Hello les amis,

One more question please.

I would leave Vancouver on a sunday morning. I have a very good contact with a whale watching company in Sidney. I would not, at this stage, rent any car.
So, arrived with the ferry at Vancouver Island terminal, i wish to know how, without a car, i could join a decent hotel (?) in Sidney from which i could join the whale watching company and the following day, Butchard gardens.That way, no need to go to Victoria. The third day, i would take a train to Nanaimo where i would rent a car on my way to Tofino/Ucluelet.

Would you have any comments or recommendations, s'il vous plaît ?

Merci de vos réponses

Bonjour,

I think your plan is a little awkward. There are buses that run from Victoria to Butchart Gardens but I don't know if there are any from Sidney to the gardens. The train terminal is in Victoria, so you will have to go there anyway.

How do you plan to get from the ferry terminal to Sidney? There is a hotel by the highway which might be convenient if the bus drops people off on the highway (I frankly don't know if or where it does), or other hotels closer to the water which would be a bit of a hike with luggage but probably more convenient for your whale watching excursion - although Sidney is small so that is a minor issue. Or you could take a taxi from the ferry terminal directly to your hotel.

Then you will have to get to Victoria either by public transportation (again, a little awkward) or taxi (expensive).

Personally, I think I would simply take the bus from Vancouver straight into Victoria. This is a bus that stores luggage in locked compartments so from city to city you just sit there and do nothing except get off the bus during the ferry ride. By the bus depot in Victoria there is at least one car rental outfit. There, you could rent a car and stay either in Victoria or Sidney. Sidney is only a 30-40 minute drive away.

Then, you could drop the car off and take the train up to Nanaimo. I'm guessing that you plan to take the ferry back to Vancouver from there.

Bonjour Eze

You can take a number 81 bus from the ferry into Sidney. From Sidney, you can take an 81 to and from Butcharts. From Sidney you can take an 81 to connect with a 70 to Victoria. The train to Naniamo leaves Victoria once a day at 8:00 am, so you will be rising early in Sidney and likely standing up on a bus for 45 minutes with commuters. Have you researched hotels in Sidney?

All in all, this is a bad plan.

Take the PCL bus from the airport to Victoria. We have many whale watching companies here. We also have hotels here. You can take either public transit to visit Butcharts or a tour.
Rent a car, (Budget has the most convenient location if you can get a decent price), and drive to Tofino yourself. You can stop at Goldstream park, the two lookouts on the Malahat, Rathtrevor Beach, and Cathederal grove on the way. This will make a full leasurely day.
On the way back you may drop the car off in Naniamo and bus back to the airport from there, (if the dropoff fee is not too high).
Check out;
pacificcoach.com
bctransit.com

Merci beaucoup à Icithecat and April

We'll forget about Sidney and take a Pacific coach bus to Victoria, sleep two nights there, take a whalewatching tour in Victoria port and visit Butchart gardens using public transit.
Take a train to Nanaimo, rent a car there for four days, drop off the car in Nanaimo (avoiding drop off costs) and fly (seaplane) to Vancouver airport where we'll rent an another car to reach Jasper.
Thanks vm to both of you for your contributions.
Merci beaucoup

Hello Eze.
Have you found a seaplane that flies from Naniamo harbour to Vancouver airport? Vancouver harbour and Vancouver airport are about an hour apart by bus.
I am suggesting that you look for a car rental pickup in downtown Vancouver nearer the harbour. Maybe one that claims to be near the cruise ship terminal.

Hello Icithecat

Yes we have found Harbour Air and the following choice of flights :
Flight #602 Jun 14, 2009 07:05 Nanaimo Harbour 07:25 Vancouver Airport - Richmond Passenger(s) $65.00
Flight #604 Jun 14, 2009 09:25 Nanaimo Harbour 09:45 Vancouver Airport - Richmond


Flying to YVR is our "solution" to avoid, when ariving in Horseshoe ferry terminal, taking a transit bus to Vancouver downtown with our luggage and there rent a car. Seen from this part of the world, it looked rather complicated.
Merci beaucoup

Perfect Eze.
You have a plan.
Pacificcoach has a route from Naniamo downtown to Vancouver airport also. These are 'intercity' busses with the luggage stored below. A longer, slower, but possibly cheaper option to consider.
At $65.00 I would opt for the flight.

Eze.
My wife just said to me 'check your luggage allowance on Harbour Air'.
She travels for business and is aware that there is an issue.

Merci beaucoup encore.
We'll take a bus to Victoria and fly from Nanaimo.
Apparently, seems that there is a franchise up to 20 kgs for each traveller on seaplane flights. We'll pay for the difference if needed. We normally travel with one luggage/each.
We are normally within the luggage franchise.
Merci for your useful contributions.
PS : If i may, we are planning to stay in Westin Grand in Vancouver. Any opinion about this hotel for four nights.
Any recos re our two nights stay in Victoria (budget 175 CAD)
Merci !

eze, if one flies harbour air from victoria ( inner harbour) to vancouver ( downtownish :coal harbour ) the allowance is 20kg; if u were to fly victoria to yvr u have a higher allowance ; i assume that would b true from nanaimo. u should check w/ harbour air directly.
AndrewDavid