Ferries to revamp reservation fares on major routes. Youre right, reservations are a great way to keep wait times down and assist with travel planning. Bc ferries says problems on one of its ferry runs between the mainland and southern vancouver island continue with the cancellation of more sailings. Bc ferries tsawwassen 2020 all you need to know before. Compare swartz bay to tsawwassen ferry times, prices and book ferry tickets at. There are shops and coffee at the tswassen terminal and.
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. 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. Swartz bay to tsawwassen ferry tickets, compare times and. Bc ferries is advising you to reserve a spot early with the busy holiday season coming for travel between vancouver island and vancouver. Bc ferry waits bc ferries delays vancouver victoria. Vancouver victoria tsawwassenswartz bay bc ferries. Bc ferries also operates daily roundtrip voyages from swartz bay to the southern gulf islands. 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.
About reservations bc ferries british columbia ferry. 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. Sometimes ill post a rare gem on youtube for those who care to seek them, this is a special one indeed. Travel must be paid for at time of booking no reservation fee will apply while. Can i know in advance if i need to reserve a spot on bc. These ships were the nowretired mv tsawwassen and the mv sidney. Due to new transport canada regulations, passenger capacity on all vessels has been temporarily reduced by 50%.
We rode the ferry from tsawwassen to swartz bay on 72018 and swartz bay to tsawwassen on 72218. Foot passenger reservations between tsawwassen and the southern gulf islands. Used the ferry service twice while on vacation,tsawwassen to swartz bay and the reverse on the trip home. Canada reservations needed for bc ferries between tsawwassen and swartz bay. Margaret thatcher and the ruination of britains rail system. About reservations bc ferries british columbia ferry services inc.
Heres when to shell out money for bc ferries reservations cbc. Reservations are strongly recommended on this route. Were planning to take a ferry from tsawwassen to swartz bay on the afternoon. Note to foot passengers bc ferries british columbia ferry. Vehicles wait to board a ferry at tsawwassen terminal. If youre travelling on our tsawwassenswartz bay, tsawwassenduke point, horseshoe. 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. 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. Tsawwassen ferry terminal to swartz bay 2 ways to travel.
If you have to wait for a sailing, an hour extra in the line up, will that impact you greatly. Breathtaking views and even got to see a few orcas in the water. You can not get french fries at the tsawwassen terminal and there is even less at swartz bay. Ferries is planning variablepriced fares for its three major routes between vancouver island and the lower mainland. There are 3 ways to get from swartz bay to tsawwassen by bus and ferry, ferry, car ferry or car.
To get from victoria to vancouver, we rode the ferry from swartz bay to tsawwassen. We need to load more than one lane at a time to adhere to our schedule. The ferry terminal at swartz bay is located 20 miles32 kms north of victoria at the end of highway 17. Frequently asked questions bc ferries british columbia ferry. Tsawwassen swartz bay route reservations should be claimed at the ticket booth 45 to 60 minutes prior to the scheduled sailing time. 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. Were not sure on what the actual travel date will be but it will most likely be the 2nd week in august. Traffic forecast bc ferries british columbia ferry. On the busy remembrance day long weekend there was one tsawwassenswartz bay ferry sailing that had 50 unredeemed reservations. Propeller issue continues monday on bc ferries vessel. Bc ferries rock this is how a ferry line should be run.
Faqs reservations bc ferries british columbia ferry. How much does it cost to make standard vehicle reservations on these routes. Direct ferries limited has its registered office in london, united kingdom. Rome2rio makes travelling from tsawwassen ferry terminal to swartz bay easy. 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. Ticket sales end ten minutes before the scheduled sailing time for walkon passengers and five minutes before the scheduled sailing time for vehicles. If a sailing wait occurs, it means that nonreserved traffic will be placed on the next. A cbc analysis of bc ferries reservation data identifies the busiest months and days on. Save time and money by booking a hotel and ferry package with bc ferries vacations, perfect for business or leisure. Can i make a foot passenger reservation for travel between tsawwassen and the.
If you miss the ferry or want to avoid the wait next time fly from pat bay. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. May long weekend sees shoulder season schedules kick in bcta. According to bc ferries, there is an ongoing issue with one of the.
Bc ferries schedules 93 extra sailings for thanksgiving. Seventyfour of the extra sailings are scheduled for the tsawwassenswartz bay route, including a. If it looks like they already have 12 full of reservations, then make a booking. A cbc analysis of bc ferries reservation data identifies the busiest months and days on each of the major routes in 2016. More than half the bc ferries sailings between swartz bay pictured and tsawwassen left. For example, for tsawwassen mainland swartz bay victoria, expected busy departures over the next two weeks are. The ferry itself was large with many areas you can hang out in. Richmond, vancouver then be prepared for traffic delays southbound and add an extra 45 minutes to your travel time. 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. Its one of the reasons why bc ferries is planning variablepriced fares for its three major routes between vancouver island and the lower mainland.
Not sure where youll be coming from but if youre north of the deas tunnel i. 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. To make a reservation, please call customer care at 1888bcferry. How can i find out about routes and departure times. Save time and money by booking a hotel and ferry package with bc ferries vacations.
Bc ferries allows passengers on closed car decks temporarily schedule adjustments and vessel replacement crofton salt spring island vesuvius bay in effect monday. In my personal opinion i found bc ferries service a little bit overpriced for what they offer. Earlier in the week, bc ferries recommended passengers book reservations for automobile travel and arrive 30 to 60 minutes prior to reserved sailing times. Swartz bay is located 32 km north of downtown victoria. Both times i was using the bc ferries connector service. Swartz bay to tsawwassen 3 ways to travel via bus and. Our packages include return ferries to many coastal bc destinations, accommodation and activities try searching now. Bc ferries has scheduled 93 extra sailings in anticipation of the upcoming thanksgiving long weekend between oct. Bc ferries to offer fare discounts on major routes to help. Limit reservations on ferries to 40 per cent times colonist.
Reservations for vancouver gulf islands routes bc ferries. View todays departures and arrivals bc ferries british columbia. To allow time for processing and operations approval, it is recommended that. Tsawwassen to swartz bay ferry tickets, compare times and. 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.
The fee is applied each time you change a oneway reservation. Bc ferries has cancelled several sailings to and from swartz bay due to a mechanical problem on the queen of new westminster. Weve ridden the tsawwassen to swartz bay run many times over the years. Drive up space is available on all bookable sailings with the exception of the tsawwassen southern gulf island route, which is 100 per cent reservable. Bc ferries posts a busy days forecast for major routes based on historical data. Reservations should be claimed at the ticket booth 45 to 60 minutes prior to the scheduled sailing time. Select round trip or one way, enter travel dates, then select departure and arrival terminals. How can i request book reserve to be on the upper vehicle deck. Bc ferries plans to revamp reservation fares on three. This was taken from the family home movie archives and was a jointrecording between me and. 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. 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.
Bcferries online reservations british columbia ferry. Bc ferries vancouver tsawwassen victoria swartz bay. If you have an account with which you make reservations or manage your experience. The percentage full data in this table refers to deck space consumed on the vessel only. We look forward to welcoming you aboard again in the future. 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.
Nice ferries rubbish booking system and customer service. This is, in my opinion, the only way to travel to victoria bc from the mainland. Heres when to shell out money for bc ferries reservations. 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. Bc ferries cancels multiple sailings between swartz bay. Ticket sales end ten minutes before the scheduled sailing time for walkon passengers and five minutes. The pacific buffet offers elegant oceanview dining on select sailings between vancouver tsawwassen and victoria swartz bay, from bc. 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. 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. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. If you are not checked in 30 minutes prior to the scheduled sailing time your reservation will no longer be valid and. 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. Reservations needed for bc ferries between tsawwassen and. Vancouver victoria tsawwassenswartz bay crossing time.