sonovapreacherman

My wife and I are flying in Vancouver on a Thursday at 11:00am. We will be boarding a cruise ship at approximately 3:00pm the next day. We would like to see Victoria Island in the time that we are in BC. Would it be worthwhile to ferry over for the night? What is the best transportation from the airport to the BC Ferries terminal (or from the Ferry terminal to the port the next day)? What are the hot spots to see if you have less than 24 hrs? Please help... I am struggling with the decision if it is worth it. However, many people have told me that it is the best thing about BC. <BR> <BR>Pat

Bob Brown

The answer to your question is YES. <BR>Check out the website listed below. It gives details of the ferry crossings. <BR>http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/schedules...and/index.html <BR> <BR>Tsawwassan is a ferry terminal south of Vancouver. Swartz Bay is the ferry terminal north of Victoria. As I recall the drive from the terminal to downtown Victoria is about 25 miles. The two most interesting places I visted around Victoria were Butchart Gardens and the official provincial natural history museum located next to the inner harbor. <BR> <BR>The crossing takes about 1.5 hours each way, plus loading and unloading time. <BR> <BR>If you are flying back out of Vancouver, be sure you have proof of US citizenship (I am assuming here.) <BR>Airports always have immigration officials who seem more hard to please than those at the highway border crossings. The last time I flew, I took my birth certificate and drivers license and employment id card. That sufficed. Passengers who did not have sufficient documentation were subject to many questions. This year I am taking my passport; easier that way. <BR>By contrast, I have never had to show any documents when driving.

elizabeth

As an alternative to the ferry (either one way or both ways) you could look into flying to Victoria from the Vancouver Airport (perhaps there's a flight to Victoria that you could easily connect to) or alternatively take the sea plane from Vancouver harbour to Victoria Harbour. I used to fly over to Victoria to have lunch with a friend (admittedly it was a long lunch, but I could be back by 5:00pm) I think the sea plane airline is called Air BC, but it's been a few years - it's a great ride with terrific views of the Gulf Islands - enjoy your visit!

April

Sure you can. <BR> <BR>Victoria is the city on Vancouver Island. I believe there are regular buses to the ferry terminal from the Vancouver airport but more frequent is a shuttle bus that connects to a ferry bus at the Delta Inn. Check with Pacific Coachlines - they may also go to the cruise ship dock in Vancouver. <BR> <BR>With your limited time in Victoria it would be safer to take the bus to the island rather than a rental car which could get held up in ferry line-ups. The buses drive on no matter how busy. Ferries run hourly. <BR> <BR>The bus terminal in Victoria is downtown beside/behind the Empress Hotel. To get to Butchart's Gardens, you would have to backtrack. I don't know what tour buses charge to go there, but a regular city bus is probably cheaper. <BR> <BR>Consider Elizabeth's suggestion to take the float planes as they take you to downtown Victoria and right next to the cruise ships in Vancouver. Harbour Air and West Coast Air will cost about $180.00 Can. return. <BR> <BR>If you've never been to Vancouver before it might be just as well to stay put. Perhaps visit the art gallery and Stanley Park. <BR>

Brian Kilgore

Vancouver's a wonderful city, and I'd just stay there. <BR> <BR>That said; consider getting a plane from Vancouver airport to Victoria airport, or look for a long-distance shuttle bus from Vancouver Airport to downtown Victoria. (There are lots of these) The Vancouver airport is pretty close to one ferry terminal, so do not go to downtown Vancouver; you'll just have to go back past the airport again on the way to the ferry. <BR>Once you get to Victoria, book a flight back to Vancouver on a seaplane, leaving the Victoria harbor, and landing in Vancouver harbor. It will land fairly close to the cruise ship terminal. <BR>BAK

April

More on the buses to Butchart's Gardens. If you want to go there, you can take the #75 city bus from Victoria for $2.50 (two zones). It looks like this bus also stops in Sidney which is on the way to Victoria from the ferry terminal but I assume you'd want to unload your luggage first. <BR> <BR>This method would probably not work for those wanting to stay late for the fireworks at Butcharts but on a Thursday this won't be an issue. The entrance fee there, by the way, is over $15.00! <BR> <BR>Some people like the gardens, some don't. Expect it to be crowded. If you do stay overnight in Victoria, be sure to see the legislative buildings lit up at night. They're a sight. <BR> <BR>Bus website: <BR>http://www.transitbc.com/