DebInTN

We will be driving from Seattle to Olympic NP (taking the scenic route). On the way back (a couple of days later) we'd like to make it a shorter trip. Has anyone taken the ferries from Port Angeles to Vancouver? Is it worth the time & expense? Open to any suggestions regarding this trip.

NWWanderer

There is a ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria on Vancouver Island, but not directly to Vancouver--you'd need to take another ferry from Vancouver Island to the city of Vancouver.

Not sure how taking that ferry would make the trip shorter in any event--where do you need to end up?

DebInTN

We need to end up in Vancouver. I didn't think it would save us much time but couldn't really figure it out.

NWWanderer

Well, it would be a different route with not nearly as much driving and some beautiful scenery particularly on the ferry from Victoria (Swartz Bay) to Vancouver (Tsawwassen) but it won't be shorter--it will at least an hour or two longer due to ferry waiting time, etc. even with reservations.

Another plus would be the chance to see a bit of Victoria and visit the Butchart Gardens if that's of interest to you.

DebInTN

Thanks for your help. We have plans to go to Butchart Gardens with some friends we are meeting up with later on. Looks like we'll just drive.

NWWanderer

In that case, in order to avoid traffic around Seattle and have a more scenic trip, I'd take the ferry from Port Townsend to Keystone on Whidbey Island and drive up the island to Deception Pass Bridge, then cut over to I-5 on Rt. 20. If you have extra time, though, I'd continue along the coast on Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham then get on I-5.

Depending on when you're traveling, you might need to make reservation on the Pt Townsend ferry--check the WA State ferries website for more info.

AndrewDavid

i believe the only reservation one can make on washington state ferries w/ a car is the international route from anacortes to sydney , bc or vice versa

cheers
AndrewDavid

NWWanderer

AndrewDavid--due to the smaller capacity ferry currently running on the Pt Townsend run (the old ferries were taken out of service for safety issues this past winter), WA State Ferries recently announced that they will be taking reservations for that run this summer in order to avoid huge lineups.

I don't think it starts until the summer schedule is in effect however--that's why I recommended that the OP check the WA State Ferries website.

bob_brown

If the carrying capacity of that ferry run from Port Angeles to Victoria is any less, the reservations in the summer will fill up very quickly.

The time I tried it the old Black Ball ferries were running. To get our car across involved a wait of about a day!

We went over as foot passengers which was no problem. Once we got to the other side, there were buses to Butchart Gardens.

If you are trying to get your vehicle across, I think the ferry trips would be marginal in terms of time.

Once you and your vehicle area across you have about a 20 mile drive to the ferry dock north of Vancouver. Then the crossing time is a little over an hour to a site well south of Vancouver.

I think the timing of the ferry wait time would be key to whether or not the ferry option would be a time saver or not.

At any rate, the ferry ride lets someone else do the driving.

NWWanderer

Bob, the Port Angeles/Victoria ferry and the Port Townsend/Keystone (Whidbey Island) ferry are two different ferry routes.

The latter is the one that has had a reduction in the size of the ferry serving that route.

The Coho is still the ferry on the Port Angeles/Victoria route and yes, it's definitely a good idea to make reservations on that route as well.

AndrewDavid

NWW, thanks that's good to know. Nice thing about the Anacortes/ Sydney run is the reservation is free unlike BC Ferries $17 reservation fee ontop of v expensive fares to the Maniland

AndrewDavid