Deb

Hi there! <BR>I will be spending 8 days in BC. I'm planning to split my time between Vancouver and Victoria and perhaps a night in Whistler...I want to be safe AND keep my costs down. Any suggestions? Lodging? Restaurants? Should I rent a car for any portion other than the Whistler trek? <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>Debbie

Robyn

Hi Debbie, <BR> <BR>Realistically, you won't need a car in Victoria (that city was made for walking!). There are charter buses from the Vancouver Airport, or downtown Vancouver that take you on the ferry and into downtown Victoria. You can also take a bus to the Butchart Gardens from Victoria too. Having a car is necessary if you want to get around to other places on Vancouver Island, but if you only plan to be in Victoria, it's not necessary at all. <BR> <BR>Whistler's village is pedestrian-only, so unless you plan to travel outside of Whistler village, your car would probably spending most of its time in the parking lot. There are dozens of buses that make their way up to Whistler from the Vancouver Airport or downtown Vancouver. <BR> <BR>As for in Vancouver, it completely depends on where you're going to be. If you're staying downtown, you can spend a few days without a car, and you can walk (or hop on one of the many shuttle buses)... Stanley Park, the seawall, Vancouver Aquarium, Gastown, Yaletown, Robson Street, Granville Island, English Bay, etc can all be accessed by foot. Though if you were go elsewhere, definitely rent a car for a day or two.

Debbie

Hi Robyn, <BR>Thanks so much for helping me to decide whether to rent a car or not (I won't be now!) Could I bug you once more--would mind suggesting what part of Vancouver I should or should not look at lodging in? Are there areas of Victoria I should avoid? <BR> <BR>Again thanks! <BR>Debbie

April

You will find panhandlers and rough looking characters anywhere in downtown Victoria. I don't know if one area is less safe than another in the daytime. I would just try to avoid walking around alone at night, but if I had to, I'd probably feel safest where the majority of the tourists are, by the inner harbour. <BR> <BR>As for greater Victoria, Oak Bay would feel slightly safer to me than Esquimalt.

George

While on a government assignment in Seattle, my wife took the Ferry to Victoria for a look around. She did it without car and stayed at the Victoria Days Inn. She can be reached at [email protected] and her name is Amy.