VCR-Vict-Tofino-SaltSpring Itinerary
 

Great board, carefully studied terrfic posts. Allow me to get any comments/suggested changes on our plans. Mid-July, total of 8 nights, flying into Vancouver.

2 nights Vancouver/2 nights Victoria
Rent car and drive to Tofino/2 nights Tofino
1 night on Saltsprings Isl. and last night undetermined but somewhere back near airport. Is Saltsprings a long/unrealistic drive (plus ferry) - - better way to do it given other destinations?

Saltspring is a must as artists community a big draw. Any other "artisty" areas we might hit along the way or change plans to see...although hate to give up anything else.

Overall, too ambitious? Just right? Plan day trips in and around the areas we will be staying.

Thank you in advance for replies.

Steve

I suggest another night in Tofino or Vancouver, and skip Saltspring Island.

Jerry

The difficulty with visiting the Gulf Islands is the amount of time spent waiting in Ferry lineups and you have little enough time/lineups awaiting you coming/going as it is.

3 Vancouver/4 WCVI-skip Victoria and Saltspring altogether for maximum enjoyment.

You can reduce the ferry waiting time to a significant extent by setting up an account with BC Ferries (free registration) and then paying to make reservations on high volume routes ($17.50 per reservation).

You can also reduce time spent back-tracking if you slightly alter the order of your itinerary stops. Start in Vancouver. Then, take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay (a 20 minute drive north of downtown Vancouver) to Departure Bay (near Nanaimo, part-way up Vancouver Island) enroute to Tofino, to the north and west. From Tofino, drive all the way east and south down to Victoria. From the Swartz Bay ferry terminal 30 minutes north of Victoria, you can then fairly easily get a ferry to Saltspring Island (no reservations on this route, but boats are fairly frequent; there is an alternative route from Crofton to Vesuvius Bay).

Whether Saltspring makes sense I think depends on whether you can spend a second night there before going directly to Vancouver airport, which depends on when your flight leaves. There is a direct ferry link from Saltspring Island to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal (a 20 minute drive from Vancouver Airport) on which reservations are essential. Here is the schedule link (you will need to adjust the dates): http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/s...e-current.html.

I agree that 2 nights per stop puts you on the road and water more than is perhaps relaxing.

I would also skip Saltspring and add that night to Tofino or Vancouver.

Keep in mind that two nights in any one city means really only one day of sightseeing.

I recently returned from a trip to the West Coast... my B.C. itinerary was:
2 nights Victoria
1 night Salt Spring Island
1 night Malahat
1 night Sooke
2 nights Tofino
2 nights Vancouver

The drive to SSI from Victoria wasn't bad. I stopped on the way at Butchart Gardens. I had no problem with any of the ferries, but I was there during the low season.

I had planned to take the bus from Victoria to Tofino then flying from Tofino to Vancouver, but I left the plane reservation too late and since car rental fees are very high for a one way rental to Tofino, I took the bus both ways. (The great thing about the bus is you can spend all your time sightseeing- you don't have to think about driving. The downside? You can't stop whenever you want and you can't eat or drink on the bus (they do take one 15 minute pit stop)).

Just a note, you need a reservation on the ferries to the gulf islands if you have a vehicle. I wasn't sure from your post if you 'd still have your rental. I would stick with your original itinery. There are several artisan signs you will see on Vancouver Island especially around Parksville/coombs/Qualicum area on your way to Tofino. I would recommend taking a detour to some of these because the artists are incredible. I found a glass artist that did beautiful infused work as well as potters and weavers whose work was inspiring. The gulf islands have a feel all their own. After you visit you may be back next year for a week.

Weasel and Bouvsrus - I don't think you can make vehicle reservations FROM the Vancouver Island terminals TO the Gulf Islands, only to and from the Gulf Islands from TSAWWASSEN. However, because the two "short-hop" routes which connect Vancouver Island with Saltspring Island (Swartz Bay - Fulford Harbour, Crofton - Vesuvius Bay) only take 20 or 30 minutes each, the non-availability of reservations on these routes does not produce too dire results in terms of waiting time. The absolutely essential reservation is the one to get back to Vancouver from the Gulf Islands.

Great info and suggestions, thank you!

Any suggestions/direction on what types of artist type places we might visit in or near Vancouver, Victoria, or Tofino. Thx Weasel for your suggestions as they are "right on."

Salt Spring Island was attractive because my lovely wife is a potter, painter and knitter (among other creative endeavors). Soooo much to see but we do want relax and soak up everything not rush from one destination to the next.

So, perhaps we save Saltspring for another trip. Having never been to BC no sense if/where we would find artisan communities or plentiful galleries, studios and the like.

More suggestions most welcomed.

Steve

Hi when in Vancouver you should visit Granville Island. Artisans display their work in the food market as well as in the buildings around the Island. In Victoria there are often artists displaying their goods around the inner harbour