How
to Get
There
It's
easy to reach Vancouver Island from the
mainland, from either Canada or the United
States.
On
B.C. Ferries
The
extensive B.C. Ferries system connects the
mainland with Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands
and the islands lying to the north in the Strait
of Georgia. The two major mainland departure
points are located within a half-hour drive of
Vancouver, south of the city at Tsawwassen
(ferries to Swartz Bay, near Victoria, and to
Nanaimo, north of Victoria), and northwest of
the Vancouver urban area at Horseshoe Bay
(ferries to Nanaimo). The ferries are spacious,
car-carrying ships with cafeterias and dining
rooms. Reservations are not taken for the
90-minute sailing between the mainland and
Vancouver Island. Sailings are frequent: hourly
during summer months, and several times each day
in winter. For information, call (604) 669-1211
(Vancouver), or (250) 386-3431
(Victoria).
Ferries
are available from several points in Washington
state, all sailing to Victoria's Inner
Harbour:
Port
Angeles to Victoria
The
Black Ball ferry company operates a car ferry
with several sailings per day, across the Strait
of Juan de Fuca, from this town on the Olympic
Peninsula. For information, call (360) 457-4491
(Port Angeles), or (250) 386-2202.
The
Victoria Express is a ferry for foot passengers
only. It operates from May to October. For
information, call (250) 361-9144 (Victoria) or
800-633-1589.
Seattle
to Victoria
The
Victoria Clipper is a large catamaran boat which
transports foot passengers from the downtown
Seattle harbour to the Inner Harbour in downtown
Victoria. For information, call (206) 448-5000
or 800-888-2535 (Seattle), or (604) 382-8100.
The Victoria Line transports foot passengers and
vehicles from May to September. The ship
provides an old-©5
fashioned
experience on a ship of a certain age. For
information, call (206) 625-1880 or 800-668-1167
(Seattle), or (250) 480-5555 (Victoria).
Bellingham
to Victoria
The
Gray Line ferry takes foot passengers only
across the Gulf of Georgia to Victoria, from
this city between Seattle and the Canadian
border, operating from June to October. For
information, call (360) 738-8099 (Bellingham),
or 800-443-4552 (U.S. and Canada).
Getting
to the Park
Once
on Vancouver Island, it's easy to find your way
on the provincial highways. The route from the
southern ferry terminal at Swartz Bay to
Victoria is Highway 17. A single road runs the
entire length of the island, from Victoria to
Port Hardy. This highway (locally called the
Island Highway) has two numbers. The southern
portion, between Victoria and Nanaimo (70 miles,
113 km), is part of the Trans-Canada Highway
system and is designated Highway 1. The rest of
the route (243 miles, 391 km) between Nanaimo
and Port Hardy, is Highway 19.
Pacific
Rim National Park, and the West Coast
communities of Tofino and Ucluelet, are reached
by taking Highway 4 from Parksville. 91 miles
(147 km) north of Victoria.
While
there are busses which run to the major
communities and attractions such as Pacific Rim
National Park, along the Island Highway and
Highway 4, the vast majority of visitors to
Vancouver Island use their cars and RVs to get
around. For those interested in natural places
and exploring wilderness, a vehicle is almost
essential to reach the more remote areas covered
here. Should you wish to fly to Seattle,
Vancouver, or Victoria, rental cars are
available in downtown Victoria through the usual
agencies.
