About Victoria > Transportation
Vancouver Island and the Victoria region are served by an excellent transportation network. Ferries carrying passengers, automobiles, trucks and trailers make more than 100 crossings to and from the mainland daily, linking motorists to Vancouver to the east, Seattle to the south and Prince Rupert and Alaska to the north. The network also includes an airport, helicopter and seaplane services, busses, and passenger train service.
Air
Air travel is an important component of island life. One of the world's largest concentrations of float planes (private, charter and scheduled) transport tens of thousands of people annually from harbour to harbour and to and from lakes and inlets. More than 60 scheduled daily flights connect Vancouver Island with mainland destinations. Flights originate from Victoria International Airport (25 km or 15.5 mi north of Victoria) and from the downtown area.
Air Canada, Air BC Connector
1-888-247-2262 16 daily flights linking Vancouver and Victoria airports and Seattle and Victoria airports.
Vancouver International Airport - YVR
Vancouver International is a major hub for travellers from all around the globe. From Vancouver, you can connect to all transportation services operating to the Island and in and out of the Province. Visit the new web site for more information.
Victoria International Airport - YYJ
Victoria International Airport. Your gateway to Vancouver Island. Victoria International airport (YYJ) is the 9th busiest airport in Canada with over 1.5 million passengers per annum. Currently, Air Canada and Jazz have up to 21 departures daily with non-stop service to Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. WestJet has 12 departures daily, including seasonal Toronto service, Edmonton, Calgary and Kelowna. Horizon Air links Victoria to Seattle with 5 daily departures and United Express offers twice daily non-stop service to San Francisco. Victoria is also served by Pacific Coastal Airlines, Orca Airways and Alpha Executive Air with 16 daily departures to Vancouver, Abbotsford, Nanaimo and Delta. Victoria is well served by Canada's air carriers with 60 daily departures and convenient non-stop or one stop service to every major Canadian city.
The airport is situated approximately 25KM (15.5 miles) north of Victoria, which makes for a short taxi ride into the city. Shuttle service is available through a partner company to many of the major hotels and limited public transit service is provided by BC Transit. The terminal itself is small enough to be ultra convenient, yet very modern as extensive improvements and upgrades have been completed over the last five years. Information on flight times, airline contact information, food service, shopping, currency exchange, parking, ground transportation, and other passenger services is available at www.victoriaairport.com.
For a listing of cities served from the Victoria Airport – click the following link http://www.victoriaairport.com/non-stop-destinations
Air service operating outside of the Victoria Airport is available from the following companies:
Helijet
Toll Free 1-800-665-4354
Frequent jet helicopter flights daily between Vancouver and Victoria - Downtown to Downtown.
Also serves Vancouver Airport from Downtown Victoria, Monday to Friday, making for easy weekday connections to YVR.
Harbour Air
Victoria (250) 385-2203
8-10 daily seaplane flights between Victoria and Vancouver harbours.
Kenmore Air
1-800-543-9595 or (206) 486-1257
8 seaplane flights daily between Seattle and Victoria Harbour.
West Coast Air
1-800-347-2222 or (604) 606-6888
12 daily seaplane flights between Victoria and Vancouver harbours.
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Buses
B.C. Transit
Telephone: (250) 382-6161
Facsimile: (250) 384-5412
Web site: www.bctransit.com
Local bus service is provided by B.C. Transit. You can pick up the Rider's Guide with schedules and routes free from merchants and information booths, or $.25 on the bus.
Pacific Coach Lines
1-800-661-1725
Web site: www.pacificcoach.com
Operating a daily scheduled service onboard all scheduled BC Ferries' sailings between Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
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Ferry
Regular, frequent ferry and high-speed catamaran service connects the island to mainland B.C. and Washington state. The trip itself is a holiday as the ships weave a path past myriad forested islands. Marine life, including orca (killer whales) and seals, are often spotted. Victoria's arrival points are the Inner Harbour, the town of Sidney, and Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal (30 minutes from Victoria near Sidney).
B.C. Ferry Corporation
Victoria (250) 386-3431
Extensive passenger/vehicle ferry system linking the B.C. Mainland with Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
Hourly sailings in summer months; 7 am - 10 pm, odd hours in the winter months 7 am - 9 pm.
Travel time between Tsawwassen (Vancouver) and Swartz Bay (Victoria) is 1 hr. 35 mins.
Black Ball Transport - M.V. Coho
Victoria (250) 386-2202
Port Angeles (360) 457-4491
Passenger/vehicle ferry service.
4 daily sailings between Port Angeles and Victoria May to October.
Two sailings per day March to May & Oct. - Nov.
One sailing per day Nov. - Feb.
Travel time is 1.5 hrs.
Victoria Clipper
1-800-888-2535/ (206) 448-5000 or (250) 382-8100
4 daily summer sailings between Seattle & Victoria.
One daily sailing in winter. Passengers only.
Travel time between Seattle's Pier 69 and Victoria's Inner Harbour varies from 1.45 hrs. to 3hrs.
Victoria~San Juan Cruises
1-800-443-4552
One sailing daily, passenger service from Bellingham, WA. to Victoria's Inner Harbour, June through Oct. 1.
Travel time is 3 hrs.
Washington State Ferries
(250) 381-1551 or (206) 464-6400
Anacortes, WA. to Sidney, B.C. (27 km or 17 mi N.E. of Victoria)
One sailing daily, minimum of two during summer.
Travel time is 3 hrs.
Victoria Express
(250) 361-9144
Up to four sailings a day from Victoria to Port Angeles and a daily sailing from Victoria to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island leaving from the Belleville terminal.
Travel time is 1 hr.
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Skateboarding
The Streets and Traffic Bylaw contains regulations regarding skateboarding and other similar activities.
People are not permitted to ride a skateboard, roller skates, in-line skates, or a non-motorized scooter (referred to as 'human-powered devices') on a sidewalk in the City of Victoria. These human-powered devices are also not permitted on a street or path in a public place where signs are displayed that state that the street or path is for pedestrian use only (Centennial Square is an example where this activity is prohibited).
Because of the higher concentration of vehicle activity in the area close to downtown, these human-powered devices are also not permitted on streets or paths within the area shown on the map below bounded by:
- west side of Wharf Street,
- east side of Store Street,
- south side of Herald Street and North Park Street,
- east side of Quadra Street,
- south side of Fairfield Road,
- east side of Blanshard Street, and
- south side of Belleville Street.
Human-powered devices used within this area, and on the 2300 block of Trent Street, may be subject to, detention, removal, and impound fees* (see Streets and Traffic Bylaw for current fees).
*All impound fees must be paid at City Hall prior to recovering your device from the Property and Supply Office at the Victoria Police station at Quadra and Caledonia.
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