Travelling between Victoria and 91原创 on public transit is straightforward, but it is multi-step, requires at least three types of fares, and is not suited for the impatient and the easily annoyed. Here are condensed instructions to travel downtown to downtown, followed by much greater, judgemental detail. (Despite all that detail below, go ahead and make the trip on public transit; it's not that hard.)
From Victoria, catch Bus 70 (express) or 72 (not express) to Swartz Bay terminal. Buy yourself a ferry ticket to 91原创/Tsawwassen. Ride the ferry.
On the other side of the Strait of Georgia, at Tsawwassen terminal, board Bus 620 and ride to Bridgeport station, the last stop. At Bridgeport, transfer to the Canada Line to catch a light rail train to downtown 91原创, to 91原创 International Airport, or to Richmond鈥檚 shopping and business district. You can also board a variety of buses at Bridgeport, including Bus 407 to Steveston Harbour and Bus 351 to White Rock.
To go back to Victoria, do the reverse. Make your way to Bridgeport station. On the Canada Line, if you are coming from downtown 91原创鈥檚 Waterfront station, the trip will take roughly 20 minutes. You can board either the Richmond or the Airport train. When you arrive at Bridgeport station, transfer to Bus 620 for the 35 to 40 minute ride to Tsawwassen terminal. There鈥檚 usually a Bus 620 departure on the hour; at busier times, there could be departures at 15 minutes and 10 minutes to the hour.聽
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Major changes since the 2017 and 2018 updates
鈥� Fares have increased in Metro 91原创; for example, it鈥檚 $4.20 for a cash two-zone fare, up from $4. (You鈥檒l need a two-zone fare to get from Tsawwassen to downtown 91原创.)
鈥� The Bus 620 stop at Bridgeport station has moved to Bay 12.
鈥� Lanes have been painted on the pavement at Bridgeport to help people line up for the 620. The lineup area is, thoughtfully, under the elevated station platform and tracks, which sort of protects you from rain.
鈥� Luggage racks have been installed on some buses on the 620 route, and people are using them. But a lot still don鈥檛, preferring to keep their giant luggage close. (Taking up aisle and seat space, I鈥檇 grumble, if I were a grumbler.)
鈥� You can tap your credit card to pay at bus fare boxes and station gates in Metro 91原创. But you鈥檒l pay more for the convenience, compared with using a Compass card (see below).聽
鈥� Double deckers are on order in Metro 91原创. High-volume routes are currently being served by articulated (or bendy) buses.
鈥� More signs have been posted at Tsawwassen ferry terminal to help guide first-time bus riders.
鈥� On the Victoria side, Bus 70's route has changed slightly. It now travels from downtown entirely on Douglas Street, before veering at Uptown onto Carey and then Ravine to get onto Highway 17. There鈥檚 also the promise of real-time bus locations being posted online by late 2019, providing you with information to make a good guess at when the bus will show up at your stop (as opposed to the scheduled arrival).
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How much it鈥檒l cost
The journey, under ideal conditions, takes four hours from downtown Victoria to downtown 91原创, including bus, ferry, train and waiting. The bus and train portion (the ferry fare is separate), depending on day and time and whether you need to make transfers, can cost as little as $4.55 one way 鈥� $2.25 for the Victoria bus if you use a ticket, plus $2.30 if you use a Compass card to ride bus and train in 91原创. You鈥檒l only get this low price if you don鈥檛 need to transfer buses in Victoria, and if you鈥檙e travelling in Metro 91原创 on a weekend or after 6:30 p.m. on a weekday. (All fare examples are for adults as of spring 2019.)
The most expensive way is by paying with cash on a weekday before 6:30 p.m. 鈥� topping out at $12.15, based on $5 in Victoria if you need to take more than one bus (no free transfers) and $7.15 in Metro 91原创. If you use a credit card, you鈥檙e charged the cash price. Using a credit card or cash is more expensive than using the prepaid Compass fare card (more details about Compass card below). For example, if you tap a credit card, the ride from Tsawwassen ferry terminal to downtown 91原创 can be as much as $7.15. Using a Compass card, it鈥檚 $3.35.
Add ferry fare of $17.20 (a little less if fuel rebate is in effect, a little more if there's a fuel surcharge).
In summary, you鈥檒l save the most money on public transit if you use a prepaid ticket on the Victoria side and a Compass fare card on the 91原创 side.
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Journey to 91原创
I originally wrote these instructions for visiting relatives, and then adapted them for a blog post back in January 2014. A lot has changed since 2014, so I鈥檓 offering this update.
If you don鈥檛 mind sitting or standing really close to other people, are tolerant of lineups, can put up with line-jumpers, have time to spare in case connnections don鈥檛 work, are a touch cheap, and can cheerfully shrug when the line you鈥檝e been standing in for 20 minutes disintegrates into a dash to be first at the bus door, then public transit is for you. The disintegration of lines doesn鈥檛 happen much. Transit riders tend to stick to etiquette. But I鈥檝e observed line jumping often enough that it deserves a mention.
(Basics for out-of-towners: Swartz Bay terminal is on 91原创 Island and is entry point for Greater Victoria. Tsawwassen terminal is on the mainland and is entry point for Metro 91原创. Large car ferries sail daily between the two terminals, the first sailing is usually at 7 a.m., the last at 9 p.m. Service is on the odd hour during slower times; sailings are added for busier times.)
Here鈥檚 a sample trip from Victoria. To ride the 9 a.m. ferry on a weekday, catch Bus 70 at 7:44 a.m. at the Government and Superior stop, or at 8 a.m. on Carey at Ravine (near Uptown). Bus 70 is scheduled to arrive at Swartz Bay at 8:38 a.m., giving you just enough time to buy a ticket and board the 9 a.m. ferry.
You can also catch the non-express 72.
The 70 takes about 55 to 60 minutes, and the 72 takes about 70 to 75 minutes from downtown.
Pay a $2.50 cash fare. It鈥檚 $2.25 per trip if you buy a sheet of 10 tickets. No extra charge if you have a pass.
If you need to ride more than one B.C. Transit bus in Greater Victoria to get to the ferry terminal, you鈥檒l have to pay two fares and ask the driver for a day pass. Transfers are not free. It鈥檚 $5 cash for a day pass, or two tickets ($4.50). If you鈥檙e coming back the same day, buy a day pass. Day passes are only available on board buses. (There鈥檚 been grumbling about this system.)
You can usually get a seat, especially if the bus is a doubledecker. I鈥檝e only had to stand for the entire trip once. There is no provision for luggage. Put your bag on your lap, or if it鈥檚 big, put it next to you on your seat (and try to ignore the glares if the bus is full). Don鈥檛 let your stuff completely block the aisle.
(Reader Anne Moon offers this tip for luggage when you're riding the ferry. Have B.C. Ferries look after it, instead of carrying it yourself on and off the ferry. Make sure your luggage is properly tagged. At Swartz Bay, send it down a chute just after you've paid. At Tsawwassen, put in onto a sloping luggage shelf, again just after you've paid. "That way you can make the long walk to and from the ferry more easily [vital if you are older and slower] and enjoy the ferry facilities, unimpeded by bags," Anne says. Retrieve your bags at Swartz Bay outside the terminal to the left; at Tsawwassen, retrieve them at the foot of the escalator, to the right. .)
When the bus arrives at Swartz Bay, enter the terminal building and either line up to buy your ferry ticket from a cashier or line up to use one of the ticket machines, which are to your right as soon as you enter the terminal. Go to the cashier if you are paying with cash. Ticket machines are not necessarily faster because people can be fumbly at them. The machines take credit cards and debit cards, no cash. You can insert and type your PIN, tap, or swipe.Ticket sales are cut off 10 minutes before sailing time.聽
Board the ferry when called, following the crowd.
The ferry journey takes about 95 minutes.
Locate the ferry鈥檚 departure doors shortly after you board to avoid last-minute scurrying. Signs point the way.
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Use a Compass card in Metro 91原创
To ride public transit in the 91原创 area, it鈥檚 convenient to have a Compass fare card. You load dollar amounts onto the card, and it鈥檚 deducted when you tap the card on a reader to board TransLink buses, SkyTrain, Canada Line or SeaBus.
If you don鈥檛 have a Compass fare card, you can buy one from the ferry鈥檚 gift shop. One card costs $16. Of that amount, $6 is a deposit for the card and $10 is fare value. The adult card is blue; there鈥檚 a lower-fare orange 鈥渃oncession鈥� card for people 65 and older, and people 18 and under.聽
You can buy a card online and have it mailed to you.
The gift shop might have day pass tickets in stock.
More details about Compass card at these links.
Compass fare cards are also sold at machines in the Tsawwassen ferry terminal arrivals area. To avoid lineups and anxiety about missing the bus, buy your Compass card at the ferry gift shop.聽
Add more money to the fare card at ticket machines or by setting up an account at .
If you鈥檙e going to make this trip more than two times, it鈥檚 worth your while to buy a Compass card.
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When the ferry nears Tsawwassen, if you want to increase your chances of getting a seat on the first bus, line up at the departure doors to be among the first to get off.
On the Spirit of 91原创 Island and the Spirit of British Columbia, the departure doors for Tsawwassen are at the front of the ferry, aka the bow. (You boarded at the back, aka the stern.)
It鈥檚 different on Coastal Celebration and Coastal Renaissance, which have bridges at both ends, so that the vessels don鈥檛 have to turn around when leaving port. Approaching Tsawwassen, you get off through doors at Stairwell 3, on the right side, facing the direction the ferry is sailing.
You might encounter Queen of New Westminster, an older ferry. I haven鈥檛 ridden it much, so you鈥檙e on your own.
Walk briskly off the ferry and through a series of walkways to get to the terminal exit. Buy your transit fare at a ticket machine if you didn鈥檛 buy on the ferry. Or pay cash on the bus. But the ticket you buy on the bus is only good for buses. You鈥檒l need to buy another fare to ride the Canada Line. To save money, buy your fare from the machine or on the ferry. I鈥檓 repeating myself. But I hate to see people pay way more than they need to. (More fare details below.)
Outside, two bendy buses will likely be parked to your left. But you鈥檒l need to veer right, joining the lineup for Bus 620. In a few minutes, one of the bendy buses will pull up for people to board. Double-deckers are being added to the fleet, so you might see one of them.
This part can be vexing. Even in pouring rain, the first bendy bus will often sit out of service for interminable minutes while a long line forms.
If you鈥檙e not near the front of the line, would like to get a seat, and can spare 10 minutes, let people go ahead of you and ride the second bendy bus. Being first in line for the second bus can be a little tricky because the line sometimes disintegrates and the entry door is mobbed. Both buses travel the same route.
At busy times, there might be a third bendy bus. There might occasionally be just one bus. In that case, of course, don鈥檛 hang back.
I like to sit at the back in the side-facing seats because there鈥檚 more leg room. Luggage can go into a small area at the back window, but it鈥檚 often filled before I get there. So you鈥檒l likely need to tuck your luggage at your feet or put it on your lap. It鈥檚 bad form to put luggage on a seat if the bus is full. Luggage racks have been added to some buses.
The trip to Bridgeport station takes 35 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic. There are a few stops along the way. But most of the time, you鈥檙e on the move.
At Bridgeport, get off the bus and enter the station, go up the escalator or stairs (there鈥檚 also a small elevator), tap your Compass card or ticket on the reader at the fare gate, go up another level and wait on the platform for your train. Take the Waterfront train to go downtown. The journey takes roughly 20 minutes.
You can also board the Richmond train for Richmond or YVR Airport for 91原创 International Airport.
(If you paid cash to board the bus, you鈥檒l need to buy another ticket to board the Canada Line train.)
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Back to Victoria
To return to Victoria, time your ride on the Canada Line so that you get to Bridgeport station at least 10 to 20 minutes before the top of the hour to board Bus 620. Look up bus schedules here.
Bus 620 boards at Bay 12. (Bay assignments are shuffled occasionally, so watch for signs.)
Bay 12 was redesigned big-time in 2018 鈥� there are painted lanes for people to line up in. I have not observed line-jumping since those lines were painted. Before the lanes, people also lined up, but it was sometimes helter skelter.
When ferries are running, there tends to be a bus leaving at or close to the top the hour. There might also be a bus that leaves at roughly 45 minutes past the hour. That bus will give you a little more cushion against traffic delays. The ferry does not wait for late buses.
When you arrive at Tsawwassen terminal, buy your ferry ticket from either a person or a machine. Go up the stairs or escalator and follow the walkway. Or, if there is plenty of time until the ferry leaves, stay on the ground floor and walk outside, across the parking lot (watch out for traffic) to Tsawwassen terminal鈥檚 food court.
If you skipped the ferry terminal food court and get hungry, consider a visit to the buffet if you鈥檙e on one of the Spirit vessels or on Coastal Celebration. It can be a better deal and healthier than eating burger, fries and cola in the cafeteria. The best buffet deal is on the 3 p.m. sailings, when it鈥檚 around $14 for an abbreviated but still extensive offering that includes hot soups, salad bar, desserts and beverages. There鈥檚 no buffet on Coastal Renaissance or Queen of New Westminster, but there鈥檚 a pay by weight salad bar. You can get a decent amount of food for around $10.
Details about 91原创 Buffet, including menus and prices,
lists vessels and their departure times for the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route.
As the ferry approaches Swartz Bay, go to the departure doors to be among the first off if you want a good shot at getting a bus seat.
On the Spirit vessels, you exit from the rear doors, near the buffet.
On the Coastal vessels, go to Stairwell 1, and exit through the doors on the left side in the direction the ferry is travelling.
A few people will circumvent the system by getting off on the car deck, which often allows them to leave the vessel before people on the passenger deck. There are announcements urging people to exit via the passenger deck. (But on rare occasions 鈥� because a needed dock is occupied, or there's a mechanical problem 鈥� you may be directed to depart via a vehicle deck.)聽
As you leave the Swartz Bay terminal building, you鈥檒l likely see buses waiting to your right. Though, sometimes there won鈥檛 be a bus in sight, especially after 9 p.m.
Join the line. You may not be able to board immediately because the bus driver is taking a break.
Again, Bus 70 is the express. Bus 72 is the milk run. You might see the infrequently-offered Bus 76, which is an express bus to the University of Victoria, travelling along the Pat Bay Highway and then McKenzie Avenue. There are also buses going to North Saanich.
If it looks like a seat won鈥檛 be available on Bus 70, and you want a seat, hang back for Bus 72, which tends to be less crowded.
Cash fare is $2.50 or use a ticket. Or use two tickets (or $5 cash) to get a day pass if you need to transfer to another bus.
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The confusing zone system in Metro 91原创
When riding the public transit system in Metro 91原创, you鈥檒l pay more if you cross zones. There are three zones. You鈥檒l pay a two-zone fare even if you just board at a stop, cross a zone boundary, and get off at the next stop. But you鈥檒l pay for just one zone of travel for a multi-kilometre ride if you don鈥檛 cross any zone boundaries.
At ticket machines, zones appear to be the biggest thing that trips people up. They don鈥檛 know how many zones they鈥檒l need. The system operator is aware of this. At Tsawwassen terminal, they鈥檝e posted a sign advising that a trip downtown requires a two-zone fare. But a lot of people miss the sign, and they take way longer than they need to at the machines puzzling over the zones. Bus drivers will occasionally come in to lend a hand.
TransLink is discussing a switch from the zone system to one based on distance. I haven鈥檛 seen any details yet about how this would work.
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An overview of fares as of June 2019
Greater Victoria
Cash fare: $2.50, no transfers
Day pass: $5, unlimited riding on day of purchase, only sold on buses, exact change, can鈥檛 buy in advance.
Sheet of 10 tickets: $22.50; that鈥檚 $2.25 per ticket; 2 tickets will buy a day pass. Buy ticket sheets at grocery stores and convenience stores.
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It鈥檚 way more complex in Greater 91原创, with its zones and other stuff. Some key points:
鈥� Travelling across zones will cost you more money during peak hours.
鈥� The trip from Tsawwassen to downtown is a two zone trip.
鈥� Except, if you travel exclusively by bus, everything is one zone, one cash price: $2.95. But travelling by bus only to downtown 91原创 is not efficient.
鈥� Plus, there鈥檚 this quirkiness. If you pay for a bus fare in cash when boarding at Tsawwassen, you鈥檒l have to pay again to board the Canada Line. Your bus fare won鈥檛 get you onto the rail system.
Bottom line: you pay the least if you use a Compass card or Compass ticket. You pay the most if you use cash, or tap a credit card at a farebox. So, either get a Compass fare card (instructions above) or pay your fare at the machines in Tsawwassen terminal, not as you board the bus.
Fare for travelling from Tsawwassen terminal to downtown 91原创 on a weekday up to 6:30 p.m.:
$7.15 cash and ticket ($2.95 cash to board bus, $4.20 to buy ticket from a machine at Bridgeport to board Canada Line).
But it鈥檚 just $3.15 when you use a Compass card.
Weekdays after 6:30 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays, holidays:
$5.90 cash and ticket ($2.95 cash to board bus, $2.95 ticket to board Canada Line)
$2.30 on Compass card
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Metro 91原创 adult cash fares on weekdays up to 6:30 p.m.
1 zone $2.95
2 zone $4.20
3 zone $5.70
Metro 91原创 Compass card adult fares on weekdays up to 6:30 p.m.
1 zone $2.30
2 zone $3.35
3 zone $4.40
Weekdays after 6:30 p.m. and all day Saturday, Sunday, holidays:
All zones $2.95 cash. But double that if you start a trip on a bus by paying cash, and then transfer to rail. (Yes, a touch complicated.) Or $2.30 using Compass.
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Another way to do it
It鈥檚 more comfortable and less aggravating if you ride the privately run B.C. Ferries 91原创or bus. Board at the downtown Victoria bus terminal on Douglas Street near Belleville Street. The bus takes you onto the ferry, and you get off the bus. As you near Tsawwassen terminal, you get back on and ride into 91原创. There are several dropoff points, including downtown hotels, before the bus ends its journey at the 91原创 bus station. Minimal fuss, plenty of luggage space, wi-fi, a seat for all passengers. Depending on how you鈥檙e comparing, it costs roughly 2 to 3 times as much to ride in luxury. Fares are higher for non-B.C. residents, lower for students and children. You are asked to reserve.
A big down side is that in low season, there are only three 91原创or bus trips a day. In late spring and summer, there are up to eight trips a day.
The extra cost for the 91原创or bus could be worth it on a day when you want to avoid crowds and can鈥檛 face the uncertainty of whether you'll get a seat.
If the 91原创or bus isn't full, you can buy a seat after you board the ferry; tickets are sold in the first half hour of sailing. You could, for example, use public transit to get to Swartz Bay, ride the ferry, then ride the 91原创or into 91原创.
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Information about
You could also drive a car onto a ferry and skip all this bus catching stuff, but that costs quite a bit more. from B.C. Ferries. And .
, showing the car-boarding process.
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, from Clipper Vacations Magazine.