Seattle to Victoria to Vancouver

Hasn't anybody ever done this before using Clipper Vacations? They say they can get you from Seattle to Victoria via ferry......take you around Victoria including Buchart Gardens.......put you up for the night there, and then load you on a bus (and a ferry) and get you to the pier in Vancouver. It sounds almost too good to be true to be able to get from Seattle to your ship in Vancouver and see the gardens in between (which is exactly what we wanted to do)

So if you've done this, did everything flow smoothly and you ended up getting to your ship in Vancouver when promised ?

Hasn't anybody ever done this before using Clipper Vacations? They say they can get you from Seattle to Victoria via ferry......take you around Victoria including Buchart Gardens.......put you up for the night there, and then load you on a bus (and a ferry) and get you to the pier in Vancouver. It sounds almost too good to be true to be able to get from Seattle to your ship in Vancouver and see the gardens in between (which is exactly what we wanted to do)

So if you've done this, did everything flow smoothly and you ended up getting to your ship in Vancouver when promised ?

Lots of options for the various parts of the journey

Seattle -> Victoria options:

Victoria Clipper ferry; 3hrs, $105

Kenmore Air; 45m, $160)

Horizon Air SEA-YYJ; 45m, $160

Downtown Victoria -> Butchart Gardens

City bus $2.50 (#30/31 followed by #75)

Greyline Coach $50 (but includes the $31 to get in)

Downtown Victoria -> Downtown Vancouver

Pacific Coach + Ferry (42+15 ferry)

#70 bus + Ferry + #620 Bus/Canada Line Skytrain (2.50 + 15 + 5.50)

There's another one that takes you Orca whale watching your way into Vancouver with your luggage...

http://princeofwhales.com/seattle-tours/

Thank you very much for the replies. The Prince of Whales one doesn't appear to work only because we're getting there mid-May......and they're not back from their winter hiatus :)

What time do you need to be on the ship?

I noticed that Pacific Coach offers a transfer from Victoria to the cruise pier,

9:30 am - 13:45. This is probably the vendor that Clipper uses for the transfer. http://www.pacificcoach.com/Travel-with-PCL/Travelling-with-Pacific-Coach

Otherwise their scheduled service might work. Does it save any money to book each leg independently?

CVS runs a scheduled shuttle to the Gardens from near the Empress Hotel.

http://www.pacificcoach.com/Bus-Coach-Travel/Crosswater/Victoria-to-Vancouver?season={E1CCC114-0F68-4CD0-A82D-AE52DD088240}

We sail at 6, so 1345 would be OK......as a matter a fact, that is what they are wanting to sell me. (just what you describe) They're wanting over $600 for the 2 of us to do that........That's why I was hoping there might be a more reasonable offer (short of bringing a pop up tent along :eek: )

Thanks for all the ideas......trying to calculate out about maybe doing it piece by piece.

when in May? The Gardens closes at 5pm, so that's a great expense to go to for a couple of hours.

When do you arrive in Seattle? perhaps there are other options to explore, ie a one-way rental car.

And as I've said on numerous other threads, there are a couple of botanical gardens right in Vancouver (Queen Elizabeth Park, Van Dusen Botanical Gardens) that IMO are more than acceptable substitutes for the Butchart money vacuum, requiring far less cost and hassle.

If you're dead set on Butchart, why not just do a day trip on the Clipper from Seattle then take the train or a rental car up to Vancouver? Or better, fly on Kenmore Air as a day trip and see our marvelous region from the air?

We sail at 6, so 1345 would be OK......as a matter a fact, that is what they are wanting to sell me. (just what you describe) They're wanting over $600 for the 2 of us to do that........That's why I was hoping there might be a more reasonable offer (short of bringing a pop up tent along :eek: )

Thanks for all the ideas......trying to calculate out about maybe doing it piece by piece.

As I listed, there are other options. While there isn't an easy way to save on the Seattle-Victoria options (short of renting a car one way Seattle to Port Angeles and walking on the Coho ferry to Victoria). However, there are much much cheaper options from Victoria -> Canada Place if you're willing to take local buses. Total price is under $25; and time taken is not much more than the organized coach.

Downtown Victoria - Swartz Bay; #70 bus: $2.50

Swartz Bay -> Tsawwassen; walk on ferry $16.25 (you can drop your luggage one side and pick up on the other)

Tsawwassen -> Bridgeport Station; #620 bus (3 zone ticket, $5.50)

Bridgeport Station -> Waterfront Station Skytrain (incl w/ above ticket)

Front Waterfront Stn, it's a 3 block walk to Canada Place.

Wow......some fabulous information !! I really appreciate that. We're in the area mid May for what it's worth......I notice Butchart closes at 5.....but I was told the ferry leaves Seattle about 7:30......so I'd like to think we'd have plenty of time to visit there. We plan on being in Seattle for about 36 hrs and doing the touristy thing there (the needle and Pike's and ????) then got to Victoria for 24 hrs and end up at Canada Place is what we're trying to pull off.

Anybody happen to know about the Pacific Coast Line bus if it goes to Canada Place ultimately?

Thanks for all your help

Anybody happen to know about the Pacific Coast Line bus if it goes to Canada Place ultimately?

Thanks for all your help

Pacific Coach has service directly to the pier but not every day, so you'll need to call them about your specific dates:

http://www.pacificcoach.com/Travel-with-PCL/Travelling-with-Pacific-Coach

Might be cheaper and easier to spend Wed sightseeing in Seattle, take the evening train to Vancouver, overnight, then take the bus to Victoria for another overnight trip.

We don't land until like 7:30......so that night is history. That gives us the next day to see Seattle . We flew into Seattle so we could see the sites (vs leaving right away)

Let me see if I can figure what day it goes to the pier.....I'm sure with my luck it'll be the next day (<:

We sail at 6, so 1345 would be OK......as a matter a fact, that is what they are wanting to sell me. (just what you describe) They're wanting over $600 for the 2 of us to do that........That's why I was hoping there might be a more reasonable offer (short of bringing a pop up tent along :eek: )

 

Thanks for all the ideas......trying to calculate out about maybe doing it piece by piece.

Alaska State Ferry allows small tents on deck. Too bad it does sail where you need to go, lol.

Wow......some fabulous information !! I really appreciate that. We're in the area mid May for what it's worth......I notice Butchart closes at 5.....but I was told the ferry leaves Seattle about 7:30......so I'd like to think we'd have plenty of time to visit there. We plan on being in Seattle for about 36 hrs and doing the touristy thing there (the needle and Pike's and ????) then got to Victoria for 24 hrs and end up at Canada Place is what we're trying to pull off.

Anybody happen to know about the Pacific Coast Line bus if it goes to Canada Place ultimately?

Thanks for all your help

Pacific Coach have one bus on some days that goes to Canada Place. if you can handle your own luggage though, it's just as fast (and 1/3 the cost) to take the city bus/skytrain, and it drops you just a couple of blocks from Canada Place.

Good news.......I'm told PCL does 1 trip a day to Canada Place.....and that's that 1345 one !

Still mapping out what we want to do......who to book what with......I may book Seattle on my own and then book the other "legs" with Clipper Vacations