Hello~

We will be taking the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay on Saturday, October 14 after having stayed in Whistler. Then from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen on Sunday, October 22. Should I make reservatins for these two trips or is October a quiet time? How long will it take me to get from Whistler to Horseshoe Bay?

Thanks for any info~
MLJ

If your trip was in the summer then you do need ferry reservations. In October I seriously doubt that you will need one. If you are concerned you can get on the BC Ferry web site. They have information on the space available on each ferry. Check it a week or so before you leave and you can make a decision then based on how full the ferry really is.

To add to what stanbr said, if all goes well, it will take you 1.5 hours to drive from Whistler to Horseshoe Bay.

However, I would not cut it that fine if I were you. They are widening the Sea to Sky Highway (Hwy #99) in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and you could experience delays. In addition to that, if you don't have a ferry reservation, you should arrive a good hour before the ferry's departure time. So I believe you should leave Whistler <b>at least</b> 3 hours before sailing.

If you find that you arrive at Horseshoe Bay way too early, you can pay for the ferry ride and get your car positioned in the line to board the ferry. Then you can lock your car and walk to the nearby village of Horseshoe Bay for coffee. When you pay for the ferry, ask when you have to be back at your car in preparation for driving it onto the ferry. But if you leave your car, I recommend that you carry your passport, money, credit cards and camera with you.

This is off topic, but I recommend visits to Shannon Falls and Brandywyne Falls, either on the way to Whistler or on the way back from it. Shannon Falls is just south of Squamish, and Brandywyne Falls is just south of Whistler. Each waterfall requires a stop of about half an hour, and each waterfall's parking lot requires a parking fee of C$1. But it would be time and money well spent.

Nairn Falls is even better than the other two I mentioned. If you drove north of Whistler, you'd reach the parking lot for the waterfall just before the town of Pemberton. Parking is free. The walk to the waterfall takes a bit longer, maybe 20 minutes each way. In addition to that, there is more than one point from which to view the falls, so it would be good to spend at least 10 minutes just looking at the falls.

The drive from Whistler to Nairn Falls is about 30 minutes each way. So a trip from Whistler to Nairn Falls and back would be a commitment of about 2 hours.

Sorry for the digression, but I did find that area enchanting.

But then of course you'll still have Cathedral Grove, Tofino, etc., ahead of you. Bliss.

There is just no telling with the ferries. One time in February I wouldn't have made the sailing without a reservation, yet in July this year, on a Saturday, we drove right onto the 7:00 pm sailing which wasn't even half full.

We went from Swartz Bay, in Victoria, to Tsawwassen in Vancouver on a dreary Friday in November, assuming that there would be no need for a reservation on a mid-morning ferry. WRONG! We ended up waiting for 3 hours. To be honest, we had forgotten it was Remembrance Day weekend (how can you forget Remembrance Day?) and that probably accounted for some of it. The same thing happened on the Sunday of that long weekend when we were coming home; we mistakenly believed that a late-afternoon sailing on the Sunday of a 3-day weekend wouldn't require a reservation. My point is that it's just not possible to predict, and from now on, if it's necessary for us to travel on a specific sailing, we won't even try to do it without a reservation.

I agree that going without ferry reservations can be a crapshoot at any time of year. And Saturdays and Sundays are frequent travel days. For an extra $35, I'd buy the extra peace of mind, not to mention the minimum 2-hour wait you'll experience if you don't make your sailing on stand-by.

I would agree with the last post.... $35 is a small price to pay for peace of mind... and how much is your time worth?

However, when you book a reservation you have to be at the Terminal at least 30 minutes before sailing or you lose your reservation. They are very strict about this and I have had the misfortune of arriving 25 minutes before, losing my reservation and NOT making the sailing. It is an absurd policy I think, especially because they keep your money and the space you paid for goes to someone else.

Leave ample time for the drive down from Whistler as the highway is a bit of a mess in places. Besides, Horseshoe Bay is a nice little place to have a bite, people watch and look out at the water. Enjoy your trip!