Help Needed for pre-cruise planning for Seatte and Victoria

[Cruiser121212]

Hello All:

I will be doing the Alaska cruise, sailing r/t out of Seattle end of August 2015. I plan to fly into Seattle 8/26 and sightsee there 8/26 and 8/27. Would like to go to Victoria on 8/28 to see Buschart Gardens and return to Seattle on 8/29.

 

What's the most economical way to get from Seattle to Victoria? There are two of us so renting a car and driving there is a possibility but don't know if that would be more economical than taking the Victoria Clipper's package to include one night hotel and Buschart Gardens & City Tour which will only allow 2 hours at Buschart Gardens? Any suggestions or recommendations will be most welcome.

[mapleleaves]

If you rent a car, price the option of driving to Port Angeles and taking the Coho to Victoria as a walk on passenger. I did this trip many times when my best friend lived in PAngeles. It's about a 2 1/2 hr drive then allow time to find parking, etc.

I don't know which hotel the Clipper uses, but we stayed at the Royal Scot one year. From Victoria there is frequent shuttle service to/from the garden with or w/o admission. I think it's greyline or cvs.

https://www.cohoferry.com/Schedule

 

Are you doing a RT Seattle cruise, stopping in Victoria ? If so, another option is to disembark in Victoria, overnight at a hotel, see the gardens and take the Clipper to Seattle when you're ready.

 

There is lots of info on transportation options on the Butchart website: http://www.butchartgardens.com/visit/location

 

The Clipper is certainly the most convenient option. Perhaps price the Clipper transportation plus a hotel of your own choosing?

Edited February 27, 2015 by mapleleaves

[PNW Traveler]

The ideas posted by Maple Leaves are good and would be my first choice if I had allowed an extra day or two for a scenic drive to Port Angeles. (On my last trip to Victoria I did a "walk on" on the Port Angeles Coho Victoria ferry and stayed at a B & B about two blocks from the Empress Hotel.)

 

However, with your stated schedule, I would choose the Victoria Clipper option. The Clipper website often has some excellent discounts beyond the advertised overnight package price.

 

My favorite places in Victoria are Murchies tea on Government Street and nearby Munro's Books, the Provincial Museum (superb) behind the Empress Hotel, strolling through the lobby of the Empress Hotel, the abundance of flowers everywhere, and of course, Buchart Gardens. Allow time to walk and explore the inner harbor area and Government Street as well as for your visit to the gardens.

[mapleleaves]

The Port Angeles option would look like this:

 

8/28 Leave Seattle 9am, drive to Port Angeles. Catch the 12:45 ferry arriving 1:30. Check into the hotel, then take the shuttle to Butchart.

 

8/29 explore Victoria. Catch the 3pm ferry back to Port Angeles, arriving at 4:30. Then 2 1/2 hr drive back to Seattle.

 

http://www.cvstours.com/butchart-gardens-express-shuttle-schedule.html

[Gardyloo]

Let me make a suggestion that others may disagree with, just to give you some options.

 

My personal opinion, but while Butchart Gardens are certainly lovely, they're also very expensive, crowded, and pretty hard/expensive to get to, particularly from Seattle at the peak season.

 

Are there "easier" alternatives that might - overall - provide for an equally enjoyable experience? In my view, absolutely.

 

For example, on Bainbridge Island, an incredibly scenic 40-min. ferry ride from downtown Seattle, is the Bloedel Reserve, a marvelous combination of Pacific Northwest, Japanese, and other regional plantings. Combined with a day on the island, it's a terrific day trip from Seattle.

 

And since you're apparently taking a round-trip cruise from Seattle, you won't be stopping or getting close to Vancouver BC on the trip...

 

Unless you combine a visit to that marvelous city with visits to Vancouver's answer(s) to Butchart - the Queen Elizabeth II Park and Bloedel Conservatory, and the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, both located near the city center and easily doable as an overnight, or even a day trip, using the Amtrak Cascades train if you choose.

 

Like Butchart, the QE2 gardens are partially developed in a disused quarry, and the Bloedel conservatory is one of the best of its kind in North America. But unlike Butchart, they're public gardens, so no huge admission fee. If you wanted, you could take the morning (and super scenic) Amtrak train from Seattle that gets into Vancouver around noon, have dim sum in Vancouver's wonderful Chinatown, then hop a taxi to the QE2 gardens - maybe C$15 - explore the gardens and conservatory, and still have gobs of time to head back to the station for the (equally lovely sunset) ride back to Seattle.

 

The train is less bumpy and cheaper than the Clipper, not to mention the Clipper takes you to Victoria's Inner Harbour, and Butchart is a half hour (or more) away. Or, if you want to use the car, you can return from Vancouver to Seattle via the very scenic Whidbey Island alternate route, maybe with a stop at amazing Deception Pass on the way.

 

Either way, I suspect you'd see more, and at a lower cost, than spending the same time traveling to Victoria. And this way, when your ship stops in Victoria on the way back, you can spend your time in the Inner Harbour area rather than being hustled off to the money vacuum at Butchart.

 

Like I said, just my opinion, but one based on considerable personal experience.

[Cruiser121212]

Thanks for your response. Are there any safe and reasonable priced parking at the ferry terminal in Port Angeles to leave the car overnight since we more than likely have to leave the big suitcases in the car?

[Cruiser121212]

The Port Angeles option would look like this:

 

8/28 Leave Seattle 9am, drive to Port Angeles. Catch the 12:45 ferry arriving 1:30. Check into the hotel, then take the shuttle to Butchart.

 

8/29 explore Victoria. Catch the 3pm ferry back to Port Angeles, arriving at 4:30. Then 2 1/2 hr drive back to Seattle.

 

http://www.cvstours.com/butchart-gardens-express-shuttle-schedule.html

 

Thanks for all your responses. Are there any safe and reasonable priced parking at the ferry terminal in Port Angeles to leave the car overnight since we more than likely have to leave the big suitcases in the car?

[mapleleaves]

Thanks for your response. Are there any safe and reasonable priced parking at the ferry terminal in Port Angeles to leave the car overnight since we more than likely have to leave the big suitcases in the car?

 

 

There are lots available near the terminal. See the Coho web site. ( they also have package deals with hotels)

https://www.cohoferry.com/Walk-on-or-Bike-on

 

The safest place to leave your luggage is at your previous hotel. They'll hold it for you.

[Cruiser121212]

Thanks much...your responses have been very helpful.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm a bit puzzled. Which cruise line are you going on? I thought all of the RTs out of Seattle make their PVSA stop in Victoria? I know that on Princess that's the case, unless things have changed.

[Cruiser121212]

I'm a bit puzzled. Which cruise line are you going on? I thought all of the RTs out of Seattle make their PVSA stop in Victoria? I know that on Princess that's the case' date=' unless things have changed.[/quote']

 

They do make a stop in Victoria but my ship, the Ruby Princess, does not get there until 7PM and departs 11:59PM. That does not leave anytime to explore the city!

[Colfireman]

Hello All:

I will be doing the Alaska cruise, sailing r/t out of Seattle end of August 2015. I plan to fly into Seattle 8/26 and sightsee there 8/26 and 8/27. Would like to go to Victoria on 8/28 to see Buschart Gardens and return to Seattle on 8/29.

 

What's the most economical way to get from Seattle to Victoria? There are two of us so renting a car and driving there is a possibility but don't know if that would be more economical than taking the Victoria Clipper's package to include one night hotel and Buschart Gardens & City Tour which will only allow 2 hours at Buschart Gardens? Any suggestions or recommendations will be most welcome.

 

Clipper to Victoria with a stay over package. Take a city bus or rent a car for the day and then you have all the time in the world to explore Butchart Gardens, and lots of other interesting tourist places in Victoria.

 

Greg

[mapleleaves]

Clipper to Victoria with a stay over package. Take a city bus or rent a car for the day and then you have all the time in the world to explore Butchart Gardens, and lots of other interesting tourist places in Victoria.

 

OP was looking for an economical option to explore.

Perhaps a 2 day car rental with Coho walk-on fare is cheaper than the Clipper. The Clipper is $150pp, whereas I've rented from Budget in Renton or Kent for $30 a day. They'll need to do the math to determine which option is best, given the extra work involved in driving.

 

Personally, i'd just disembark the ship in Victoria and make my own way back to Seattle. But perhaps their plane reservations have already been made.

[Michelle!]

I wouldn't worry about the two hours in Butchart gardens. It takes approximately 1.0 hour to stroll through and enjoy. The timing gives you enough time to browse through the amazing gift shop. The clipper is a good solid product.