Need Help Please! Ferry from downtown Seattle to Victoria or Flying to Victoria

Hello,:hearteyes::eek: we are flying into Seattle Friday Oct 12 plan to stay at the airport. Sat & Sun booked in Victoria then ferrying to Vancouver for another 2 nights before cruise. Would like some feedback on taking ferry from downtown Seattle to downtown Victoria or flying to Victoria airport. Rough guess costs would work out same for either. Am I right? Thanks We both are elderly and have mobility issues. I use a walker.

Since airfare is the sort of thing that can vary minute to minute at times you'll need to check pricing on your dates, do the math, and of course decide if you want to wait for a sale on flights/hope they don't increase and perhaps keep running the numbers... Clipper is at least always a known cost, $105pp if you book at least a week in advance, but I can't say as I've ever looked at flights Seattle-Victoria to have a clue how variable pricing on that route is.

Something you might not realise is how far away Victoria airport is from the city - it's over 25km/~15 miles. Without your own vehicle it's a pricey cab ride (at least $50, could be $70, depends which hotel and what traffic is like). Public transit won't work for you - no help with luggage and no real storage space on transit buses for suitcases. The shuttle service is priced $25pp so for a couple you'll almost certainly save a few bucks compared to a cab (but NB: check there's a stop convenient for your hotel).

Clipper brings you to downtown Victoria rather than the airport, so a short cab ride to your hotel (likely $10 or less to any downtown hotel). But of course you also have to get to downtown Seattle for the Clipper, since your hotel is out at Seatac - with fixed-rate car services like EastSideForHire I believe that's going to run you about US$30. So overall it would cost less to get from your hotel to the Clipper than from YYJ to your Victoria hotel.

Honestly, if it were me, I'd rank the Clipper as qualitatively better - you can walk around, you see pretty islands, you might even see some whales/dolphins/seals etc. on the way. It might be slower than flying - but no airport security! You'll have to do Canadian immigration regardless, so that's probably a wash between boat and plane.

Another option for you is Kenmore Air, with scheduled flights to Victoria that land in the city, inner harbor, near hotels and sights. Kenmore Air is a Seattle-based floatplane service and has been in business for many years. It's an option you may wish to consider. Kenmore Air offers transfers and connections from Seattle-Tacoma airport.

https://www.kenmoreair.com/destinations/Victoria-Inner-Harbour/

The planes board and land at docks. I'm thinking a walker could be easily accommodated.

You've chosen a special and interesting pre-cruise itinerary. Good luck with your travel plans and enjoy Victoria!

^I think all Kenmore flights are limited to very small baggage allowances PNW_T; 25lbs total per passenger as well as max bag volume ~a standard airline carryon size IIRC (Harbour Air up here run some larger twin-engine floatplanes that can handle 'regular' 50lb bags, but Kenmore is all single-engine Beavers & Otters I think).

Plus the whole having to climb up into the plane issue - even the closest seat to the door could be very challenging for someone who needs a walker.

We chose to fly directly into Victoria - we wanted to maximize our vacation time and minimize travel time. After two nights in Victoria, we took the ferry to Vancouver for two nights, and then got on our cruise to Alaska. I think the cost worked out about the same as flying into Seattle, but we had more vacation time.

Hmm. Every option has its pros and cons. But doesn't the ferry to the mainland leave from Sydney? Maybe that's just to Tsawwassen.

We chose to fly directly into Victoria - we wanted to maximize our vacation time and minimize travel time. After two nights in Victoria, we took the ferry to Vancouver for two nights, and then got on our cruise to Alaska. I think the cost worked out about the same as flying into Seattle, but we had more vacation time.

Isn't that interesting. I will be on a short cruise from San Diego to Vancouver soon. I wanted to maximize the journey and minimize jet lag.

Hmm. Every option has its pros and cons. But doesn't the ferry to the mainland leave from Sydney? Maybe that's just to Tsawwassen.

Tsawwassen is on the mainland (the other option, Horseshoe Bay, also goes from Sydney for their 'Victoria' route) - but thanks to BC Ferries Connector you can get a downtown Victoria coach pickup that takes you to the ferry then to downtown Vancouver on the other end. For mobility-challenged folks it's very possibly the best choice to get between Vic & Van as no need to schlep bags around, no issues with small allowances on floatplanes (although a car rental could be cheaper for 2+ people, you need to be able to handle all your suitcases in and out of the trunk and of course drive an unmodified rental car - depends on the degree of mobility issues).