Husband and I want to travel from Denver to Vancouver in August with our 5 1/2 month old baby girl to visit the grandparents. The direct flight is $711 right now (connections are cheaper at around $500 a person). In the past I've paid much less for the direct flight. Was wondering if others thought that the flights might drop (the direct that is) or we should just book it since the low fares are already gone. I thought maybe travel to Vancouver might be more popular due to the Olympics etc.

Thanks!
Nicole

our travel dates are Aug 16-22 2010

You can get a flight for $249 roundtrip DEN-SEA nonstop. Then use one of various services to get across the border. Greyhound is cheapest when booked online generally, at about $17 one-way. Amtrak is about $35 one-way. Even with a hotel stay in Seattle overnight, this is way cheaper than $700 per ticket.

well, we actually have to go to Vancouver Island. The grandparents live in Nanaimo, so heading to Seattle first, then up to Vancouver, and then up to Nanaimo via the ferry makes for a long day with a 5 month old.

You could take the ferry from Seattle to Victoria.
I guess it depends how badly you want to save $800 or so.

Denver-Seattle-Victoria on Alaska Airlines. Several itineraries to choose form starting at $591.

Any surface option Seattle-Nanaimo is going to be gruelling. The Clipper (ferry to Victoria) is the least tiring.

I picked the 'flexible' option on United.com and they're serving up a routing via Portland for $478 per person? Note that the Portland -> Vancouver leg will be on a DASH-8, so limited overhead bin space.

OP wasn't explicit, but I don't know that they want or need to go to Vancouver. If they have to overnight en route may as well do it in Victoria and cut several hours off the trek.

I'm not sure where Victoria or an overnight entered the mix - Seems to have spontaneously appeared in the thread.

I assume they're doing DEN -> YVR -> Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal -> Walk on Ferry -> Walk off Nanaimo, meet parents

Certainly do-able in a day, albeit a long one.

For example:

United 323 -

Depart DEN 11:26
Arrive YVR 1:22

Leave Horseshoe Bay on 3pm (unlikely) or 5pm (likely) ferry.

Arrive Nanaimo 2 hours later...

No overnight, no Victoria.

If you fly to YVR then the more convenient ferry terminal is Tsawwassen, south of the airport and much bigger. There are frequent trips Tsawwassen-Duke Point, which is Nanaimo's larger terminal. See bcferries.com.
Look on a map and you'll see Duke Point terminal on the south edge of Nanaimo.

You must have missed the IF in ""IF an overnight...", no worries though.

OP was inquiring about alternatives because of the DEN-YVR fare. If you missed that too, no worries. Transit via Victoria is an alternative, as is via Seattle then surface. As is simply flying to YCD, but that's the most expensive option.

If OP decides the cost of direct DEN-YVR is acceptable, given the drawbacks of the possible alternatives, then the query will have been addressed.

No worries .

Have you been to Duke Point? It's a pretty unpleasant terminal. Unlike Departure Bay, which has a kid's play, big food court, views of seaplanes etc. Duke Point is a bit of a wasteland.

In terms of distance, Horseshoe Bay is 37 km from YVR, Tswwassen is 29K so distance difference is marginal.

There are 8 departures per day out of Tsawwassen and 8 out of Horseshoe Bay. The Tsawwassen <--> Duke Point crossing is 25 minutes longer and less scenic.

...but in the end it really comes down to whether Departure Bay or Duke Point is more convenient.

Horseshoe Bay "feels" a lot further from the airport than Tsawwassen does, probably because you have to go through Vancouver to get there, and would definitely be harder to get to in rush hour traffic. In either case, the fact that you really have to reserve a car spot (if you are taking a car), or face an hours-long wait in the summer also makes the logistics harder, so it's probably best to rent a car once on the island.

I don't see any reason to land in Vancouver, though, for the reasons stated above. Landing at Victoria airport and renting a car to Nanaimo is probably the best combination of easiest and cheapest, despite the extra connection. Next would be nonstop to Seattle, the Clipper, and renting a car in Victoria.

thanks for the reply. to follow up, we are actually headed to Nanaimo so we will take the ferry. I ended up booking the direct flight, to try to make the day less cumberson since we have to go through customs/immigration, take a taxi to the ferry, take the ferry, and then have my parents pick us up for a 45 minute drive. It'll be a long day, and changing planes wasn't big on my list.

thanks for the advice. we booked the flight at $700 and paid for the convenience of the direct flight. oh well.

Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal is a $70 ride from the airport. Tsawwassen $60.

??? What other options are there? Rent a car and abandon it in Horseshoe Bay? Take Canada Line then "Blue Bus" with a 5.5 month old and all the assorted luggage after a nearly four hour plane ride?

Taxi seems like the sensible choice to me. They will be able to drop their luggage in the cab trunk, then again right in the Horseshoe Bay BC Ferries luggage drop.

When you're travelling with a baby you pay for convenience, and a taxi is convenient.