legionnaire

We are two families planning on visiting Vancouver or Victoria over XMas. One of us are US Permanent residents and the other family are on Indian Passports with US H visas and Canadian Tourist Visas.

How long does it take at the border to clear immigration/customs going over from the US to Canada?
How long at Vancouver?
How long if going to Victoria by the ferry from Seattle?
Coming back, similar question - how long does it take?

Both families have small children. Hence the question. Answers will determine which route we pick.

bratton

I live 15 miles from the border and go up for business and/or leisure reasons to the Vancouver area very frequently so I should be able to answer some of your questions relating to vehicle travel and to a limited degree, the ferry to Victoria. We also have foreign visitors (family, friends and business assoc) here often so we deal with the border frequently.

How long does it take at the border to clear immigration/customs going over from the US to Canada?

Assuming your documentation is all in order, clearing into Canada is quite easy. Just answer the questions they ask and volunteer nothing more; and, be honest about what you may be taking up there. Generally, I find the Canadian officials to be much nicer than the US; but, more on that later. There are four crossings in the Vancouver area:
1. Peace Arch at Blaine
2. Truck Crossing at Blaine
3. Lynden/Aldergrove crossing just North of Lynden.
4. Sumas

First of all the most critical element of crossing the border by vehicle is not clearing Customs/Immigration; it is the waiting time to get to the crossing. Avoid Friday PM and holidays. You can also tune to 1430 AM which is a talk station in Vancouver that monitors the crossings N and S bound every 10-20 minutes. Trust me, it can be hours at the worst times so avoid them at all cost.

Most of the time you will want to avoid the Peace Arch which is the busiest crossing in the US. The truck crossing is usually quicker and don't let the term "truck crossing" make you avoid it as it is very heavily used for passenger vehicles also. I use the Lynden crossing most often as it is nearly always less congested than the other two but it is a bit further to downtown Vancouver. The Sumas crossing is too far East if you destination is Vancouver. If you use one of the two Blaine crossings, there is an electronic sign on I-5 indicating the wait times at each crossing.

How long if going to Victoria by the ferry from Seattle?

There is a jetfoil, the Victoria Clipper from Seattle. It is pretty quick, maybe a couple of hours. They have a website you can check. Another alternative is the Washington State Ferry which leaves from Anacortes which is a wonderful experience winding through the San Juan Islands on the way to Victoria (You might even see Orcas). Unless you drive up to Anacortes (about 90 minutes from Seattle) you would have to arrange transportation from Seattle to Anacortes but it would be a memorable trip. The Customs/Immigration should be easy; it can vary according to how many personnel they have assigned to the boat. If you do go to Victoria during the holidays, don't miss going to Buchart Gardens to see their Christmas displays. It is a world renown garden and just spectacular during the holidays.

Coming back, similar question - how long does it take?

Same deal just reversed. Make sure your foreign visitors have their I-94 forms (or whatever they are called), they received clearing into the US. Also, be prepared to be questioned in detail coming into the US and sometimes in a terse or rude manner. Vehicularly, the wait is again the key ingredient. As for you US folks, make sure you have passports for everyone or barring that, birth certificates and drivers licenses, i.e., proof of citizenship and ID (just birth certificates for kids); however, if any of the children are products of divorce, others children etc, make sure you have a written letter from the absent parent authorizing their visit to Canada. They are very strict about these rules now.

Hope this helped and have a great visit. It is a wonderful place.

Both families have small children. Hence the question. Answers will determine which route we pick.[/QUOTE]

legionnaire

bratton,
Thanks for the very detailed response. The quality of your answers is superb.

A few more questions - for anyone who can help.

Some data first.
1. The local US residents will be carrying their passports, DLs and Green Cards (as applicable).
2. The foreign visitors will be carrying their (home country) passports, US DL and appropriate visas.
3. We will be visiting either Vancouver or Victoria between 12/23 and 12/26. So, peak holiday season.

For Vancouver:
We are debating driving to YVR from SEA. But given that we will be going with three kids, the wait time to GET to the border crossing, is what gives us pause for thought.

Alternate route we are considering is to take the Cascades Amtrak from SEA to VAC and rent locally at VAC from Hertz. That, we think, will let us get around the wait time to get to the border crossing.

For Victoria:
We are considering taking our rental van with us from the Seattle area (not necessarily Seattle itself), over on a ferry, to Victoria.

We are looking at Victoria as it seems to have more things to do with kids. Also, it seems to be easier and faster to get to vis-a-vis Vancouver.

CaseyN2

There is a web site http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/ that will give you the border wait times for returning to the USA>

Casey.

BearX220

Yes, because there's no stop at the border -- they do paperwork checks before you board and en route. But the journey time is longer. You can drive from Seattle to Vancouver in about two and a half hours if there's no wait at the border. The Amtrak train takes four hours, and that's not including check-in/hanging-around-waiting-to-go time. So if you're trying to get to Vancouver as quickly as possible for the sake of the kids, even with a one-hour border wait, the journey would be quicker by car.

If you do choose Amtrak be aware that there is only one actual train up to Vancouver per day, and it leaves Seattle at 745am. The other "trains" to Vancouver Amtrak lists in its timetable are in fact buses.

I would say false on both counts. From Stanley Park to Granville Island to Robson Street to the Science Centre to the Planetarium, Vancouver is chockablock with kid diversions. Victoria is only easier to get to from Seattle if you use the no-cars Victoria Clipper ferry, and without a car in Victoria you will be logistically challenged, especially with kids.

Not from Seattle. You can take the Coho from Port Angeles to Victoria (www.cohoferry.com), which accepts cars and takes about 90 minutes. But getting from Seattle to Port Angeles is about a three-hour trip in itself -- involving another ferry, the 30-minute Washington State Ferry trip across Puget Sound from Edmonds to Kingston. Between the wait for both boats, the two crossings, and the intermediate driving, it's a long trip. Better to drive up into British Columbia as suggested by bratton, above, then take the BC Ferries trip from Tsawassen over to Vancouver Island.

It's just like taking an international flight. You show your papers before boarding and do a drive-through customs/immigration check on arrival. Even if you're last to disembark it doesn't take more than 30 or 40 minutes.

legionnaire

Bratton -
if we drive over, we will likely be doing so on Saturday 12/24 morning. Likely between 9 and Noon Pacific. we can adjust the time to minimize wait time getting to the crossing. Any advise for a Saturday morning?

Sumas is too far out east. We won't go that far. Lynden or the Blaine Truck crossing seem the best bet. We may pick the Peace Arch/Blaine crossing if the wait times at that point are short.

BearX220

On a Saturday morning, take the Blaine truck crossing, for sure. It's only 60 seconds from the Peace Arch crossing and will definitely move faster.

venice4504

I guess I don't understand why anyone would want to drive out of their way to save time at the Blaine crossing. Makes no sense to me. Sat. morning on 12/24 should be OK since some people still work half days.

bratton

Let me start by commenting on Post No. 8 about Sat morning crossing. That would be correct if it wasn't Christmas Eve morning AND the last shopping day before Christmas. I would never count on an easy crossing that day at either crossing in Blaine. It may well be a mad house. I would go to the Lynden crossing. Take I-5 N from Seattle approximately 90 miles to Bellingham. Take Exit 256; at the bottom of the ramp turn right onto State Route 539 (also called Guide Meridian); go straight ahead (N) for 15 miles and you will reach the border crossing at Lynden. If you will let me know where you going by PM I will give you further directions.

By the way, I agree with the poster who recommends Vancouver for kids. There are many, many great places and things to do and with your time frame is the best utilization of time.

Have a happy holiday and wave when you go through Bellingham as that where I will be for the holidays.

bratton

Check out my comments in Post 9 on crossing on that particular Sat morning.

As for your profile, all I can say is "Go Huskies...kill the Cougs" THIS Sat.

legionnaire

Super. Northbound on 12/24 morning, we will likely take the Lynden crossing. Will stay tuned on the radio though, to see if the Blane Truck one is shorter.

Bratton - will PM closer to date, once we have a decision.

Southbound re-entering the US will be on Christmas day 12/26. Any advice for the return?

Being a holiday, i'm guessing traffic will be light. But you never can tell.

bratton

Traffic should be light on the holiday itself but up here in WA and in Canada we are celebrating Christmas Day on the 25th this year. (Just kidding you legionnaire). As for the 26th, it will be a holiday; however, keep checking the traffic reports as the day after Christmas is one of the busiest days of the year in the retail stores.

gglave

>We are debating driving to YVR from SEA. But given that we will be going with three kids, the wait time to GET to the border crossing, is what gives us pause for thought.

If you want the shortest border queue, take exit 256 off I-5 next to Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham and head dead north on Meridian / Hwy 539. You'll cross the border into Canada in a suburb called "Aldergrove" and will find yourself on 264th St. Take 264th Street north to the Trans-Canada Hwy 1. Follow Hwy 1 west into Vancouver. To get downtown take the First Avenue exit off of Hwy 1 and follow that into the city.

Keep in mind your longer border queues are usually going into the USA, not into Canada.

>We are considering taking our rental van with us from the Seattle area (not necessarily Seattle itself), over on a ferry, to Victoria.

It's important to note that there is no *car* ferry from Seattle to Victoria - The ferry is foot passengers only. If you want to take a car ferry the options are to drive into Canada and take a ferry from Tswwassen to Swartz bay (http://www.bcferries.com/), take a ferry from Anacortes (USA) to Sidney (Vancouver Island, Canada - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/), or take a ferry from Port Angeles (USA) to Victoria (http://www.cohoferry.com/).

>We are looking at Victoria as it seems to have more things to do with kids. Also, it seems to be easier and faster to get to vis-a-vis Vancouver.

Although I love Victoria, I would say there is way more to do in Vancouver with kids.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada

gglave

>Sumas is too far out east.

Although Sumas / Abbotsford or Lynden / Aldergrove are "east" you're not really backtracking.

Imagine a right-angle triangle. You're driving up one of the right angles, as opposed to going up the hypotenuse. There's virtually no time lost going to Lynden / Aldergrove if there's a queue.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver

legionnaire

FYI for those who may be interested.

Both going to Canada and returning, we used the Aldergrove/Lynden crossing. On the way into Canada, it took 5 mins with no wait time. We were waved through with no questions asked.

On the return (Boxing Day, 2 pm), the backup was about 10 cars deep but moved quickly. Waiting time was about 20 mins to get to the US Customs/Immigration official. Perfunctory questions and we crossed over quickly.

Most of the traffic from Canada into the US seemed to be cars with BC license plates coming in to the US - for the shopping? IDK.

Thanks to all who responded.