# Help w/ Ferries:  Seattle to Victoria Island and Victoria Island to Vancouver



## loosefeet (Feb 28, 2011)

We need advice.  We are traveling in August--flying into Seattle from No Cal, and will stay overnight, then want to take a ferry to Victoria Island to stay a few nights.  The return will be Victoria Island to Vancouver.  I don't know if it's prudent to get a car in Seattle (we will return there to fly home)--or just try to get around (?how) to get to the ferry lines both ways, maybe rent a car on Victoria Island (staying WorldMark the whole time).  Don't know which ferry lines to take.  Anyone know the area well??


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## Passepartout (Feb 28, 2011)

Lots of ways to do this. We've taken the car ferry from Tsawassen to Sydney. Then back to Port Angeles, WA, to tour the Olympic Peninsula. BTW, It's Vancouver Island- Victoria is the Capitol city. There is a high speed  passenger-only ferry from downtown Seattle to the inner harbour of Victoria, but I suspect you'll want a car all week. There's much to do and Vancouver Island is very large. You'll want to check with the car rental company about taking their car out of the USA.

I'm sure our local Vancouver/Victoria friends will provide links to timetables and rates for the various ferries. 

We've had many memorable vacations there including several Summers as a child spent on Salt Spring Island in the San Juans. I'm sure it's changed so much I wouldn't recognize it. (Sigh)

Jim Ricks


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## DaveNV (Feb 28, 2011)

Probably the nicest way to get to Vancouver Island in Summer is to drive up to Anacortes, Washington, and catch the ferry that runs to Sydney, BC, which is on Vancouver Island.  That trip takes you through the San Juan Islands, so you get a mini cruise for your ferry dollars.  The scenery is unmatched for summer beauty.  Once on Vancouver Island you can drive down to Victoria, and later catch one of the BC ferries back to the mainland.

This website is the official Washington State ferry site, with schedules and pricing:  http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/Default.aspx

Have fun!

Dave


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## Cathyb (Feb 28, 2011)

*A side note of Victoria*



loosefeet said:


> We need advice.  We are traveling in August--flying into Seattle from No Cal, and will stay overnight, then want to take a ferry to Victoria Island to stay a few nights.  The return will be Victoria Island to Vancouver.  I don't know if it's prudent to get a car in Seattle (we will return there to fly home)--or just try to get around (?how) to get to the ferry lines both ways, maybe rent a car on Victoria Island (staying WorldMark the whole time).  Don't know which ferry lines to take.  Anyone know the area well??



We stayed at Worldmark Victoria and loved it (had and recommend the Penthouse) -- worth every WM credit!  We came in on the car ferry from Port Angeles -- that is a hair-raising experience getting your car in and out!

We did not need a car in Victoria -- ours stayed parked the whole time (5 days). We got the two day pass on the sightseeing bus that stopped right in front of Worldmark.  You could have a nice walk to downtown also.

Hoping Tuggers share Seattle ideas as we want to return to Seattle and Victoria in 2012 -- no car this time!


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## John Cummings (Feb 28, 2011)

I was born in Victoria and lived there and in Vancouver. We also have visited several times.

I have done all the possible ferry routes. I even did it on the old Princess Ships several years ago. Basically you are doing a loop trip from Seattle - Victoria - Vancouver - Seattle.

First, I would allow 2 or 3 nights in Seattle. It is a very nice city with lots to do and see and we like it better than either Victoria or Vancouver.

You basically have 3 different choices from Seattle to the island.

1. Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles, WA to downtown Victoria. This is a direct shot across the Straits of Juan de Fuca. There is nothing really to see as it is just open water. It takes 90 minutes. You will get a chance to see some of the Olympic Peninsula on the drive from Seattle to Port Angeles which is quite nice. It is 85 miles from Seattle to Port Angeles.

http://www.cohoferry.com/main/

2. Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, WA to Sidney BC. By the way it is "Sidney", not "Sydney". Sydney is in Australia which may be a little bit out of the way. Anacortes is 80 miles north of Seattle. It is not a very interesting drive. Sidney is 17 miles from Victoria. This ferry route is by far the most scenic as you sail through the San Juan Islands.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/Sch...epartingterm=1&arrivingterm=19&roundtrip=true

3. Victoria Clipper from downtown Seattle to Downtown Victoria. This is not a ferry so you can't take a car. This is more scenic than the Black Ball ferry but not nearly as scenic as the Anacortes ferry trip.

http://www.clippervacations.com/ferry/

There are two choices to get from Victoria to Vancouver. They are both on the BC Ferries.

1. Swartz Bay - Tsawwassen. Swartz Bay is a little past Sidney 20 miles from Victoria. Tsawwassen is on the main land about 23 miles from Vancouver. Part of the trip is fairly scenic through the islands.

2. Nanaimo - Horseshoe Bay. Nanaimo is up the island 70 miles north of Victoria. Horseshoe Bay is 13 miles from Vancouver. This route will allow you to see some of the scenery of Vancouver Island. The boat trip is not very scenic.

http://www.bcferries.com/

Whether to rent a car or not is up to you. On our last 2 week visit to the area a couple years ago we did not get a car. We did tours and took the bus. You can take a bus right from downtown Victoria to downtown Vancouver that takes the ferry. That is a very easy way to go. We didn't need a car in either Victoria nor Vancouver. We did the bus on the BC Ferries and took the Victoria Clipper. However we have done all the other options several times. We did Hop on Hop Off tours in both Vancouver and Victoria. We didn't do timeshares. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Seattle, Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in downtown Vancouver, and the Marriott Inner Harbor in Victoria. The Marriott is a misnomer as it is a couple blocks from the inner harbor and you can't see the harbor.

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/hop-on-hop-off

http://bigbusvictoria.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=28

There are long lines for the ferries in the summer. I would buy on-line or get there very early.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you want more info.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Feb 28, 2011)

John offers good advice. 

You can probably save money by foregoing a car as much as possible, simply renting for one or two days as you might feel a need to do excursions. Take the Clipper from Seattle to Victoria (passenger only), then take the bus from Victoria to Vancouver, as John described, and you can avoid the hassles of having a car in downtown Vancouver. 

To get from Vancouver to Seattle without a car I suggest you take the train.


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## DaveNV (Feb 28, 2011)

Sorry for the typo on Sydney/Sidney.  I watched The Amazing Race last night, and they were in Sydney, Australia.  My fingers were dreaming, I guess.  

Dave


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## John Cummings (Feb 28, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> To get from Vancouver to Seattle without a car I suggest you take the train.



I meant to mention that. It is good advice. I have taken the train and it is the best way.

If you don't have a car then you won't have to worry about the lines for the ferries.


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