 2026 it ran from 7 to 9 August, with a Friday evening show and two daytime shows. If you exhibit at Tradex with display stands or sample cases, list them in the booking: the vehicle is matched to the load.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If an exhibitor team flies in on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own. For a group travelling together, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats.
For airshow weekend and the larger shows at Tradex, reserve well ahead: local vehicles and drivers are booked up early around those dates. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
