Vancouver Travel Forum

My husband and I are traveling to Vancouver in the next two weeks. We would like to visit Victoria and Whistler. Does anyone have any reccomendations for transportation as I have just learned the train is not yet running? We only want to spend one night in each area so we save enough days for Vancouver. Is a rental car our best bet? Also, it is our 10yr anniversary... any tips on some great local restaraunts??

Thanks!

We hired a car for travelling around Canada, including vancouver island. For Vancouver itself, we used public transport, walking, and did a tour. If you drive to vancouver island, leave plenty of time for the ferry queue, we got caught by the long unexpected (by us) queues and missed getting on one ferry, so had to wait for another, so lost a good part of a full day. You may want an extra day or two in Victoria, it really is very nice. Do not miss the Butchart gardens even if you are not a gardener, they are fantastic! Might be a good idea to read peoples tips to get an idea of what there is in each place. You do this by clicking on their name, then on the travel page, the destination you want to read about.

Vancouver - Tapastree is a nice place for an anniversary www.tapastree.ca
What type of food do you like?
Victoria has a great deal at Il Terazzo www.ilterrazzo.com
Whistler try Bearfoot Bistro or La Rua
Car is best and bus to Victoria is 2nd best in my opinion.

have fun. i am from Vancouver Island there. if your fixed on one day (best to have more), you will miss a lot. ferry each way is just under 2 hours sailing time....plus with car you may miss a sailing or 2 depending when you travel. if time is flexible try going during the week, weekends are really busy. if your going by foot, you wont miss sailings as long as your on time. with such time restraints, rental car is best...but costs more.

with a 1 day time frame (keeping in mind the last ferry is usually 9pm, or was when i lived there, your a little stuck for time. butcharts is quite nice. i used to take tourist friends to a few spots around victoria area, such as these:

Goldstream park (large cedar trees and a very basic intro to Van. Islands natural beauty)
Mt. Tolmie (gives a view of the city, romantic at night with the car ;) )
Mt Douglas (gives a higher/better view of much of greater victoria and gulf islands)
Parliament buildings (see about tour times), royal museum (beside parliament buildings) is good, but maybe not that important for a short stay....
Fort Rod Hill is a neat little park that is old ww2 area for ocean observation (costs $ to get in)
Butchart gardens is neat. also right beside it is a park called Gowland tod, very pretty about a 20-30 walk down to the water, many trails in there but not needed if in a time crunch.

there are MANY more places on vancouver island to check out. but require more time to see. my favourite places are:

Strathcona park in Comox (forbidden plateau is amazing and easy to get to without any hiking)....also is by a ski resort, Mt. Washington. 3-4 hour drive from victoria.

San Joseph bay, northern tip...at least 3 days total as a min. from victoria, but the drive up and the scenery is simply breathtaking.

Tofino. half day from victoria each way.

Duncan and cowichan valley. about 1.5-2 hours from victoria. much native american cultural things there.


you may consider taking the ferry from vancouver, to victoria (actually Sidney) and playing in victoria, then driving up north through Duncan on to a place called Nanaimo. Nanaimo has ferry service (just like victoria) to north vancouver, and is actually really convenient to go from there to whistler (you avoid downtown vancouver driving and get to see more of vancouver island).

for whistler, there are many things to see. my suggestion is rent a bicycle or car and get one of their little B4 sized maps, and go visit some of the places. you can also go see some things being made now for the olympics like the ski jumps and such, i saw them about 6 months ago.

i just found this site, so not sure if i will be back right away. if you want some info on the area feel free to email me at kadasgarden (at) hotmail.com

have a great trip!!!!!!

I agree with you Kyle- Taiwan. We did as you suggested only the other way around.

WOW... you all are wonderful!! I think we need much more than a week.... I guess that means I will have to come back next year :)!!

We will definately get a car and I think we will do the northern ferry to Nanimo and then drive the island to Victoria. So much to do and so little time. Thanks for the information on restaraunts... I think we will check out the ones in Whistler.

Also, we have a penchant for SE Asian cusine (yummy)... I have heard that Vancouver is know for its soup (PHO) stalls... any reccomendations?

ballhanna-
Did you go to Whistler first, then Horseshoe bay ferry and then on to Victoria? That is what we are thinking as well.

How many days.... I am trying to convince my husband to extend and add 2 more!!!

Lynn

Hi, Yes, we came from Whistler, and crossed on the Horseshoe bay ferry. We were there half an hour early, and the queues were horrendous, don't know because it was the time of day or if it is normal, perhaps a local may answer for you. We didn't get loaded that ferry, so it meant a very long wait for the next, so leave extra time for the ferry. Its a good crossing. Its a nice drive down. We were on a time frame, so didn't get to see and do all we wanted. By this time of our holiday, my husband had had enough of driving (wrong side of the road for us) and was looking forward to getting home. All I know is that I would have liked to have spent more than 2 days, we lost one of those through the ferry debacle. Vancouver Island did have a good website, I can't find it for you, if you google, something will come up. You will have a great time. Plenty of romantic horse and carriage rides over there. Happy holidays.

Any Friday, especially May 18th will be horrendous(long weekend Victoria Day). You can go online and make a reservation www.bcferries.com if you want, not expensive.

I prefer the Spicy Beef soup at the shopping mall food court next to my office. Once a week. I think you will find about 40 PHO restaurants around that every one will recommend. Sorry best I can do.

the ferries have always been like that. you need to get there early. your best bet is to avoid holidays and weekends when possible. in the summer and holidays 2 sailing waits are not uncommon :(

I have a post card with a photo of a banana slug saying "What's the rush? Your on island time." and thats about it.

2 days are never enough, ideally vacations could last forever lol.

There is a nice mexican restaurant in nanaimo called "Gina's". In vancouver i like mongolian grill...all you can eat. Whistler i love the brew pub there (name escapes me)...the beer jug i hav here fomr the restaurant says MJG. anyway, their beer is good! also be sure to try granville island brewery beer, excellent stuff if you like beer.

when you are driving down from nanaimo to victoria there are many vinyards and such you can check out and do wine tasting. Keep your eyes peeled once you pass duncan. Cobble hill has many. after mill bay, not much.

There is a nice simming lake called shawnigan lake. this is 5km off the highway from Mill bay. nothing spectacular, but offers a new view other than highway.

There is also a ferry from Mill bay to a place called Brentwood bay (i used to take it every day for school). really pretty, and lands in right by butchart gardens (butcharts is in Brentwood bay, not victoria) there is a couple good restaurants at the brentwood bay side of the ferry, avoid the chinese place (oily and not tasty). on the mill bay side, teh terminal is simply and on an indian reservation. when i lived there, a nice woman would walk up and down selling things like knitted clothing (their style). if you want native style clothes, best form them as it supports them and is much cheaper. but keep in mind this is a tiny ferry, so its a nice calm relaxing side route.