Whilst visiting Vancouver in Apr, I wish to go on day trips to both Victoria and Seattle, what is the best way to independantly travel to these 2 locations for day trips?

You can catch a ferry from Vancouver (actually Tsawwassen) to Victoria (actually Swartz Bay). Crossing takes 1 hour and 35 minutes, but keep in mind you need to add the driving time from wherever you're staying in Vancouver to Tsawwassen.

Ferries depart both Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay at 8 am, 10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm.

Although you can do the whole thing as a bus-ferry combination, you also can take a car onto the ferry. I would recommend taking a car, as you then would have a car to use at the other end.

Here's the B.C. Ferries schedule:

http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/schedules...w-current.html

Another option is to fly in a small plane on floats from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour, which would be quicker. If you chose that option, you'd pretty much need to rent a car in Victoria, or at least I would rent one if I was doing the trip.

You could fly between the two cities' main airports, but I wouldn't choose that option, as the drives to and from the airports wouldn't make it worthwhile, IMO.

I've never been to Seattle. A quick look at a map suggests to me that the distance from Vancouver to Seattle is too great to allow any meaningful sight seeing time if one drives or ferries between the two places on a single day. I would think one would have to fly to preserve some useful time in the day. But I'm sure there are others who have been from Vancouver to Seattle and back who could comment on that.

I also wouldn't advise a day trip to Seattle. We frequently visit family and friends in the BC lower mainland and then make a trip down to the Seattle area to visit friends. Traffic always seems to be horrendous around Seattle! There is a bus, but by the time you've cleared customs (which could be a problem these days), you'll have wasted the better part of the day. How long are you in Vancouver? Maybe you could take an overnight trip to Seattle?

Peter, further to what Susan said, perhaps you could take open jaw flights, into Vancouver and out of Seattle, or vice versa. But the feasibility of that depends on what else you're planning to do on the same journey.

Much depends on whether or not you plan to have a vehicle. Between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay the ferries run most often on the odd hours and it is a lovely trip through the Gulf Islands. However, Harbour Air or West Coast Air float plane trips are also scenic and get you downtown to downtown in 35 minutes. If you wanted to see Butchart Gardens outside of Victoria, you'd have to rent a car, or take a tour or city bus.

Float plane flights between Victoria and Seattle take a bit longer but it doesn't take much time to get through customs. Personally, I too would skip Seattle.

You didn't actually say how long your trip to Vancouver will be. If it's one week or less than I would reccomend day trips to Victoria, Vancouver Island, (Tofino), and Whistler and agree with the above to skip Seattle. A day trip to Victoria and Whistler would probably be easiest taking a bus. You get on in downtown Vancouver and get off in the centre of both places. The major attractions of both places are within a small area while tour busses or Gondolas can take you to the areas beyond walking distance.

On the other hand if you're staying 10 days or more you should take a couple of days to explore Seattle and vicinity. But Vancouver requires at least 4 or 5 days to see properly.

I got off on a tangent about float planes, but I agree that taking the bus between Vancouver and Victoria is an easy and pleasant way to go. You just sit back, relax and don't have to worry about ferry line-ups. For the fullest experience, I'd be inclined to take the float plane over and the ferry back.

Thanks for all your advice.

I may well give Seattle a miss and consider Whistler.

I think I would skip Seattle as well. Depending how long you are visiting, I would hit Victoria, and then go up island to Parksville and Tofino. Whistler is great as well; however, it's not very active in April. I think I'd stick to the Island.

If you do want to go to Seattle, there is an Amtrak train that goes into the downtown train station. From there, it is an easy walk to the waterfront or Pioneer Square. There is a streetcar that goes along the waterfront, as well as monorail that goes from downtown to the Seattle Center (locale of the Space Needle).

Unfortunately, the Amtrak train does not run at convenient hours for a day trip from Vancouver to Seattle (it is great for Seattle to Vancouver, but that is no help for you), leaving VAC at 6pm, arriving SEA at 10pm. The return trip leaves SEA at about 8am, arrives VAC about noon. Amtrak also runs buses which will work better for a day trip, leaving VAC at about 6am and 9am, returning from SEA at 6pm and 9pm.

I've taken the Amtrak to Seattle - it's a really nice ride - takes about 4 hours.
The bus ride back is also nice, different route so a bit of a different view out the window - it seems to me that it took a bit more than 4 hours coming home.
Agree with the others that you might not want to make a day-trip out of Seattle, but it would probably be something to think about if you could stay a night.

I have disagree that Seattle can't be a day trip. I've looked at the schedules for Victoria and to me it's not easy to make Victoria a day trip unless you get up really early like 8 or 9. But if one gets up that early one can drive down to Seattle for a day.
If you want to fit Seattle into a day from Vancouver. You'd really need to rent a car so you can come and go as you please and save a little time. I've actually done the oppisite in a day. I drove from Seattle to Vancouver. Did I do everything I wanted to in just a day? No. But I still had fun and I think I got a good bit done.
If you were to just drive to Seattle for a day. I say leave as early as you can. I think it'll take about 3 hours or so but always allow more time for border crossing. It might be backed up or they may be searching vehicles more extensively.
If I had just a day I'd see the Space Needle, Experience Music Project, stroll along the waterfront, do the underground tour, or ride the monorail and do a litle shopping. You end the day watching the sunset from atop the Space Needle then head back to Vancouver. Or you could go to Victoria first and instead of going back to Vancouver take the boat from Victoria to Seattle.