There are 3 options to get from downtown Seattle to downtown Victoria, and you can mix and match them to your liking:
1) Direct Seattle-Victoria on Victoria Clipper (no car)
2/10 08:00am Depart Seattle
2/10 10:45am Arrive Victoria
This is the only sailing this day.
2/12 05:00pm Depart Victoria
2/12 07:45pm Arrive Seattle
This is the only sailing this day.
$81 each way or
$104 round trip per person (includes fuel surcharges).
Pro: The fastest, most convenient way to go. Package deals with hotels. Schedules work well each way.
Con: The most expensive per person if traveling in a group. You'll need a carpool/rental when you get there.
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2) Drive + Tsawwassen/Swartz Bay Ferry
2/10 10:00am Depart Seattle (Drive 140 miles, 2:30 + border crossing)
2/10 1:00pm Depart Tsawwassen (Ferry, 1:35)
2/10 2:35pm Depart Swartz Bay (Drive 30 km, 0:30)
2/10 3:05pm Arrive Victoria
There are also nine other sailings from Tsawwassen, so you can arrive in Victoria anytime from 9:05am to 11:05pm.
2/12 2:00pm Depart Victoria (Drive 30km, 0:30)
2/12 3:00pm Depart Swartz Bay (Ferry, 1:35)
2/12 4:35pm Depart Tsawwassen (Drive 140 miles, 2:30 + border crossing)
2/12 7:05pm Arrive Seattle
There are also nine other sailings from Swartz Bay, so you can arrive in Seattle anytime from 11:05am to 1:05am.
$79 each way or
$158 round trip for driver and vehicle (includes approx. gas cost). Additional passengers are $14.25 each way or $28.50 round trip. Discounts available for children (-11).
Pro: Carpool & save (2 passengers per car saves compared to the Clipper) You'll have a car when you get there! Lots of sailings per day.
Con: Longest drive, which includes border crossing.
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3) Drive + Seattle/Bainbridge Ferry* + Port Angeles/Victoria Ferry*
2/10 5:30am or 10:40am Depart Seattle (Ferry, 0:35)
2/10 6:05am or 11:15am Depart Bainbridge (Drive 75 miles, 1:40)
2/10 8:20am or 2:00pm Depart Port Angeles (Ferry, 1:30)
2/10 9:50am or 3:30pm Arrive Victoria
These are the only two sailings this day.
2/12 4:00pm Depart Victoria (Ferry, 1:30)
2/12 5:30pm Depart Port Angeles (Drive 75 miles, 1:40)
2/12 8:10pm Depart Bainbridge (Ferry, 0:35)
2/12 8:45pm Arrive Seattle (or 7:45pm, if you can sneak on the 7:10pm sailing)
There is also a sailing from Victoria at 10:30am, but this won't work (unless you skip sprint camp sessions or stay another day).
$82 each way or
$172 round trip for driver and vehicle (includes approx. gas cost). Additional passengers are $24 northbound and $16.50 southbound, or $40.50 round trip. Discounts available for seniors (65+), juniors (-18), and small vehicles (-14 feet) for the Seattle/Bainbridge ferry, and for children (-11) on the Port Angeles/Victoria ferry.
Pro: Carpool & save (3 passengers per car saves compared to the Clipper). You'll have a car when you get there. If you're arriving/departing from Seattle-Tacoma airport or further south, you can save one ferry trip (time and money) by driving through Tacoma/Bremerton.
Con: Two ferry crossings are several hours longer than the Victoria Clipper. $11-16 online reservation fees per vehicle (not included above) if you book in advance. In February, I'm not sure if advanced reservations are required or not. Only two sailings per day between Port Angeles and Victoria.
* Fares and schedules for these ferries do not yet extend to February, 2012, so I'm basing these on current information.
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Other info:
Round trip from Seattle-Tacoma airport to downtown on
light rail is $5.50 per person and runs all day. Discounts available for seniors (65+) and juniors (-18).
There is also the
Edmonds/Kingston ferry, which gives another option besides the Seattle/Bainbridge. It's the same price, with the same crossing time, with the same amount of sailings per day. Edmonds/Kingston is about 13 miles north of Seattle Bainbridge.
There is an
Anacortes, WA to Sidney, BC car ferry. However, this ferry does not sail in the winter. (Which is a bummer, because this the one I wanted to take!)
Victoria International Airport is 30km north of downtown, near the Swartz Bay and Sidney ferry terminals.