Victoria vs Vancouver Opinion

[RIP27]

My husband and I will disembark on the Radiance on 8/28/09 in Vancouver, our flight out of Vancouver is on 8/29 at 6:30pm.

 

Having the choice of spending the 28th in Victoria to view the gardens or spending both days taking in the sights in Vancouver, which would you choose and why.

 

Thanks in Advance for all your opinions

Robyn

[scottbee]

My husband and I will disembark on the Radiance on 8/28/09 in Vancouver, our flight out of Vancouver is on 8/29 at 6:30pm.

 

Having the choice of spending the 28th in Victoria to view the gardens or spending both days taking in the sights in Vancouver, which would you choose and why.

 

Make your own decision, but be aware that Vancouver Island is a 4.5 hour trip each way from downtown Vancouver, so getting to Victoria and back does make for a very long day.

[RIP27]

Scottbee, We have been trying to make our own decision for 3 months now, and if these boards were not available with input from those who have traveled and those who live in the area, I would not have thought of posting the question and asking for input.

 

What I am looking for is honest opinions as to the gardens vs a leisurely day in Vancouver. What would I miss or not miss by going to the gardens.

 

I have done the research and am completely tossed about the decision!

 

Robyn

[Gardyloo]

The Queen Elizabeth Park gardens and Bloedel Conservatory, along with the nearby Van Dusen gardens IN the city of Vancouver are more than adequate substitutes IMO, not to mention a lot cheaper, less hyped, and dead easy to get to - on the bus if you like. I don't think you need to go through the hassle and expense of getting over to the island if you want a world-class garden experience. Personally I like them better than Butchart Gardens, but I may be in a minority on that.

 

http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth/

http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/bloedel/index.htm

http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/vandusen/index.htm

[Tweedy]

I agree with Gardyloo. Stay in Vancouver as there is plenty to see here. QE Park and Van Dusen are close to each other and both are great to visit. Save yourself the money it would cost to get to Victoria and the gardens.

[RIP27]

Gardyloo, thank you for your opinion, that is what I was looking for. I appreciate your help and your input

 

Robyn

[orchid72]

My husband and I will disembark on the Radiance on 8/28/09 in Vancouver, our flight out of Vancouver is on 8/29 at 6:30pm.

 

Having the choice of spending the 28th in Victoria to view the gardens or spending both days taking in the sights in Vancouver, which would you choose and why.

 

Thanks in Advance for all your opinions

Robyn

 

It really depends on what you want to do, and what your interests are.

 

I am assuming you have never been to Vancouver before. So based on this assumption and given you only have 2 days in Vancouver, I would skip Victoria because of the hassle of trying to get there - it IS a long way to go to only see a garden. I would personally go there only if it were part of a multi-day trip exploring the Island. But to make a *day trip* just for the garden is, IMHO, not worth the time, money, or effort. (Even if you tack on having tea at the Empress and seeing a bit of the Capital, it is still not worth it to me. But that is just me.)

 

Also, as someone else had pointed out, there are other gardens here in Vancouver (that you can easily reach by public transport), if your priority is to go to one.

 

If you REALLY are just dying to go to Victoria to see Butchart Gardens, then do it. Don't let anybody else tell you otherwise because you might only live to regret it. But, if you're just kinda thinking it would be nice to see it, and you're not sure whether you want to go there or not, then I say skip it if you're only here for 2 days. (BTW, the ferry is not your only option to get to Victoria. You can also take the heli-jet or harbour air for a lot more money, but you'll get there faster.)

 

If I were you, I would spend one day in the city taking in the usual sights - there are many to fill your day, but you can skip some depending on what your interests are. On the second day, if beautiful mountains and scenery is what you are looking for, I would rent a car and do the drive up to Whistler for a day trip. If Whistler is not your thing, then spend 2 days here in the city - there are many things you can do to fill your days.

[RIP27]

thank you all for your input, Vancouver for the 2 days is what I have decided upon, Your insight and input is so appreciated. I knew I could count on this board for assistance in making an informed decision!

[Sailorgirlseattle]

Sounds like you already decided, but I just wanted to chime in and say I'd have made the same decision. Victoria is nice, but it IS a hassle to get there ... and I've run into problems and delays in the return, so needing to catch a cross-country flight back on the mainland would concern me. Besides that, Vancouver is an amazing city and you could easily spend days exploring it and not get bored at all ... in fact, we do! It's a great weekend destiniation for us here in Seattle. You should have a great time! :rolleyes:

[Sally Forth]

I agree with Gardyloo. Stay in Vancouver as there is plenty to see here. QE Park and Van Dusen are close to each other and both are great to visit. Save yourself the money it would cost to get to Victoria and the gardens.

 

Don't forget Nitobe Gardens at UBC.

 

Viv

[scottbee]

Scottbee, We have been trying to make our own decision for 3 months now, and if these boards were not available with input from those who have traveled and those who live in the area, I would not have thought of posting the question and asking for input.

 

What I am looking for is honest opinions as to the gardens vs a leisurely day in Vancouver. What would I miss or not miss by going to the gardens.

 

I have done the research and am completely tossed about the decision!

 

All my warning was, was that Vancouver Island is a lot bigger (bigger than Vermont) and a lot further from Vancouver than it looks on the map. A lot of people are convinced they can visit the gardens in the morning and be back in Vancouver for the rest of the day.

 

That being said, there are some lovely gardens in Vancouver, and the (public) Queen Elizabeth Park (Cambie&30th) is very very nice, and I think given a short time frame you'll find lots to do in Vancouver without adding Victoria to the mix.