dona

Can anyone provide advice on getting from Salt Spring to Vancuover? Looking at the BC ferry schedule it appears that they have mainly "locals" that take approx 3 hours to make the trip. I see 2 non-stops that only go on Fridays @ 4:25 pm or Saturudays 2 6:25 am. Am I missing something? is there another way to do this?

Meesthare

I haven't checked the BC Ferries website, but I suspect what you're looking at is the ferry that goes from Long Harbour, on Salt Spring, to Tsawwassen near Vancouver. That one is much less frequent than the easier route, which is to go from Fulford Harbour, at the other end of Salt Spring, to Swartz Bay in Victoria, and then from there to Vancouver. Those go a lot more often. Another alternative is to cross from Vesuvius Bay to Crofton and then drive north from there to Nanaimo and take the ferry across to North Vancouver. It depends where in Vancouver you want to go. It also depends on when you're going. The crossings are more frequent in the spring and summer, when there are more people going back and forth. We usually allow about 3 hours total travel time, including driving to and from the ferry docks.

dona

Very helpful -- thanks!

Meesthare

When are you travelling, Dona? If it's in the summer and you need to go at a particular time, it's a good idea to make a reservation. I'm assuming you'll have a car. Foot passengers really don't need to reserve. Especially if you want to go direct/nonstop between Long Harbour and Tsawwassen, a reservation is a really good idea in the summer.

Sam_Salmon

<b>Meetshare</b>'s info re: Fulford is good-I'd like to add that when buying a ticket in Tsawwassen tell the vendor <b>Fulford Harbour</b> and you'll be sold a '<i>through ticket</i>' for a much reduced rate.
Coming back is a bit more complex-you have to buy a special ticket from a machine aboard the tiny boat from the Fulford-Swartz Bay (<i>which is a free ride</i.Upon showing that ticket to the vendor Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen you're sold a fare at a give away price I mean less than half of regular fare.
I can't remember what the amount was back in June but I remember saying &quot;<i><b>WHAT</b></i>&quot;? when I was quoted the price.
I suppose all this is to take pressure off the <b>donkey express</b> that travels Island to Island to Island to Island and is so often late .

dona

Thanks for all the good recommendations. I must say BC sure does have a complicated ferry system. We're now thinking about reversing the order of our trip this summer. Leaving city of Vancuover and going up the Sunshine Coast. Crossing over to Vancuouver Island at Powell River. From there drive to Tolfino. A few days later we would cross the Island to take a ferry to Salt Island. Any thoughts on which is the most efficient way to do those crossings?
From Salt Island we are thinking of going back to Swartz Bay to cross over to the Olympic Penisula at Port Angeles. Is this all doable? Again thanks for all the ideas.

Meesthare

Somehow I think it reads a lot more complicated than it actually is! We take the ferries all the time - we go out there every summer and will be moving there in Sept. - and have never found it difficult to get around. The ferries aren't always on time, but you can always get where you want to go.
The trip you propose is quite doable. When you cross from Powell River you end up in Courtenay; it's an easy drive to Tofino. (While you're there, make sure you go to Hot Springs Cove, by the way - it's beautiful.) When you come back down to go to Salt Spring, cross from Crofton to Vesuvius Bay. The crossing takes less than half an hour. If the timing works out, have lunch at the Vesuvius Bay Pub, right near the ferry dock. They have the BEST French fries in the world. The trip from Fulford Harbour to Swartz Bay is also very quick - maybe 40 minutes. From there, you go to Sidney to get the ferry to Port Angeles. Those ferries are run by Washington State.
Have a great trip!

April

You have to go into downtown Victoria to catch the Coho ferry to Port Angeles. It doesn't take reservations so I like to get my car in the lineup as early as possible before the first sailing, then go for breakfast. You might not be able to do that if arriving from Saltspring. Best to call the company the day before and see how the traffic is looking. They usually have a fairly good idea. If it looks like you can catch the next sailing, you can park in their lot and go wander around town for a bit, which isn't a bad thing since their dock is right on the harbour. On the other hand, if it's a terribly busy day my backup plan would be to take the BC ferry to the mainland from Swartz Bay.

Meesthare

Absolutely right, April - I was mixed up: the ferry from Sidney goes to Anacortes, not to Port Angeles. Mind you, that's a lovely trip - I would take it if there's no specific reason that you need to end up in Port Angeles. Anacortes is an easy drive from Seattle. The last time we took that ferry, we were stopped for about 45 minutes because there was a pod of orcas cavorting around right near us. What an amazing sight!