How to get to Victoria

The most convenient way to reach Victoria is to fly to the Victoria International Airport (YYJ). There are direct flights to Victoria from Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, Phoenix, Toronto, and San Francisco. The flights from Vancouver and (to a lesser extent) Seattle are particularly frequent, so if you miss one, chances are you can still get to Victoria the same day on the next flight.

A more scenic (and sometimes cheaper) way to reach Victoria is to fly to Vancouver (YVR) and then take the ferry across. The ferry departs from Tsawwassen (~25 minutes south of the Vancouver airport) and arrives at Swartz Bay (about 40 minutes north of Victoria). You can board a bus directly at the airport in Vancouver; the bus will take you on the ferry and then directly to downtown Victoria. Alternatively, you can rent a car in Vancouver and drive that on the ferry and then to your hotel in downtown Victoria. The ferry ride itself takes approximatively 1.5 hours, but you will be guaranteed to see bald eagles and all kind of wildlife (even the occasional whale). The website for the ferry is http://www.bcferries.com

(go to “Schedules”, select “Metro Vancouver – Vancouver Island – Sunshine Coast”, and finally select, “Vancouver – Victoria (Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay)”). Reservations for the ferry are not generally required, although in peak periods the ferries tend to fill up (reservations are not required if you board the ferry by bus or as a foot passenger)

The website for the bus service is http://www.pacificcoach.com

(go to “YVR Victoria Link”). You want to buy a ticket all the way to “Victoria Bus Terminal” (the last stop), which is right downtown. The ticket includes the ferry crossing.