The BC Ferries Swartz Bay Terminal is located near Victoria on Vancouver Island (specifically on…read morethe Saanich Peninsula, about 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria).  It forms the island end of the major ferry route connecting Vancouver Island to Tsawwassen, which is the terminal located south of Metro Vancouver.

I've taken this ferry from Victoria to Vancouver a handful of times over the years. This was the…read morefirst time I had reservations. Because of an accident, I had to change my reservation to a day earlier. We needed to get off the island ASAP and get back to the states in case my wife needed to see a doctor or be hospitalized. Customer service was good to work with. They listened to my story and helped me change my reservation a couple of times. No waiving of fees, not that I was hoping for fee waiver. They did their job and was able to make reservations on the ferry that my wife wanted. Car boarding instructions was a little unclear. I wanted to keep my wife in the car as we made our crossing. I was told that we were supposed to go up to the seating area. Later on I found out that she could've stayed in the car. It was a nice ferry ride from Victoria to Vancouver. It was very smooth compared to the Port Angeles to Victoria ferry ride where it was a little rough. Also, the BC Ferry to/from Victoria and Vancouver is scheduled for almost every hour. BC Ferries is like a well oiled machine. I most likely will take it again to make up for what our medical emergency made us miss.

Beautiful ferry terminal here at Tsawwassen. We arrived here unreserved and had to wait out 2…read moreferries before we got on one. But the little play area and the cafe mall kept her 5 year old pretty engaged through the 2 hours of wait time. Lots of food options at the terminal, so no worries about refreshments. and lots of open grass areas for pets to laze and go. Staff make very timely announcements and ensure transparency with delays as quickly as they can. One sincere advice - please make reservations during peak hours, it is so much better. Once abroad, the ride is amazing. Ferries are well maintained and clean.

Call me crazy but the spicy ultimate crunch on the ferry is one of my favourite chicken burgers,…read moreand I eat a lot of chicken burgers. Maybe it's the destination that makes it good, maybe it's that you're usually travelling with family, who knows? The ferry it's self although sometimes annoying to drive on, has been improved lots by the reservation system! Walk on has never been a problem ever. Ferries are nice inside for the amount of traffic they see and perfectly fine for a hour and a half boat ride. Some complain lots about the ferries for some reason? Book in advance and show up 30 minutes before the sailing and it'll be a much more pleasant experience!

I've taken the Coho numerous times both on foot and with my car and it's one of my favorite…read moreexperiences in the PNW. It's a very convenient way to visit Victoria for a day as a walk-on passenger and a helluva lot cheaper than the Clipper. If you do take your car, I'd highly recommend you return via the BC ferry out of Swartz Bay. The sail to Tsawwassen on the mainland is absolutely spectacular and it's well worth the added driving distance back to Seattle.

We took the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. The ride itself was nice, though a tad rough. In…read moreorder for you to make the crossing, you need to bring travel ID, like a passport, passport card, or NEXUS card, as you are crossing into another country. The ferry ride itself was about 90 minutes. It took another 30-45 minutes to get off the ferry and go through Canadian customs (border patrol). The ferry drops you off in a great location in the Victoria Harbor. We liked the ferry and the ride. Dealing with customs, whether USA or Canada is always rough.

Our overall experience with Victoria Harbour Ferry was very positive! I was able to book my tickets…read moredirectly off the website and show up 5 mins before the ferry departed. These are small ferry rides with at most 7-8 other folks, so you almost get a very personal experience on the waters since the captain/host has the time to connect, take questions, etc. You are sitting almost at the water level which is another plus as well of these small ferries. The ferry left on time and brought us back on time. Our captain/host was amazing, well informed, spunky and just balanced the fun and the chatter perfectly. We did get a good amount of waves on the second half of the ride and the kids really got a kick out of it. We even managed to see a seal and see the pedestrian bridge open to allow a ferry carrying rocks to pass on our ride, which was just pure luck. Other things that you can expect to see is lots of seaplanes landing/taking off, a variety of boats - patrol, sailing, rowing boats and then the larger commercial ferries, private yatchs, etc. Even though we did not have to pay for our toddler, we thought that the tickets are still expensive and wish there were some discounted windows where folks could try to shave off a few dollars.

What a cool experience! It's a ferry that takes you to your destination when traveling around…read moreVictoria Harbour. You can totally see why it's needed just by looking at a map of the city. The harbor is divided into 4 active sections. The cruise ships dock at Ogden Point in the Outer Harbour. The water taxi services the Inner, Upper, and Middle Harbour. It's a great transport option that is more affordable than a standard taxi. There can be a wait time. You may want to book a water taxi ahead of time if you're traveling in a group. The boat can only take up to 12 passengers. Our BC Bites & Sights guide booked it in advance so there was only a 10 minute wait at the Fisherman's Wharf pick up point. We saw a couple of sights along the way. There was a great view of the seaplane port, and the Empress Hotel in the Inner Harbor. We also passed under the Johnson Street Bridge with its beautiful aqua blue lights. We arrived to our destination (Mermaid Wharf) in a matter of minutes. Yes, I know we could have walked to Chinatown. It was already part of the tour, so why not? It would have taken longer to walk, and it was a cold & windy day. Some people in our group said it felt like being near the Great Lakes. The wind around Shoal Point was brutal that evening. I'm sure it's much worse in the Winter. It was fun! I think this is considered to be a Top 10 attraction here, and not just a ferry service. They do offer tours of the Inner Harbour as well as the Gorge Waterway. The latter one would be great for wildlife enthusiasts. That's definitely a tour I'd like to take one day.

3.5 Stars. For lunch…read moreoption, the ferry from Sydney to Anacortes is decent. The English muffin sandwich is a good size for moderate appetite. The tots are pretty crispy. The croissant sandwich was alright. Prices are moderately reasonable. The cafeteria has beers, soups, salads, coffee, hot cocoa. Granted you won't be starved without options.

We sat by the window with amazing views. We also got to speak with Bart who wasn't able bodied…read moreseaman and also a pilot and he was fascinating and gave us a history of the ferry and also details all around the San Juan Islands. He made our trip so enjoyable. We will be back!

Washington State Ferries (WSF), Kennewick vessel, Friday, August, 16, 2024, 9:30 am. We were on a…read moreroad trip in a Class B RV (which is van-sized), and needed to travel from Port Townsend, WA to Coupeville, WA. In investigating our options on a mapping app, we found that we had two options -- to drive about 215 miles (4 hours, 45 minutes, plus toll) OR take a ferry (about 8 miles, 45 minutes plus wait time). With some apprehension about how it would work with our oversized and tall vehicle, we decided to take the ferry. We made a reservation online about two weeks before our planned trip, and many of the time slots for our preferred travel date were already taken but we were still able to get a slot at 9:30 am. The reservation "no show" fee was $10, charged only if the reservation is not used. We were pleased to find that there was a category to identify our vehicle as being "under 22' in length, and 7'6" to 13' tall." (There are also options to ride standby when vessel space is available). Washington State Ferries has loading down to a science. On our travel day, we were warmly greeted by the attendant at the entrance tollbooth. One senior (my husband) with vehicle under 22' was $15.30, while I was counted as an adult passenger for $4.10, for a total of $19.40 for two people and the RV. After paying, we were directed by staff to park in a specific lane (with other RVs) and allowed to disembark from our vehicle to grab a coffee or use the restrooms. The process of loading the ferry was highly organized. Every inch of space seemed to be used -- without unused space but also without there being vehicles that didn't fit. We were most impressed in seeing how easily an 18-wheeler semi also fit! After all of the vehicles were parked, the ferry left the dock and many passengers left their vehicles to move upstairs for the water views or to grab a snack. Disembarking in Coupeville was equally efficient. Overall, we had a great experience -- smooth sailing, efficient operations -- but also recognize that service disruptions may occur due to adverse weather conditions or emergency repairs. On this particular day, we were fortunate to have saved hundreds of miles and hours of driving, and nice smooth sailing. One small quibble. We found the WSF's website to be confusing for newcomers to ferry operations. .

Not a fan of this one. When your service is so volatile that high winds can cancel most, if not all…read moreof the ferries in a single day, just build a bridge. Also, the guy standing on the curb near the entrance, who informed us of the cancellations, told us that there were no reservations available for any other crossings, even later in the evening. This proved to be completely false, as we booked a reservation five minutes afterward, and by mid afternoon, the winds had subsided enough that we were able to board and cross without any issue. Government incompetence at its finest!

When we were in Seattle, we took a fairy to British Columbia, Victoria, day trip , Pretty Fun…read more Everybody on the fairy was nice. They got snacks on the boat, fresh , bagels, croissants, cinnamon, buns, you name they have. Good selection of alcoholic drinks and soft drinks.

I am blind and my wife has mobility issues. We came from Victoria to Seattle on Oct. 19th. A crew…read moreperson named Jacob and a lady whose name we didn't get were incredibly helpful in helping us board and debark from the ship. I highly recommend both of these people for any recognition available and I thank the Clipper service generally.

Breathtaking Morning Views & Smooth Sailing to Orcas Island!…read more ​We booked our reservation in advance for the 7:30 AM ferry to Orcas Island on a Friday. Reservations are mandatory, so you definitely need to book ahead. As required, make sure to arrive at the ferry terminal at least one hour before departure (the same applies for the return trip). The round-trip fare for two adults and a standard vehicle was around $90. The journey takes about an hour, and taking this early morning ferry is perfect for catching a gorgeous sunrise over the water. ​Once you park your car, you can relax in one of the comfortable booth seats inside, or head out to the deck to take in the stunning views of the surrounding islands. The ferry features a snack bar and vending machines, as well as a wide selection of travel brochures and maps to help you plan your island adventure.

I made online ferry reservations ahead of schedule back on 7/21/26 for a round trip day trip from…read moreAnacortes to Orcas Island on 9/16/26. I chose a midweek (Wednesday) and post Labor Day, so much less high season/summer traffic. Last time I was on Orcas Island was back in 2011 and for The Homie, he and his friends went last June 2025. I was last on San Juan Island back in Oct 2020. Note: this ferry terminal serves the following routes *Friday Harbor/San Juan Island *Lopez Island *Shaw Island and Orcas Island To give ample time and to guarantee getting on the scheduled 725am departure, we left Shoreline at 430am. We arrived at the ferry terminal without issue by 6am. We were the second car in the Orcas Island car lane. Bonus for us, nice sunrise, and great view of Mt. Baker. Pro tips: Give yourself extra time - especially on commuter weekdays and especially weekends. No speeding heading to Anacortes, WSP can and will pull you over on I-5 and Hwy 20. Retain your reservation email - this will have your bar code that will be scanned at the ticket booth. Payment is also completed at the booth. For example, round trip car & driver, plus an adult passenger, plus fee using a debit card cost me under $100. Retain your printed receipt as proof of payment during your sailings to and from. Bring snacks, food, and beverages in an ice cooler. There's two onsite cafes by the terminal, as well as, restrooms. These have basic stuff like breakfast sandwiches, but it seems hot coffee & espresso are popular. Decent selection of travel brochures, flyers, and magazines on board. Surprisingly, there are also puzzles you can work on during your sailing. Bathrooms are clean, plenty of seating, but the galley may or may not be open. There are limited vending machines onboard. It takes about an hour or so, depends if there's a stop at Shaw Island also within this sailing. The ferry personnel are friendly. Big signage and announcements are made prior to each ferry boarding. Just make sure you and your passengers are all in your vehicle well before boarding for departure. Enjoy your ferry ride - one of the most scenic destinations in Washington State!

As any Washington resident can tell you, Ferry Docks (hell, the Ferry Service itself) are hardly…read moreworthy of rating. For the most part, they're all the same: well-trained support personnel to ticket, assist and direct drivers as they line up their vehicles to board the next ferry; adequate waiting and parking facilities to accommodate vehicles with reservations, as well as those who may need to standby for another ferry; clean (not quite rest stop quality) restrooms; and dry, serviceable, no-frills walk-on passenger waiting areas equipped with self-serve ticketing kiosks. That said, located in a wildlife preserve next to Whidbey Island's historic Fort Casey, the Keystone-Coupeville Ferry Dock features an absolutely gorgeous backdrop -- especially at dawn, sunset and during the evening twilight hours.

This is the ferry check in station on Whidbey island. It goes across to Port Townsend. Very busy…read moretransfer station. Highly recommend reservation, and if it's standby, keep checking cause someone may cancel theirs. They only allow a certain amount of standby vehicles. You can walk on, bike and even motorcycle on. I even saw a semi coming off of it! We took the 1:15 ferry and wow so busy! About a 30 minute ride and so smooth we took a nap in our car. You are allowed to leave your car and head up to the top deck for a nice view. They also have a galley for snacks too. And restrooms available.