Pete1222

We are visiting Vancouver for the 1st time this May. We plan on spending 4 full days on Vancouver Island and then heading over to the mainland for 1 full week of exploring BC. We are a bit confused on how to handle a car rental. We land at the Vancouver airport but does it make sense to rent a car just to take it over on the ferry? It almost looks like we should get over to Victoria and then rent a car to explore that island. Then return the car---ferry back to the city of Vancouver and rent another car for exploring the rest of BC. Or is there is a bridge? How long does the car ferry take from city of Vancouver to Victoria? Is that an easy hop???
Hopeless in New Jersey! (BUT not 4 long!!)
Wendy

Bobmrg

http://www.pacificcoach.com/

This bus will get you from the airport into Vancouver. Whether or not you need a car in the city is a matter of what you want to see/do. There are plenty of tours and the public transportation is good (except where the downtown streets are torn up, so take the SkyTrain if you can). The same bus runs to the ferry terminal, so you can be walk-on passengers without the hassle of getting a reservation. Rent in Victoria...again depending on what you want to do. A car is not essential if you want to do the city and Butchart Gardens. Reverse course to get back to Vancouver.

There is no bridge, and I hope there never will be.

NWWanderer

I like the convenience of having the car rather than taking the bus to the ferry, so I would rent the car at the airport then schedule your time in Vancouver for the end of your trip. You don't need a car there (although you might want one for part of the time, depending on what you want to see) so you could drop it off a couple days before you fly out and just take a cab to the airport.

The ferry between Vancouver and Victoria actually doesn't go between the cities--the ferry terminals (Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, respectively) are about 30 minutes outside of each city. The ferry itself take about 90 minutes and goes every hour or so (a little less frequently in May it looks like--but at least every 2 hours), so yes, it's an easy hop.

April

I am assuming that you're talking about going to Victoria straight from the airport. Is that right? If so, I would much rather take the bus across on the ferry IF you can catch a bus at the airport that goes to the ferry terminal not into Vancouver. On the Pacific Coach Lines' website it looks like you can, with maybe a transfer at the Richmond Comfort Inn.

The bus is so easy and there is no waiting in line or paying extra for reservations.

With a ferry reservation for a car you have to be at the terminal within certain times. No refunds if you're late. Without a reservation, you stand the chance of missing a ferry (or two). The bus just sails directly on usually with no delay.

A car rental outfit is across the street and not far (maybe half a block or so) from the bus depot in Victoria.

traveller69

I agree with April. It makes more sense to get the bus from YVR to Victoria and rent a car there for your visit. The only problem would be if your flight arrived in the evening after the last bus to Victoria.

Carmanah

How many of you are travelling? Picking up a car from the airport might actually be cheaper than paying for a $30+ Pacific Coachlines bus fare from the Airport to Victoria. For example, if there are more than 2 of you, I'd probably just rent a car right away. Reservations are not necessary either, especially if you're travelling midweek.

Pete1222

Thanks everyone!
Lots to consider.(A bit like getting between islands in New Zealand).
There are 2 of us and we will definitely be heading out to the far side of the island--Tofino. Plus we do plan on renting bikes for at least one day and, if the weather is co-operating, probably 2 days. The bike riding, rail to trails, looks just too awesome to miss. I guess I'll need to find out what the cost is to ferry a car back-n-forth. That may tip the scales and perhaps even make the decision for us. I can already tell that one trip is not enough time to explore this corner of the globe----We're looking at a 2nd trip into Calgary/Banff (w/ our teenagers) in June too!
Thanks again! Keep those suggestions coming!!
Wendy

Pete1222

Victoria - Vancouver Fares
For travel between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen >> I think that this is the route that i would take.
And, It looks like it's $35c per car and approx. $11c per adult to cross 1-way. So, approx. $115C roundtrip...if I read the schedule correctly and did the math right....
Just thinking out-loud...;-)

traveller69

Your math looks good to me. It would cost you $115 round trip for two if you rent a car and $172 if you take the bus. You have to throw in the cost of the car rental for the two traveling days as well. I would really consider taking the bus if the timing works for you. Less hassle and as April said the car rental is across from the bus terminal. There are other rental companies but most have a pickup spot at a downtown hotel.

NWWanderer

My thought was that since you're coming for 2 weeks you might have a decent amount of luggage that you might not want to schlep on the bus, etc. But if you're light packers then maybe that's not really an issue.

April

One more thought...
If you add reservations for the ferry, the total would be about $145. You might not need them but I was on a ferry once that was full, mid week in February. Reservations are $15 each way if made 7 or more days in advance, otherwise they're $17.50.

But, if you plan to go to Victoria, then Tofino and over to Vancouver, I'm wondering if it would make more sense to rent the car on the mainland rather than have to drive all the way back to Victoria (assuming you would have to do that if you rented the car in Victoria). Then you could just take the ferry from Nanaimo to the mainlaind.

I'm wondering if you'll be travelling during the May long weekend.

Tanya

I would recommend you either fly into Victoria and explore the Island for a couple of days and then head to Vancouver and fly out of that city or visa versa. That eliminates travel at least one way on the ferry system.

traveller69

Tanya - that sounds like a good idea but as someone who lives in Victoria I can tell you that it is impossible to get any reasonably priced flights to Victoria. Most flights are to YVR. It costs me almost as much to fly to Vancouver or Seattle as the flight to a further destination from those cities. Its just the price we pay to live in such a lovely city.

Tanya

The last time I was in Victoria, I was scheduled to depart from Vancouver. The cost was minimal to change my flight to a direct one from Victoria to Toronto - I think around $125. Based against losing a day travelling back to Vancouver and cost of accommodation/taxi,ferry, etc, it was a no brainer.

April

I know that whenever I've flown into Vancouver I'm so tired that the last thing I want to do is deal with buses and ferries. Victoria's airport is about half an hour out of town but the AKAL bus is convenient and it stops at many hotels. About $15 each.

http://www.victoriaairportshuttle.com/