It's not cheap but that's the government's fault for treating a critical piece of infrastructure like it's NOT a critical piece of infrastructure. Otherwise BC Ferries works pretty well - the ships are in good shape, there's decent food on board (though the selection is rather poor and it's not exactly cheap) and the scenery is great. If you don't like being a captive on the ship bring an iPod or a laptop to watch a movie, the time will go by quickly. You can also go outside and enjoy the sights. read more

Beautiful ride but it's insanely over priced. BC Ferries = Rip Off. read more

I took the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria and absolutely loved it! Breathtaking views and even got to see a few orcas in the water!

3.5 stars. Loved the ferry ride itself and the cleanliness... definitely did not like the price! I haven't taken the ferry to the island since I was a kid, so this was a pretty novel thing for me! That being said, this ferry is fabulous compared to the stench and crowding I've experienced on the ferries in Greece and Mexico. It's reasonably well-organized, lots of seating, TVs, a kid zone, some workstation areas, and food ranging from $10 cafeteria meals to the $22/person dinner buffet. The views to and from the island are great and the buffet isn't bad - salads, 2 soups, prime rib, salmon, shrimp and canneloni were available when we went. The time flies by if you eat on the ferry. The wait time sucks if you come when it's busy - we lucked out on the way over but got stuck waiting a couple of hours on the way back to Vancouver. It's pretty pricey to use - about $46-ish for a car and $14 per person each way. Didn't like the fact that there's a charge to make a reservation but I suppose I'll cough up the money next time if I don't want to risk waiting in line. read more

This actually was a better more enjoying trip than taking the clipper from Seattle to Victoria which is supposed to be better quality. Loved various seating options, food cafe area, views inside and the views from outside were spectacular. The hour and half ride felt much shorter. read more

Well, typical ferry ride. I had breakfast at Coastal Cafe. It was awful. Traditional breakfast $12. Rubbery scrambled eggs, bacon was like leather. Not worth the money. Eat before you board. No clear explanation on arrival to Terminal where Reservation drivers go. Waist of $17. I wish they would build a Toll bridge. I haven't gone to visit Victoria in over 20 years, to expensive, not worth it. This is a special occasion. But the scenery is Free and it's spectacular!! read more

Easy to drive your vehicle on. Smooth 25 minute ride from Victoria to Salt Spring Island. smooth and pleasant ride. Customer service: ok. Clean bathrooms. read more

Took my car both ways too from Vancouver and the Island last summer. Awesome experience. Its just freakin beautiful out there especially if you catch a sunny day. read more

BC Ferries - Ferries Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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If you're an islander the ferries are the bane of your existence. We never reserve unless we're attempting to travel on a really busy day (check the ferry traffic reports before you leave). The 9pm is hardly ever busy and is much quieter. If you aren't driving on, take the PCL. It takes half the time of the city bus. Note to tour group operators: I have a proposal for an onboard activity. Everyone in your group has to communicate without speaking until they get back on the tour bus. It's a traditional local custom... ummm.... and the whales like it. That's it, they'll be GUARANTEED to see whales. But no talking. See, I told you it was a good idea. read more

The MV Northern Adventure is the ONLY way to get from Pt. Hardy to Prince Rupert, and I mean that in both senses; it's a pure delight, particularly if you travel on the last overnighter of the season, before the Summer day trips begin. The sun doesn't set until around 10:30 and it never gets completely dark; the twilight slowly reaches from NNW to NNE and then all of a sudden it's dawn! Get a cabin if you can, because sleeping in the lounges is a bit like what Ishmael experienced his first night in New Bedford. Onboard food and beverages are decent and reasonably-priced, and there are plenty of places to lounge about and take in the views, all of which are simply stunning on this, "the most beautiful ferry ride in the world." Some have complained about prices. I can understand that if you're used to the Staten Is. or WA State ferries, but this is neither and I didn't find the prices exorbitant. Besides, you do get what you pay for on this trip, which is by far much more than an ordinary ferry ride. So, forget the plane, leave off driving the roundabout loop to Rupe' and settle into the most relaxing and delightful 22.5 hours you will experience anywhere afloat. read more

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Smooth sailing, good ferries! First experience riding on a ferry and driving a car into it so I was really happy with how smooth & flawless the transition was. Upper deck was closed both times due to weather and people on prior trips hurting themselves, which is unfortunate. During the wait to go on the ferry, there's a mini-plaza to walk around with food and trinkets which was pretty neat (both on victoria side and vancouver side). On the ferry, you have the option of either cafeteria food or buffet-food. Also have coffee-bar,dessert, etc. And... last but not least, the "store" where you can kill some time browsing mags, books, and lotions, earrings, toys, randomness of sorts. Seating area was vast, with different types. Tables, benches, facing each other, aisle-style, almost everything I can think of at least. They even have electric outlets for those laptops! TVs were out (thank goodness!) otherwise would have been subjected to non-stop Canadian hockey action... but for the hockey fans, sorry! All in all, quite enjoyable. It's a lot for a boat ride though. But, since they are moving so many cars and people, I s'pose it can't be helped. However, I can't help feeling it's a huge monopoly. read more

First time on a ferry and it reminded me of going whale watching only this is a much bigger boat! For a family of 6, 30 bucks RT per person and 100 RT for our minivan was worth it from Vancouver to Victoria, and from Victoria to Point Angeles, Washington. The weather and view was nice, the ride was smooth, and there's a lot of amenities within the boat. Would use BC Ferry again and recommend it to others! read more

Compared to the Washington State Ferries I've been on, the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay ferry is awesome. It's huge, there's room to wander, there's a gift shop, a cafeteria/food area, a kiddie zone, a buffet restaurant, work stations, lots of vending machines, and relatively comfy seats. The bathrooms were pretty clean, and it just seemed well-kept and newly painted overall. The terminal at Tsawwassen, however, didn't have quite enough signage to get my friends and I to the right terminal, so we had to just ask some one random. Oh well. Added bonus: they have those old-style coffee/hot chocolate vending machines. Small hot chocolate for $1.50! (T)Sawwassen to teh Swartz Bay is teh awesome. Can't wait for the ride back. read more

I've taken the Tsawwassen to Shartz Bay ferry a few times and it was beautiful. I absolutely loved it. It was about 90 minutes and I set outside the whole time enjoying the scenery. Going back to the mainland I was able to purchase a bus ticket to the Vancouver airport while I was on the ferry which was very handy. read more

Really nice ferries with good amenities like cafeteria style restaurant, beverage shop (coffee, water, soda...etc), gift shop, arcade and mini play area for the little ones. Comfy weather controlled seats in at least 2 decks or you can go to the top deck or side railings to admire the views as you pass the islands on your way to Nanaimo or Swartz Bay from Tsawassen as we did on our trip to Victoria. A bit pricey since they charge you for the car and passengers, about $170 USD for 2 adults, 2 kids and a regular size car and if you want food or drinks that is separate. read more

We rode the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay on 7/20/18 and Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen on 7/22/18. It was our first visit to Victoria, BC and first time riding the ferry with vehicle. The staff were very helpful. I would like to specifically mention Angie on the 10:00 AM trip from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen on 7/22/18 who gave a very informative and engaging presentation about marine life around BC area. My daughter and I enjoyed her presentation. read more

I liked this boat. It had TONS of food offerings, and a large gift shop. The boat is freaking huge.

Total garbage service. This is an over priced monopoly. The service is completely unreliable. Here's a clue, take your 60 million annual profits and buy some more bloody ferries! That way I don't have to sit in the ferry line waiting 5 hours typing out this angry review about your crap service. I wanted to give a -5 star review, but I was forced to give a minimum 1 star - trust me, you don't deserve 1 star. Just build a bridge already. Tip to anyone wanting to get to and from the island - take a Seaplane or Helijet. read more

My family and I will never forget our last trip to Bristish Columbia. The day we drove into Canada after visiting relatives in Tacoma, we headed straight to the port at Tsawwassen in Vancouver to catch a BC Ferry to Victoria Island. There were 7 of us all together. I found it neat that we got to take our old school Toyota van on the ferry despite the wait time. Once we arrived in Victoria, we practically spent the entire day sightseeing and checking out the wax museum and gardens. My mother had with her a red Nina Ricci totebag which inside held all of our passports, some cash, credit cards, and precious jewelry. By the end of the day, we headed back to the port to catch the ferry back to Vancouver. We were tired, beat, and exhausted. All we could think of was heading back to my cousin's house in Tacoma and crashing. When we were only a few minutes away from arriving at Vancouver, my mother gave her tote bag to my Dad's Aunt to hold while she went to the restroom. The line in the restroom was pretty long so we waited for her in the cafeteria up until we were told we could head back to our cars. The family decided to just to head to the van since everyone was leaving the ferry lobby/cafeteria and that my mom would just find us there. When my mom got to our van, everything was good up until about 20 minutes after we drove out the ferry boat on our way back to the U.S.A. My mother asked my Dad's Aunt, "Oh can I have my bag?" "I need to get the passports ready." My Dad's Aunt responds (in Filipino), "HOLY SH*T!" "I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT IT!" "I LEFT IT IN THE FERRY BOAT!" "SUSMARIYOSEP!" My dad suddenly braked out of shock and busted a U-turn on the highway and drove as fast as he could back to the port. By the time we got there, the ferry was gone. My mom, dad, and dad's Aunt went to the the BC ferry office to let them know what had happened and to have them locate and search the tote bag. It took them a long time talking to the authorities and reps at the office. In my mind all I could think of was that it was too late and that some stranger probably took the bag and kept it for themselves because of all the jewelry and money that was stored inside. Because it was going to take BC Ferries overnight to conduct the search, we had no choice but to crash in Vancouver since it was already pretty late. It was a good thing we had relatives living in the area because no one else had a credit card in thier possession to book a hotel room. Our relatives, who live in the Richmond district were kind enough to offer their place to let us crash. By noon time the next day, BC Ferries called my cousin's house to let my parents know that they had found the tote bag and that it was sitting in the Vancouver office ready for pickup. When we got there, my mom was able to retrieve every single thing. According to her, there was nothing missing. All our passports, money, credit cards, and jewelry were all in the bag. Somehow, an employee of the ferry found the tote bag under the table in the cafeteria while she was cleaning and had brought it to the lost and found office in Victoria. A staff member at BC was able to get it transported back to Vancouver. Because the employees of BC Ferries were honest, extremely helpful and responsive in retrieving our family valuables, they deserve 5 stars. If it wasn't for them, we would have had a lot of trouble getting back home to San Jose, California. read more

The BC Ferry Experience: -Drive up to a booth and pay your fare. -Get in a lane and pull up to the car in front of you. -Park car and enter gift shops to buy souvenirs, snacks to munch on, and trinkets you think might be great gifts for friends. -Get into car and wait.........and wait...........and wait. Possibly take a nap while waiting as well. -When time comes to board ferry, observe the mass of cars in the opposite lanes to the left fleeing the ferry at tremendous speeds. -Drive forward and enter the lower car holding area of the ferry. -Lock car, take a whiff of all the car exhaust, and hurry upstairs. -Relax inside or outside the ferry and take pics of the scenery like a typical tourist. -Upon arriving, get in line and be prepared to violate each other's personal space to get to the lower deck to your car. -Enter car and wait patiently for cue to leave. -Drive off ferry, accelerate like a madman, and continue to your destination. Great trip to have and everyone needs to do this at least once in their lives. read more

Haha, I love how all the four and five star reviews are tourist reviews. If it's something you don't have to do with any regularity, yeah, the ferries are novel enough (so beautiful with the scenery) to seem really wonderful. But once you get over the breathtaking surroundings and how cool it is to drive your car onto a boat.....BC Ferries is overpriced. They basically have a monopoly and drive their prices far too high far too often. The food sucks, and as if it wasn't expensive enough, if you're driving, they also basically either force you to get a reservation (by allowing so much of the boat to be reserved that drive-ups wait hours and hours) and spend another $20+ to do so, or wait out there for, occasionally, as long as 5-6 hours. The main purpose of my gripe today is the new (ish) system they have for parking out there. I drove up on Friday to pick a friend up at the Swartz Bay terminal. She'd walked on in Tsawassen. When I got out there, a little man with a glow-stick waved me vehemently to one side, where I was greeted with a PAY parking lot (like I'm going to pay to pick someone up when I'm out there for 5 minutes?) and no free spots. It's confusing, maze-like, and vastly insufficient in size, as well as being too far from the terminal for a quick pick up. I was in a car accident recently and walking hurts a bit, but there were NO spots anywhere, and we joined the sea of confused, frustrated people driving in circles. My boyfriend jumped in the driver's seat for me and kept circling while I limped into the terminal to get my friend. While I was in the terminal I overheard at least three other people complaining about how ridiculously insufficent the parking was, and saw two people saying "we have to hurry, so and so is circling while I come get you", cutting off their hugs to run out to the stupid parking lot. and the arrivals area is supposed to be relished! It's where all the smiles and hugging happen! As an islander, I'm stuck with BC Ferries and have no choice but to utilize them sometimes, but for the amount they charge, and how often they hike their fees, I expect better. read more

Price is a bit too high and the wait was extremely long just to board the ferry. When I got in the ferry though, I exited my vehicle and found a beautiful and warm covered deck with comfy seating on 2 floors. Going outside was another option to view the beautiful scenery of Canada read more

I love that you can drive a car into a little ferry boat so you can tug it all the way to Victoria Island. Awesome I tell you! Along the way, you feel a bit queazy if you're not a "sea" type of person. I sure as hell felt sick, but after getting off the ferry boat...I was a happy kid standing on solid ground. Hehe! Anyway, you get the chance to take wonderful breathtaking views for a slight bit of Canada. Stuff like this...makes me want to go back and give BC another visit. Sucks that it takes a while to get from one place to another with all the "extra" weight. read more

Horrible experience. We have a dog and were given no warning that you need to make a reservation to have a chance to get on the deck where you and your dog can stay with your car. If you're stuck on the second deck, you must go to the pet room. The pet room is small, cold, and has uncomfortable benches. The car alarms go off constantly, making everyone tense. Ugh. read more

This is based on a recent experience, most of the time BC Ferries is better than this. Was in line for ferry at Swartz Bay bound for Vancouver. The ferry was not anywhere near full but they left traffic behind that could have been loaded into the ferry in less than 3 minutes. The ferry then sat in it's berth for 10 minutes before departing, less than 70% full. The ferry was crewed for a full load. Next sailing that I got on, someone comes from the ticket booth after the ferry was scheduled to leave, they let them on. As a result, we were late. Complete FAIL on the part of BC Ferries loading crew. Usually they are pretty good, this experience was a complete letdown. read more

BC ferries is my absolute favourite fairy company you guys are excellent at what you do and I hope you keep up the good work

Always clean, good food etc. but $170 for car and passengers return stops us from going to Vancouver more often unfortunately. We would go way more if they lowered the fares or used a punch card or some kind of incentive. read more

We recently took the ferry over to Victoria for a little weekend getaway . I can tell you that I know there is a lot of negative news about the ferries but I only have good things to say. The ship was on time, it was very comfortable and clean and the crew were very friendly. We had a bite to eat in the cafeteria and the hamburgers were excellent, as were the fries and coffee. I think the ferry managers and workers are trying very hard to provide a really good service. And no, I don't work for BC Ferries read more

I am very fond of the ferries. I find my self taking a trip across and back, with or without my car at least once a month, usually more. I always take time to marvel at the view on the way across (even at night. If there are no clouds, the stars are breathtaking). Being a regular on Route 1 between Swartz Bay and Tswassen, I'm most familiar with the two Superferries (the Spirit of British Columbia and the Spirit of Vancouver Island). I adore these two. They are big and comfy with plenty of space. I'd recommend going to the top deck lounges, which fill up more slowly than the main deck, and sport TVs with children's programming in the forward lounge and a news broadcast in the rear lounge (though avoid the rear lounge during any playoffs if you do not like sports) The cafeteria is large and well designed with two queues for hot entrees (and quick through-ways for cold), though long line-ups can develop. If you are on any ferry, try to wait til about mid-voyage to dine in the cafeteria, you'll get through a lot quicker. If you are in the mood for a nice meal, the Pacific Buffet is well worth a visit (and well worth the price). The food placed out is of wonderfully high quality and I have never been disappointed. The other amenities available on the Superferries are nice, though since I don't really use them and other reviews note them so I won't go into detail. The Coastal Celebration is the other ship I am familiar with on the route (the fourth ship was switched, so I cannot speak to it). It matches the Superferries for amenities, but not space. The Coastals feel cramped and maze-like compared to their larger cousins, though I must note that if you are traveling with kids, the ship is a bit better designed with properly enclosed play areas and the Caf view is to die for (again wait til mid-voyage when the ship is close to the islands). While you may have a different experience, I'd recommend aiming for a sailing at an odd-numbered hour to ensure passage on the Superferries. BC ferries scheduling is one of the annoyances of traveling with them. While they make an admirable effort to keep on schedule, they are easily delayed and often fall behind. (There have been occasions when it was as much as an hour or more, however cases such as this are rare and usually the result of mechanical failure or medical emergency). I find the best thing is just to bring your patience and a book. I'll also note here that if you are traveling by vehicle, be prepared to wait. It is minimum one hour between sailings, two in the off-season, and if it is busy there will usually be sailing waits for vehicles. If you're traveling during a busy time, make a reservation and make sure to show up at least a half-hour early like they say (you -will- lose your reservation if you don't, regardless of circumstances) Price wise, I find the ferries to be quite reasonable. The single passenger cost is very cheap and makes it easy to make several trips. The vehicle cost can be a little more prohibitive though. At $45 +$14/vehicle occupant one-way the cost for frequent passengers can get pretty steep. However, when compared to the cost of flying, it is still the cheaper way across (especially when you consider that you are able to take your car). I'll also note that BC Ferries will also sometimes do fare-sales where the cost will drop significantly, so it's worth keeping an eye on their website. read more

Visiting Vancouver Island for the first time. Trip to the island was perfect. Trip back the ticket booth "lady" was CLEARLY out of patience with questions from people that hat don't know the usual ropes. I asked if there was a way to get on the upper deck. She sniffed, like smelling something bad, and repeated FOUR TIMES that there was NEVER any guarantee for the upper deck and practically threw my change at me. I had asked very nicely and did not react negatively and I did not deserve the lecture. Sorry she doesn't like her job or people or herself, but she is the reflection of her company and she is pissing on tourists. read more

We took the Tsawassen-Swartz Bay ferry via the Pacific Coach bus. It was a nice way to get conveniently from Vancouver to Victoria. We made the crossing on a beautiful glassy smooth summer afternoon. The bus and boat left and arrived right on time. Both were clean and pleasant to ride. It was a really nice trip. read more

Drive in your car, go up to the deck and relax. Free wi-fi. There is also a lounge you can pay $12 and get more comfy seating with snacks. Or on a nice day out, sit outside and catch some sun. It was pleasant experience roundtrip. read more

Over priced, never on time, the food is disgusting. Bc ferries is the best possible argument for building a bridge between vancouver island and the mainland read more

The BC Liberal gov't 's BC ferries fare grab hasn't worked out, except for the BC Ferries CEO, who makes a huge salary, while the rest of us pay for it. Cost us $86 for two adults to take two bikes on a day trip from Tsawwassen to Victoria: $16 for parking at Tsawwassen,plus $70 ($17.50 times 4, return fare) just for two adults and the bikes for one day. Last time we went two years ago, it was $12.50 for a oneway adult bike fare: now it's $17.50, or $5 more, which translates into $20 more for the round trip. $70, as opposed to $50 two years ago. The parking used to be $11; now it's $16, which translates into a $5 cash grab. So basically, the same bike trip cost us $25 more than two years ago. No wonder BC ferries ridership is down. We'll ride our bikes for free on the Boundary bay dikes from now on. read more

We ate at the Pacific Buffet for lunch. The poached salmon was very good and paired nicely with edamame salad. Grand Marnier cake for dessert too! read more

Dear Jody B. of Edinburgh, You may think you're a rebel for taking up more seats than you paid for, but often people have to either confront people like you, or sit on the floor. Its interesting that people complain about others taking up room on public transit, yet so many think its OK to take up a second seat for their bag, and a third for the feet on BC Ferries. So you're sense of rebellion is more accurately termed selfishness. read more

3 min late when I had a ferry reservation and the woman in the ticket booth said too bad your on the next one. Seriously!! Worst customer service ever. Will take a floatplane next time. read more

bc ferries does not have a separate reservation line-therefor-most likely you will pay for a reservation and it will not be honoured as the line up to pay is too long. this is a rediculous system-back woods to say the least. On board, the food is awful, the staff seem to hate their job. Residents need to wrap their head around having a bridge instead of paying for rediculous ferry fares and staff wages. read more

This is to BC Ferry Employees. On the 19th February and again on the 21st March 2015, we used the wheelchair assistance service. Feb: was on the 3.15 pm leaving Duke Point. Mar: was on the 10.15am leaving Twsassan . From the initial reservations, to the staff involved getting my husband on and off the Ferry, the service was perfect, with everyone being so helpful, also, was offered assistance with our baggage, down the shute, or onto the area for pick up to the ship, which I didn't need, but appreciated the thought. Once again BC Employees, you're the tops, and I hope this message can be passed on, too many individuals to get all the names. read more

Our flight into Vancouver was delayed, and we arrived five minutes late for the bus to the ferry. BC Ferries Connector (Operated by Wilson's) was not helpful. The would not give us a refund. We knew that we could take a cab to the ferry and catch up with the bus. When we proposed this option, they told us that we could join the bus at the ferry station, but didn't tell us how to arrange it. At the ferry depot, the ferry company told us to purchase new ferry tickets, get the bus when it loaded onto the ferry, and then ask Wilson for a refund of the ferry ticket. Wilson/BC Ferries Connector refused, and we ended up paying twice for the trip. read more