Question regarding Victoria BC for my Canadian friends

[Frwinkley]

I have received some great help from people on these boards regarding various Canadian vacation from the East Coast of the US.

The summer of 2023, we are considering Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle. We'll have 9 nights total.

Upon my initial research, the ferry trip to Victoria is quite long. Our plan is to spend 2 nights there, rent a car and explore the island a bit.

I'd like to know if it's worth it or should we just stay in Vancouver the whole time?

We are an active couple, early 60s who love exploring new places. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Victoria, but just want to make sure.
r
We are not really interested in Whistler since we spent and extended period of time in the Canadian Rockies a few years ago and I'm afraid nothing else will compare!

Many thanks!

 

[cari12]

Victoria is a very walkable city especially in the summer when the weather is nice. I suggest staying in a hotel downtown near the inner harbour as then you can walk around the harbour, see the Legislature and the Empress Hotel. Butchart Gardens is lovely and worth the drive.
Yes, the ferry trip is about an hour and 40 minutes from Vancouver but the scenery is lovely. I would recommend reservations for the ferry as they do sell out a lot.

 

[E&Cmom]

I definitely think Victoria is worth a visit. I live in the Vancouver area and we just went there this summer and had a great time. I have been to Victoria many times and love it there. Downtown is definitely very walkable especially if staying in the inner harbour area. My last 2 visits I stayed in the James Bay Area and we walked mostly everywhere. We did do a day where where drove down to the Sooke Potholes and then visited Hatley castle on the way back. Butchard Gardens about 30 minutes out of the city and so Beautiful. Also I would stop in Sidney either after getting off or going to the Ferry. Nice place to walk around.

 

[PetePanMan]

I would include Victoria. As noted, the ferry ride is beautiful. Hard to beat on a nice day as you pass by many smaller islands. You can also take a float plane which goes from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour. It costs more but takes less time and is also spectacular.

 

[Reepicheep]

Yes, the ferry trip is about an hour and 40 minutes from Vancouver but the scenery is lovely.

When I lived in Victoria during the 1990s, I made a return trip to Vancouver via ferry three times. The highlight for me was during a Vancouver-to-Victoria crossing when the captain announced we were passing by a pod of killer whales. It is the only time I've seen killer whales in the wild. I also enjoyed the (relatively) narrow passage the ferry took between two of the islands.

EDIT: I'm now second guessing myself. It may have been a pod of dolphins and not killer whales. Memories get kind of foggy after a couple of decades...

 

[Mjmdiva]

Victoria is definitely worth a visit!

 

[cari12]

When I lived in Victoria during the 1990s, I made a return trip to Vancouver via ferry three times. The highlight for me was during a Vancouver-to-Victoria crossing when the captain announced we were passing by a pod of killer whales. It is the only time I've seen killer whales in the wild. I also enjoyed the (relatively) narrow passage the ferry took between two of the islands.

EDIT: I'm now second guessing myself. It may have been a pod of dolphins and not killer whales. Memories get kind of foggy after a couple of decades...

Either are possible and I have seen both from the ferry over the years.

 

[Aladora]

I have received some great help from people on these boards regarding various Canadian vacation from the East Coast of the US.

The summer of 2023, we are considering Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle. We'll have 9 nights total.

Upon my initial research, the ferry trip to Victoria is quite long. Our plan is to spend 2 nights there, rent a car and explore the island a bit.

I'd like to know if it's worth it or should we just stay in Vancouver the whole time?

We are an active couple, early 60s who love exploring new places. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Victoria, but just want to make sure.
r
We are not really interested in Whistler since we spent and extended period of time in the Canadian Rockies a few years ago and I'm afraid nothing else will compare!

Many thanks!

I'm in Victoria and have been here since I moved from Ottawa in 1992. The ferry is about 90 minutes and not that onerous at all, at least not in my opinion...of course, other than flying, we don't really have any other options to get off the island.

Personally, I think it is WELL worth it to visit!

Please feel free to ask me anything you want to know about my lovely city and I am happy to answer.

 

[CamillaF]

I am from Seattle and LOVE Vancouver island. I highly recommend going to Victoria and just exploring. If you are up for a fun adventure rent a car in Seattle. Drive to the Washington state peninsula

When I lived in Victoria during the 1990s, I made a return trip to Vancouver via ferry three times. The highlight for me was during a Vancouver-to-Victoria crossing when the captain announced we were passing by a pod of killer whales. It is the only time I've seen killer whales in the wild. I also enjoyed the (relatively) narrow passage the ferry took between two of the islands.

EDIT: I'm now second guessing myself. It may have been a pod of dolphins and not killer whales. Memories get kind of foggy after a couple of decades...

it was killer whales (orca whales) they live in the area during the summer and are often seen on the ferry’s. I have spotted them 3 times in my 45 years. I have never seen dolphins

 

[CamillaF]

Vancouver island where Victoria is located is my favorite of the three areas. If you are interested in exploring. I would rent a car in Seattle and drive through the Olympic national park, it’s lovely with lots of hikes. Then would take the port angles ferry to Victoria. From Victoria drive and explore the island. I especially love the warm salt water and sand dollars you can find on miracle beach. There are a few places to take the ferry over to the main land. Spend some time in Vancouver then drive back to Seattle and drop off the car. I live in Seattle and spend a a good 4 weeks a year exploring the area. Visiting friends and just enjoying the beauty. I am in Canada as we speak enjoying a weekend at Harrison hot springs. You will have a lovely time. Enjoy

 

[Frwinkley]

Thank you so much for all of the great replies!

Here is our tentative plan (please feel free to advise as you see fit).

Fly from Pittsburgh to Vancouver. 3 nights in Vancouver. Ferry from Vancouver to Victoria for 3 nights. We will rent a car in Victoria to explore the island. Ferry from Victoria to Seattle for 3 nights. Fly back to Pittsburgh from Seattle.

Yes--2 one way flights are more expensive, but it saves us a hotel night if we don't have to backtrack.

The only thing that I feel we might be missing is the Amtrak Cascades either to or from Vancouver to Seattle and vice versa. We really would like to experience this. It is also my understanding that the ferry to Victoria is easy from Seattle than Vancouver (less time consuming).

I like the idea of flying back to Pittsburgh from Seattle because there is a non-stop flight that departs Seattle at around 10 a.m. (Alaska airlines). Same airline has an evening non stop departure from Pittsburgh to Seattle, but we wouldn't get into Seattle until 9 p.m. We'd basically land and go to sleep. Seems like a waste of a hotel room (not to mention the expense).

My other consideration is this: Fly into Vancouver. Spend 3 nights there. Amtrak Cascade from Vancouver to Seattle. It doesn't leave until about 6 p.m. I realize it's light until almost 9:30 p.m. (we'd be traveling in June), but I'm wondering how much we'll actually be able to see. We would then maybe just spend the night in Seattle. Ferry over to Victoria for 3 nights. Ferry back to Seattle and stay for 2 nights.

Again, seems like a lot of backtracking just to enjoy a train ride!

I'd love any more tips! Thank you so much!

 

[CamillaF]

The Amtrak ride from Vancouver to Seattle has some beautiful sections as the train rides along the water. However even before Covid it was common for Amtrak to cancel the train across the boarder and put you on a bus. I believe they stopped the train completely and switched to Bus. I would definitely look carefully at what you book and be OK with it switching.

 

[Canadian Harmony]

I'm a life-long Vancouver Islander and lived in Victoria for 17 years before moving just a few minutes north.

I would suggest taking the Harbour Cat from Seattle to Victoria - downtown to downtown - only foot traffic allowed. Then hang in Victoria for your couple days, then take the ferry to Vancouver from Swartz Bay, OR, fly Harbour Air from downtown Vic to downtown Van. 25 minutes, drops you right at the Pan Pacfic waterfront area, near the skytrain (the LRT). There's a ine which runs out to Richmond to the airport too.

 

[pahoben]

What a wonderful choice to have. I love Vancouver and I love Victoria. You can't go wrong in any case.

 

[Frwinkley]

Thanks for all the great information. We've made a slight change in our plans and any input would be greatly appreciated.

We will be flying roundtrip in and out of Seattle. One way tickets from Pittsburgh to Vancouver are roughly $400 per person. It's hard to justify that expense, especially since it's just one way.

We will fly into Seattle and arrive early evening. We will overnight one night and head to Vancouver the following morning via Amtrak. We will spend 3 nights in Vancouver.

We'll take the BC Connector Ferry (this includes a bus that picks us up at our hotel, but adds an additional 2.5 hrs. to the trip). I really like the convenience of this, but am not crazy about the added time. It'll get us to Victoria around 1 p.m.

We will then spend 2 nights in Victoria and will rent a car to do some exploring.

We will then take a ferry from Victoria to Seattle and spend our last 3 nights there, flying home the following morning. The ferry does not leave Victoria until 5 p.m., so we'll actually have a good part of the day there. Ferry arrives in Seattle at 7:45 p.m. We'll stay in a centrally located hotel (haven't figured out where yet).

I feel like there is so much to see/do, that I've got to limit it somehow. I'm a little intimidated with driving a car from Seattle to Vancouver, etc. Parking a car in either of those places in expensive and I don't see us using the car much if we limit our activities to things that are within walking distance or are accessible using public transit.

I'd love any comments, suggestions, etc.

As always, thanks for being so gracious with your help.

 

[eey777]

@Frwinkley I think you've made some excellent choices. I lived in Victoria until I graduated from university, and still travel over every 4-6 weeks due to family living there.
The BCF Connector looks more time consuming, but realistically, you need a ferry reservation in the summer, meaning you need to be at the terminal between 30-60 minutes ahead of your sailing time. Also, the terminals on both ends are quite far from the downtown centres, so you would be taking driving time anyway. The coach bus is much faster and more convenient than taking transit (more expensive, but worth it when your time is short). The ferry is expensive for cars, too (1 way is around $120 for a car, driver, 1 passenger & a reservation), so the Connector is not a bad deal!

For your Victoria car rental, it's worth checking prices / availability and maybe booking something cancellable asap (just like everywhere these days). That way, you'll have something just in case inventory is still / short. Victoria does not currently have ride-hailing (Uber / Lyft) and taxis can be really inconsistent (sometimes immediate pickups, sometimes waits of up to an hour!); local transit is quite good, but if you're going to get out further, it's well worth the rental.

Warning #1: downtown is not very fun to drive in, due to a lot of one-way streets, bike lanes, mid-block crosswalks, etc (they're trying to make it unpleasant to drive in, to encourage walking / biking / transit, which sucks when you need to drive due to passengers with disabilities, but I digress).

Warning #2: leave NOTHING visible in your rental car, not change, water bottles, chargers, etc. Do not leave anything of value in the car, not even in the trunk. Victoria is not as bad as Vancouver for crime, but it's much worse than it used to be, particularly downtown (this rule applies to Seattle / Vancouver as well).
Also, I don't feel unsafe downtown, but if you see someone (or a group of people) who makes you feel threatened, give them a wide berth, and try not to engage. We have a lot of mentally ill / drug addicted people (and there was a spate of youth violence earlier this year), so there are some reports of random attacks, but to me it's less "be afraid" than "be aware". And I'm sure it's no different than Seattle / most medium-large cities you've been to.

I've seen orcas from the ferry as well, but it's been a really long time since I last saw them, so don't count on it - just the luck of the draw!

Have fun!

 

[Frwinkley]

@Frwinkley I think you've made some excellent choices. I lived in Victoria until I graduated from university, and still travel over every 4-6 weeks due to family living there.
The BCF Connector looks more time consuming, but realistically, you need a ferry reservation in the summer, meaning you need to be at the terminal between 30-60 minutes ahead of your sailing time. Also, the terminals on both ends are quite far from the downtown centres, so you would be taking driving time anyway. The coach bus is much faster and more convenient than taking transit (more expensive, but worth it when your time is short). The ferry is expensive for cars, too (1 way is around $120 for a car, driver, 1 passenger & a reservation), so the Connector is not a bad deal!

For your Victoria car rental, it's worth checking prices / availability and maybe booking something cancellable asap (just like everywhere these days). That way, you'll have something just in case inventory is still / short. Victoria does not currently have ride-hailing (Uber / Lyft) and taxis can be really inconsistent (sometimes immediate pickups, sometimes waits of up to an hour!); local transit is quite good, but if you're going to get out further, it's well worth the rental.

Warning #1: downtown is not very fun to drive in, due to a lot of one-way streets, bike lanes, mid-block crosswalks, etc (they're trying to make it unpleasant to drive in, to encourage walking / biking / transit, which sucks when you need to drive due to passengers with disabilities, but I digress).

Warning #2: leave NOTHING visible in your rental car, not change, water bottles, chargers, etc. Do not leave anything of value in the car, not even in the trunk. Victoria is not as bad as Vancouver for crime, but it's much worse than it used to be, particularly downtown (this rule applies to Seattle / Vancouver as well).
Also, I don't feel unsafe downtown, but if you see someone (or a group of people) who makes you feel threatened, give them a wide berth, and try not to engage. We have a lot of mentally ill / drug addicted people (and there was a spate of youth violence earlier this year), so there are some reports of random attacks, but to me it's less "be afraid" than "be aware". And I'm sure it's no different than Seattle / most medium-large cities you've been to.

I've seen orcas from the ferry as well, but it's been a really long time since I last saw them, so don't count on it - just the luck of the draw!

Have fun!

Thank you so much for this really helpful information.

If I may ask you a few more questions:

We are not at all adverse to walking and usually walk 8-10 miles a day during our vacations.

Given that driving a car downtown is not recommended, where would you suggest we stay?

We also will need to return the car and board the ferry to Seattle.

 

[eey777]

Thank you so much for this really helpful information.

If I may ask you a few more questions:

We are not at all adverse to walking and usually walk 8-10 miles a day during our vacations.

Given that driving a car downtown is not recommended, where would you suggest we stay?

We also will need to return the car and board the ferry to Seattle.

No problem, and apologies in advance for not coming from the tourist perspective (so I may not be totally "in the know").

I think that doing a combination of rental and walking would probably be a good idea, and I think staying downtown is probably best if you have the budget, just wanted you to be aware of maybe using a GPS or google maps to get out of downtown, and walking if it is a downtown activity.

If going low-budget (which is usually outside the downtown core), read recent hotel / motel reviews carefully, as there have been some buy-outs by the city to turn some of them into housing (I saw an article about the same situation in NY or NJ and booking.com allowed people to book that "no-longer-existent" hotel) so try to book direct if possible. If going higher budget, you should have no problem.

If I'm understanding correctly, Victoria day 1, you arrive at 1pm, then have day 2, and leave on day 3 at 5 pm (I haven't taken that route in years, so I'm not sure when check in is, or where you clear customs). You could probably do "downtown" things day 1 and 3, and "out of downtown" things day 2 (and possibly the morning of day 3).

I'm sure you have lots of ideas, so I'll just pop 3 of my favourite things in here: Fan Tan Alley / Chinatown, Rogers Chocolates, and Murchies coffee / tea.

Have a great time!

p.s. I love Butchart Gardens (to the extent that my mum and I get annual passes quite frequently) but prioritize something else if you aren't huge fans of manicured gardens (admission is costly, it's far away from downtown and can be very busy/crowded - in summer they sometimes have to stop letting people in) as it will take at least half a day. Hatley Park can be an interesting alternative, and it's free except for parking. It's also on the way to some interesting beaches / parks. More limited hours than BG though.

 

[Chickinvic]

I live in Victoria (and I grew up here - been here a long time). The ferry ride is not long, and it beautiful. Vancouver Island is stunningly beautiful. Don't just stick to Victoria. If you like nature, explore beyond Victoria.

 

[Frwinkley]

I live in Victoria (and I grew up here - been here a long time). The ferry ride is not long, and it beautiful. Vancouver Island is stunningly beautiful. Don't just stick to Victoria. If you like nature, explore beyond Victoria.

That is our plan! We will spend some of our time exploring.

Since you live there, is air conditioning necessary during mid June? I'm noticing that some hotels do not have AC.

If I may ask you another question: is there a hotel location (or even a specific hotel) that would provide us with some wonderful views?

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. It is much appreciated.