Still on the first day of my vacation i decided to take a ferry from vancouvers tsawwassen ferry terminal to victorias swartz bay ferry terminal. Reservations are strongly recommended on this route. We look forward to welcoming you aboard again in the future. Tsawwassen swartz bay route reservations should be claimed at the ticket booth 45 to 60 minutes prior to the scheduled sailing time. Bc ferries operates a scheduled ferry service between swartz bay, north of victoria on vancouver island, and tsawwassen, south of vancouver on the bc mainland. Note to foot passengers bc ferries british columbia ferry. Ticket sales end ten minutes before the scheduled sailing time for walkon passengers and five minutes before the scheduled sailing time for vehicles. As school is still and its not a long weekend in you should be fine without a reservation for the tswassen to swartz bay ferry. Bc ferries shoulder season schedule for the tsawwassen swartz bay and horseshoe bay departure bay route come into effect on thursday, may 17, 2012, just in time for the long weekend may 19 to 21 the presummer shoulder season adds sailings largely to accommodate significantly increased demand on the may long weekend, as well as weekends. We need to load more than one lane at a time to adhere to our schedule. On the busy remembrance day long weekend there was one tsawwassenswartz bay ferry sailing that had 50 unredeemed reservations. Vancouver victoria tsawwassenswartz bay crossing time. We rode the ferry from tsawwassen to swartz bay on 72018 and swartz bay to tsawwassen on 72218.
Bc ferries vancouver tsawwassen victoria swartz bay. Not sure where youll be coming from but if youre north of the deas tunnel i. Bc ferries posts a busy days forecast for major routes based on historical data. Vehicles wait to board a ferry at tsawwassen terminal. Bc ferries cancels multiple sailings between swartz bay. Frequently asked questions bc ferries british columbia ferry. About reservations bc ferries british columbia ferry. Seventyfour of the extra sailings are scheduled for the tsawwassenswartz bay route, including a. Due to new transport canada regulations, passenger capacity on all vessels has been temporarily reduced by 50%. Bc ferries allows passengers on closed car decks temporarily schedule adjustments and vessel replacement crofton salt spring island vesuvius bay in effect monday. Can i make a foot passenger reservation for travel between tsawwassen and the. This is, in my opinion, the only way to travel to victoria bc from the mainland. Ferries to revamp reservation fares on major routes. Swartz bay is located 32 km north of downtown victoria.
Victoria on the busy remembrance day long weekend there was one tsawwassenswartz bay ferry sailing that had 50 unredeemed reservations its one of the reasons why b. Weve ridden the tsawwassen to swartz bay run many times over the years. Both times i was using the bc ferries connector service. Can i know in advance if i need to reserve a spot on bc. Reservations needed for bc ferries between tsawwassen and. Ferries is planning variablepriced fares for its three major routes between vancouver island and the lower mainland. Tsawwassen swartz bay first time going over to the island, is it absolutely necessary to make a reservation with bc ferries or can you just show up at the terminal.
While were not always able to get you on first and off first, we can make sure you get the sailing you want, so you can continue on with your post ferry plans. Bc ferries schedules 93 extra sailings for thanksgiving. How can i request book reserve to be on the upper vehicle deck. Compare swartz bay to tsawwassen ferry times, prices and book ferry tickets at. In the summer time i like to bring a snack from the castal cafe express and take in the scenery of the active pass from the outer deck when travelling between swartz bay and tsawwassen. Canada reservations needed for bc ferries between tsawwassen and swartz bay. If youre travelling on our tsawwassenswartz bay, tsawwassenduke point, horseshoe. How much does it cost to make standard vehicle reservations on these routes.
There are 3 ways to get from swartz bay to tsawwassen by bus and ferry, ferry, car ferry or car. Earlier in the week, bc ferries recommended passengers book reservations for automobile travel and arrive 30 to 60 minutes prior to reserved sailing times. Nice ferries rubbish booking system and customer service. A cbc analysis of bc ferries reservation data identifies the busiest months and days on.
Margaret thatcher and the ruination of britains rail system. If it looks like they already have 12 full of reservations, then make a booking. Bc ferries has scheduled 93 extra sailings in anticipation of the upcoming thanksgiving long weekend between oct. Were not sure on what the actual travel date will be but it will most likely be the 2nd week in august. Save time and money by booking a hotel and ferry package with bc ferries vacations. Bc ferries tsawwassen 2020 all you need to know before. Swartz bay to tsawwassen ferry tickets, compare times and. To allow time for processing and operations approval, it is recommended that.
View todays departures and arrivals bc ferries british columbia. Heres when to shell out money for bc ferries reservations cbc. Bc ferries has cancelled several sailings to and from swartz bay due to a mechanical problem on the queen of new westminster. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. More than half the bc ferries sailings between swartz bay pictured and tsawwassen left. Bc ferries is advising you to reserve a spot early with the busy holiday season coming for travel between vancouver island and vancouver. Were planning to take a ferry from tsawwassen to swartz bay on the afternoon. Despite having full sailings in effect on monday from swartz bay, wait times are expected to increase for nonreserved customers due to the larger spirit of british columbia undergoing its midlife upgrade. We all support bc ferries but we spend enough on catching the ferry isnt the same as paying to wait for a passenger for pickup. To get from victoria to vancouver, we rode the ferry from swartz bay to tsawwassen. Its one of the reasons why bc ferries is planning variablepriced fares for its three major routes between vancouver island and the lower mainland.
Ticket sales end ten minutes before the scheduled sailing time for walkon passengers and five minutes. You can not get french fries at the tsawwassen terminal and there is even less at swartz bay. Richmond, vancouver then be prepared for traffic delays southbound and add an extra 45 minutes to your travel time. Reservations for vancouver gulf islands routes bc ferries. Bc ferries first route, commissioned in 1960, was between swartz bay, north of sidney on vancouver island, and tsawwassen, a part of delta, using just two vessels. Our packages include return ferries to many coastal bc destinations, accommodation and activities try searching now. For example, for tsawwassen mainland swartz bay victoria, expected busy departures over the next two weeks are. If you miss the ferry or want to avoid the wait next time fly from pat bay.
If you have an account with which you make reservations or manage your experience. Vancouver victoria tsawwassenswartz bay bc ferries. In my personal opinion i found bc ferries service a little bit overpriced for what they offer. Foot passenger reservations between tsawwassen and the southern gulf islands. Bc ferry waits bc ferries delays vancouver victoria. Travel must be paid for at time of booking no reservation fee will apply while. Service level adjustment southern gulf islands april 10, 2020 food, retail, and baggage services suspended march 18, 2020 until further notice message from the president. May long weekend sees shoulder season schedules kick in bcta. This was taken from the family home movie archives and was a jointrecording between me and. These ships were the nowretired mv tsawwassen and the mv sidney. Tsawwassen ferry terminal to swartz bay 2 ways to travel. Bc ferries tsawwassen 2020 what to know before you go. Were planning to take a ferry from tsawwassen to swartz bay on the afternoon of friday 31 may, returning late. A cbc analysis of bc ferries reservation data identifies the busiest months and days on each of the major routes in 2016.
Bc ferries scheduled 89 extra sailings for the long weekend, including 70 on the swartz baytsawwassen run and 11 on the vancouvernanaimo route to deal with the expected easter travel rush. Sometimes ill post a rare gem on youtube for those who care to seek them, this is a special one indeed. The fee is applied each time you change a oneway reservation. Bc ferries rock this is how a ferry line should be run. Bcferries online reservations british columbia ferry. If a sailing wait occurs, it means that nonreserved traffic will be placed on the next. Bc ferries to offer fare discounts on major routes to help. Compare tsawwassen to swartz bay ferry times, prices and book ferry tickets at. Bc ferries recommends customers who are unable to book a monday reservation from swartz bay consider booking a tuesday morning sailing instead. Used the ferry service twice while on vacation,tsawwassen to swartz bay and the reverse on the trip home. Propeller issue continues monday on bc ferries vessel. As one who has spent many years at sea navigating large vessels, i can tell you i was very impressed with how the crew handled this large ferry through some really narrow fjords, sometimes meeting similar vessels crossing or going the other way in these narrow passages. Bc ferries plans to revamp reservation fares on three.
After that time i had travel three times more back and forth to vancouver and most of the times i have to wait at least two hours to get into one of the next ferries. Swartz bay to tsawwassen 3 ways to travel via bus and. Breathtaking views and even got to see a few orcas in the water. If you have to wait for a sailing, an hour extra in the line up, will that impact you greatly. Youre right, reservations are a great way to keep wait times down and assist with travel planning. The ferry itself was large with many areas you can hang out in. If you are not checked in 30 minutes prior to the scheduled sailing time your reservation will no longer be valid and. There are shops and coffee at the tswassen terminal and. Bc ferries also operates daily roundtrip voyages from swartz bay to the southern gulf islands. Reservations should be claimed at the ticket booth 45 to 60 minutes prior to the scheduled sailing time.
Faqs reservations bc ferries british columbia ferry. Traffic forecast bc ferries british columbia ferry. To make a reservation, please call customer care at 1888bcferry. Bc ferries says problems on one of its ferry runs between the mainland and southern vancouver island continue with the cancellation of more sailings. Direct ferries limited has its registered office in london, united kingdom.
About reservations bc ferries british columbia ferry services inc. The percentage full data in this table refers to deck space consumed on the vessel only. The ferry terminal at swartz bay is located 20 miles32 kms north of victoria at the end of highway 17. Heres when to shell out money for bc ferries reservations. Save time and money by booking a hotel and ferry package with bc ferries vacations, perfect for business or leisure. Rome2rio makes travelling from tsawwassen ferry terminal to swartz bay easy. Tsawwassen to swartz bay ferry tickets, compare times and. Ferries reported a foursailing wait on its tsawwassen to swartz bay route on friday afternoon and evening, with someone at the back of the line at 3. Limit reservations on ferries to 40 per cent times colonist. The pacific buffet offers elegant oceanview dining on select sailings between vancouver tsawwassen and victoria swartz bay, from bc. According to bc ferries, there is an ongoing issue with one of the.