Getting to Victoria BC, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands

The main way to get to Vancouver Island and Victoria from Canada is via BC Ferries, 1-888-223-3779, which operates a ferry from Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) to Swartz Bay, a half hour drive north of Victoria. Cost is about $50 for a car and a little over $12 per person (more in peak season, and rising with fuel surcharges) each way. Payment can be made by cash or credit card, and debit cards can be used at an automatic ticket terminal for foot passengers, but not on the ferry or at the vehicle toll booths. Service runs on the odd hours between 7am and 9pm during the winter (with extra sailings at busier times) and every hour during the summer. The ferry ride is 1 hour 35 minutes. Reservations are never required, but recommended for vehicles during peak travel times, including weekends throughout the summer months. There is a $15 charge for reservations if made 7 days in advance; $17.50 if less than 7 days. Vehicles sometimes have to show up a few hours before they can actually board (there can be multiple sailing waits during peak travel times), so make sure that you check the website to see what the wait is, and make sure that you allow plenty of time to catch your sailing; as the ferry’s capacity is usually limited by the amount of space on the car decks, foot passengers can usually get on if they show up 15-20 minutes before their sailing. To get to the ferry take bus number 424 from Vancouver Airport to Airport Station and then change to bus number 620. Keep $3.25 CAD in change (per person) for this.

The second way to take a ferry to Victoria is via Washington State Ferries, +1-206 464-6400, which operates a passenger vehicle ferry between Anacortes and Sidney (about half an hour from Victoria) through the San Juan Islands. Passenger or pedestrian fare is US$16 each way, vehicle fare is $42.95 (increases to $53.70 May-October). This service does not operate during the winter season, generally from the second week of January until the end of March. The ferry system prefers that you make reservations via its website or by calling ahead.

Read more