Despite having a laid-back reputation, Vancouver is not short on places to get social and sweaty. Gastown is the cobbled district with pubs, bars and live music – often a meeting spot for dinner and drinks before moving on to a club (or getting into PJs). Yaletown is similar but more upmarket – think wine bars, gilets and sharing plates.

Then there’s the Granville Entertainment District, catering to the bar-hopping crowd. There are Irish pubs, stomach-lining food spots, late night clubs and a reliable stream of revellers, especially on weekends.

For the more alternative crowd, the breweries and bars around Main Street and Mount Pleasant are a good option.

Vancouver is one of Canada’s least teeth-chattering cities. Mild winters generally last from November through to March and snow in the city centre is rare. Locals head to the mountains for that. Drive two hours to Whistler and you’ll have your fill of the white stuff for days, weeks…however long it takes you to get out of those snow boots. Rain, however, is less rare. There’s a reason the nickname ‘Rain City’ has stuck.

Summer is June to September and the warm, dry, sunny days never tend to exceed 30°C – perfect for hiking the seawall and sitting on a terrace with a cold one. Take a ferry to the markets of Salt Spring Island, go whale watching in Victoria, and train your palette in the vineyards of Okanagan Wine Country. Vancouver is lovely all year round, just make sure you pack what your mum suggests.