Reaching Victoria from SEA
 

Looking at airfares to YYJ (Victoria, BC) and YVR (Vancouver), I have decided to fly to SEA, which is much much cheaper on UA/AC right now.

Here's my question: what are my options for getting from SEA to Victoria (specifically, the University of Victoria)? I see there is a ferry called "the Victoria Clipper" that travels from SEA (not the airport, I assume) to Victoria. I could do that for $59 round-trip. The trip is 2:45 (which is longer than my flight!).

Alternatively I could rent a car and drive... map24 says to drive west over Puget Sound and take a bridge from Port Angeles to Victoria. This is 3:35 estimated driving time, but does add flexibility (the last ferry is at 15:15, but I could drive much later in the day of course).

Advice?

There isn't a bridge from Port Angeles to Victoria. There is a ferry called the Coho between the two cities, that I've taken before as a walk on passenger. It would probably be easier to just take the Victoria Clipper from the Seattle waterfront.
http://www.cohoferry.com/

Edited to add: to take a car on the ferry is $40 one way, or you'd have to pay to park in Port Angeles. This make the Victoria Clipper look even better.

That would be one honking long bridge!
The Clipper can be fun...as long as it isn't crappy weather and you get sea sick. Either that or you can drive to Anacortes and take the ferry from there. It's about 2 hours from Seattle up I-5.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Google maps has a 14-hour driving-only route. I think the Victoria Clipper is what I'll do! :)

I have a 2pm arriving flight and the ferry departs at 3:15pm; looks like SEA is close enough to Port 69 (12 miles?!) that it shouldn't be hard to make that connection. So taxi from SEA to Port 69, take ferry, then another taxi from there to the University.

Thanks!

It's quite easy to get from the airport to downtown Seattle with either the 174 or 194 bus (the 194 hits I5 and makes better time). and then just a 2-3 block walk down to the waterfront..
http://transit.metrokc.gov/

You might want to check to see how early the Clipper makes you check in. An hour and 15 minutes seems like not enough time.

The clipper check-in can be quite slow but they don't seem to be too stern on the cutoff. I think it's something like one hour before hand, then you wait in line inside their terminal building. The actual boarding process is really fast.

Other options
 

If the Clipper doesn't work out, there are a couple of other options:

Kenmore Air flies from Lake Union to downtown Victoria. There's good public bus service from the Inner Harbour to U Vic. Kenmore Air is not cheap, but neither is the Clipper, and they sometimes have fare sales that allow them to compete with the Clipper. The view is fantastic.

Renting a car and driving up to Tsawassen might be a better option than renting a car and driving to Port Angeles, if you decide to drive, depending on the lines at the border. The BC Ferries run more often than the Coho and the trip is more scenic. You can also park and walk on in Tsawassen, with okay bus service from Swartz Bay to U Vic (there's a transfer, I think).

Their website says "Arrive at the pier at least 45 minutes prior to your departure time. Boarding begins promptly!"

I'm hoping with an on-time arrival to SEA at 2:05pm I can make check-in by 2:30pm, but it does sound tight, and a late aircraft could ruin everything! <gulp>

I just called Clipper; the lady said they close the doors 15 mins before departure, so I would have to arrive by 3pm for the 3:15pm ferry. She thought a 2:05pm arrival at SEA was not going to make it. And if you miss the ferry, it's non-refundable.

Ugh.. time for other options.

The Clipper people can occasionally be snarky. They're more used to tourists, not business travellers or commuters, so tend to aim their rules towards tourists. I've gotten there an hour ahead as recommended and waited in the crowd forever, but have also gotten there 15 minutes before departure and got on the boat (after a couple of stern stares and harsh words from the gate person, but I got on!). The non-refundable issue is something to consider, though.

The Kenmore Air website is at www. kenmoreair.com. They're a little more expensive than I remember, but if your schedule fits for a web special, that would help.

They have a cheap special from Boeing Field (just north of SeaTac) to Port Angeles, where you could catch the Coho... oh, too complicated! :eek:

Yes, too complicated. Especially for me, unfamiliar with the area.

I decided to move my flights to get to SEA by 12:45pm. This should be more than enough time for a 3:15pm clipper, even with a (reasonable) aircraft delay.

Thanks to all who helped!

Just thought I'd post a report on my experience...

Took the Clipper on Jun 27th: very windy afternoon with high seas in Juan de Fuca Strait, so we did a 4.5 hr ride up through the San Juans to avoid the weather. (The normal ride is 2.5 hrs!)

People still got sick. The boat was only half-full, which was nice.

The next evening I took the Clipper back and there was just a gentle swell, so we did the 2.5 hr route across Juan de Fuca and Puget sound. Every seat sold, but it was fine. (I spent over half the trip on deck.)

All in all, a reliable fun way to get to Victoria from Seattle. ^