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Popular Transportation | Other Transportation Tips | All Tips (19) The ferry from Vancouver leaves from Tsawassen and after a leisurely "cruise" of around 2 hours you arrive in Swartz Bay.
The cost was $44.00 each way for our hire car and two adults, or you "can walk on" with no car for around $9.00 per person each way.
There is a bus service available at Swartz Bay that will transport you to Victoria. We found that the car gave us so much flexability to get around and see everything that we wanted to without being rushed by a tight bus schedule.
We chose the late ferry back and enjoyed dinner in the "stern restaurant." Leave a Comment
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Vancouver Island is well-connected to mainland British Columbia and Washington State by vehicle and passenger ferries. Each day, dozens of ferries cross the straits, granting breathtaking views of the rocky coastline, forested islands, inlets and often marine wildlife.
Frequent daily scheduled service is provided (passengers and all types of vehicles) between Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) and Swartz Bay (north of Victoria), between Tsawwassen and Duke Point (south of Nanaimo) and between Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) and Departure Bay (Nanaimo). BC Ferries also serves the Gulf Islands and other ports in coastal BC (like the Sunshine Coast, Inside Passage,...). Buffet and/or full cafeteria service as well as other amenities are found on main-route ships.
YOU CAN RESERVE YOUR TRIP WITH THE BC FERRIES FOR AN EXTRA FEE IF YOU WANT! A GOOD IDEA IN THE SUMMER OR LONG WEEKENDS AS YOU MIGHT BE STANDING IN A LONG LINE UP FOR A FEW HOURS AT THE BC FERRY TERMINALS OR JUST AVOID THESE PERIODS!!!! Leave a Comment
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Located 30 minutes from downtown Victoria and five minutes from Sidney, Victoria International Airport serves daily flights from Vancouver International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma Airport, as well as direct flights from points throughout Canada and the US.
Regular floatplane and helicopter service to downtown Victoria and other parts of Vancouver Island are also available from Vancouver and Seattle. Charter flights for sightseeing, wildlife viewing, hiking and fishing excursions, and to more remote Vancouver Island locations are also available.
There are also many float plane componies that fly frequently between the mainland of BC to the Islands. For example there is "Harbour Air Seaplanes", "West Coast Air Ltd.", "Pacific Coastal Airlines" and many more! Leave a Comment
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A good and pretty cheap way to get from different places on Vancouver Island or the mainland of BC to Tofino and back is with the Tofino Bus. It has several location where it will pick you up and several times. Be sure to check out their websites for the times of operation, where the pick up places are and the rates /fares.
You can take surfboards, kayaks, bikes and everything else along. For some of these things you might get charged a small fee on top of the rates. But it's a great way to get from one point to another! Leave a Comment
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To get to Vancouver Island you’ll probably want to catch a ferry. You could choose to fly, but if you want to take a car across that isn’t an option. There are four possible routes:
~ Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) – Swartz Bay, near Victoria
~ Tsawwassen – Duke Point, for Nanaimo
~ Horseshoe Bay (north of Vancouver) - Departure Bay, also near Nanaimo
~ Powell River – Comox, a more northerly option
We used the Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay route in both directions, and were impressed by the service. The ferries were clean and had all the services you need (shops, café etc), with plenty of room even in the summer season. They were punctual, and the organisation at the docks was good, with orderly queuing systems for cars. Also, although we’d pre-booked we had no problem switching to an earlier departure when we arrived sooner than expected. The crossing time on this route is 1 hour 35 minutes, and there are 8 departures a day (more on holiday weekends). The one-way fare for a car currently ranges from $33.00 mid-week in the winter, to $39.00 on a summer weekend. An adult foot passenger would pay $11.15 for a one way ticket on a summer weekend. All prices are in Canadian dollars, and there are lots of options and concessions, so check out the website for the fare that fits your journey.
We also used the ferry between Campbell River and Quadra Island, and again found the service very good. There are frequent (more or less hourly) departures. The return fare for a car with driver and passengers is currently $14.75 in peak season (late June to early September) and $13.15 off peak. Again, check the website for costs for larger vehicles and for foot passengers.
The website also has useful info about current conditions at sea, the busyness of the ports and more. Plus there are webcams and a fun vessel position tracker that lets you see which ships are at sea and track their progress.
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The BC Ferry system is awesome. Altho I had to ride in the RV and not up top...it was fun. Its cheap...the staff is friendly and the views are great. we took 4 ferries total,With an RV and it wound up being about $150 US
TOTAL..we hopped ports along the Sunshine Coast...over to Vancouver Island and back to Port Angeles, WA. Leave a Comment Theme: Ship/BoatWebsite: bcferries.ca
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The best way to get around Vancouver Island is by car. We'd rented in Vancouver itself and came over with it on the car ferry, but altrnatively you could hire one here. We found the driving and the navigating very easy - the roads are fairly quiet and woth notmany of them it's hard to get lost.
My favourite drive was when we crossed the island from Qualicum Beach to Tofino on Highway 4. I'd expected Vancouver Island to have great beaches but hadn't realised how mountainous the centre of the island was. I would advise you to allow plenty of time for this drive, partly because the road is slow and winding, and partly because the scenery is fantastic and you’re sure to want to stop to take photos or just admire the views. I loved these dark green forested mountains with the low cloud swirling around them. Theme: Car/Motor Home
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Since there is no bridge to Vancouver Island you are either going to fly there or go by ferry. The ferry is a bit more economical way especially if you are bringing your own vehicle. There are many ferry ports on Vancouver Island including Swartz Bay, Duke Point, Departure Bay, Comox and Port Hardy. The ferries are fairly large where the main ones hold of 450 vehicles and over 2,000 people. They are quite stable and have many amenities on board from restaurants, kids areas and all that other jazz. Another good thing is that they offer amazing views of the coasts and islands in the region. You can make reservations a head of time to guarantee a spot for your vehicle. If you are doing the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route, I really wouldn't worry about a reservation (unless it is a special holiday where everyone travels) as there are departing times and I have never needed to wait. The last time I went it was about a little over $60 Canadian for a vehicle and 2 people. Leave a Comment
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There are two ways to get to Vancouver Island; by air, or by sea!
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Some road distances within Vancouver Island:
- Victoria to Sidney: 21 kms. (30 minutes).
- Victoria to Nanaimo: 95 kms. (2h 9m).
- Victoria to Port Hardy (north of the island): 482 kms. (6h 29 m).
For other distances, visit: www.hellobc.com Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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