Greetings, fellow travelers & purveyors of relaxation! Planning a day trip from Seattle in June, and am undecided on which destination to choose. The Victoria Clipper is our modus operandi! What would you recommend? Thanks!

If it were me I'd go for the San Juan islands.

What are your interests? Do you want to see nature and a low key island setting? Or do you prefer a British shopping excursion? How about gardens?

If you are taking the Victoria Clipper on a day trip, I would definitely go to Victoria. You will have at least 6 hours to spend in Victoria before you return. You will have virtually no time to spend on any of the San Juan Islands, it would be a boat tour that goes through the islands and back. So, its up to you - if you want a day-long leisurely boat tour through beautiful scenery, take the San Juan Islands trip. If you want a fast boat to a city, with lots of time for walking, visiting, you should go to Victoria.

Thanks for the help, all! I am still undecided, but this has given me more to hash out. So the Victoria Clipper to the San Juans is basically a turnaround excursion with no time on the island?

For day trips, in the summer not even a turnaround - Seattle to Orcas, Friday Harbor to Seattle, thereby forcing an overnight.

Just a plug for the seaplane - a faster, more scenic way to day trip either Victoria or the San Juans - www.kenmoreair.com - $169 RT vs. $100 to $125 on the Clipper, plus you get an extra 3 hours on the ground.

Here is are the schedules and fares:

http://www.victoriaclipper.com/marketing/information_fares.shtml

Seattle to San Juan Islands and return is basically a 12-hour trip with no time on the islands.

That is BS about the Victoria Clipper to Friday Harbor being "just a 12 hour boat trip". The hordes of people we see here daily for many, many hours from that boat all over town and the island attest to that! And the speed with which that boat zips by my house (by far the fastest boat going by on any day) shows they make that trip quickly from Seattle to Friday Harbor. These guys who posted here don't know what they are talking about and if you don't know what you're talking about you really shouldn't run your mouth.

I would definately see Victoria. They say it is even more British that Britain. Also I would recommend Vancouver BC. It is only a few hours drive north and it is has one of the most ideal locations. Mountains and the sea sourround it.

$100 to $125 for the Clipper - is that true? Then I would definitely take the float plane if going to Victoria.

The Clipper website says their walk-up RT fare in summer is either $99 or $125 depending on if you want to take the "premium service" sailings (i.e., not at 7:30 AM or 7PM); the advance purchase fares are either $89 or $99, but not usable on the "premium service" sailings, so you travel either early in the morning or in the evening. Plus, the float plane is sooo fun...

Sorry, that's either $109 or $125 for the walkups. Too many facts. Too little brain.

I just spoke with a lady at the Victoria Clipper. We are getting the one day excursion to the San Juan Islands for only $39 each. This includes a 2 1/2 hour whale watching excursion. We also get to spend about 2 hours on the island itself. I think that it's a little more expensive after the end of May, but the rates are pretty reasonable.

Just returned from a week's trip to Seattle & BC....took the V. Clipper to Victoria by way of Friday Harbor & it was great! We even saw orcas on the way over. Cost was about $66US & well worth it....trip took about 3 hrs. We stayed 4 days in Victoria & loved it....Butchart Gardens are beautiful, the weather couldn't have been better, & everyone was very friendly. There's a fairly new creperie (Crepes de France, I think) open on Douglas St. (about the 1200 N. block) & they were better than crepes I had in Paris....very reasonably priced, too. Victoria is lovely for walking & looking around, but I didn't think it was "more British than London"....although the double-decker buses are fun. Just go & enjoy!!!!