Unless I’m misreading the fare schedule, it looks like to get from Vancouver to Victoria and back (or to Port Angeles) will end up cost close to $200 for a car and 3 people. That seems like a huge chunk of money for traveling on what is in effect a water highway. Any reason for why it is so expensive?
Ships ain’t cheap to buy, maintain and run.
Googling says it’s 24 miles; $100 each way for a car and three people seems reasonable. For comparison, the ferry from Woods Hole to Marthas Vineyard (MA) covers around 8 miles and charges $92.50 each way for a car and 3 adults.
A trip across Lake Michigan on their car ferry will set you back more than that…it’s not something you do to be economical, I don’t think.
This doesn’t really answer your question but; taking the train from Seattle to Vancouver BC is pretty cheap. Vancouver’s mass transit is good and an all-day pass is like $7.00 and I think you can rent a car in Victoria for like $45.00
The Cape May/Lewes Ferry between the Delmarva Peninsula (Ocean City, MD, Rehoboth, Chincoteague) and the Jersey Shore is less than $50 one way.
Maybe I’m just spoiled growing up in Seattle where the ferry system is part of the highway system and run by the state. As a comparison, one-way from Bremerton to Seattle for the 3 of us is less than $30
It’s pretty much this. The provincial government mandates that the ferries provide a certain level of service and does not provide funding for the Vancouver - Vancouver Island runs as they are ‘self supporting’.
About BC Ferries: http://www.bcferrycommission.com/faqs/about-bc-ferries/
It’s been almost a decade since I took a trip to Vancouver Island. IIRC it took a couple of hours, so it was a longer trip than the ones in Seattle.
You think that’s expensive? The ferry over the English Channel, shortest crossing, is upwards of £100 for 20 miles. There are plenty of bargains, so long as you go off peak, but that’s the full fare for a car and two passengers.
Xema’s hit it on the nose. Seawater is a rather harsh environment (for materials) and anything designed to withstand a marine environment typically costs 2-3 times as much as a land-only version.
Also, these vessels are carrying passengers for a fare, which invokes a ton of additional regulations (mostly for keeping those passengers safe in all but the rarest of corner-case emergencies).
Finally, they include a number of amenities to make your trip more comfortable: (relatively spacious padded seats, bathrooms, drinking fountains, sundecks, hvac, and the like)
Like I said, I can get all that for $30 for 3 people and a car in Seattle as opposed to $100 in Canada.
I just did a quick comparison for a one way trip for a standard vehicle and three adult passengers.
PA-Victoria (23.5 miles): $94.50
Seattle to Bremerton (16 miles): $29.25
So, yes, the ferry to Victoria is definitely a lot more expensive for the same distance. I don’t think it can just be chalked up to “boats are expense.” However, there may be other things in play here.
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Maybe the PA-Vic ferry’s amenities are nicer.
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The Seattle ferries are part of the state (WSDOT). They may be subsidized.
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The Seattle ferries may carry more people, this brings a discount due to volume.
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Maybe there are extra charges for the PA-Vic ferry due to international travel.
Various Googling revealed that in 2007 the total budget for WSDOT ferries was $620.1 million, of which 61% was operating costs and 39% capital costs. Fares totaled around $285.7 million, which is 76% of operating costs and 46% of all costs.
The rest (i.e. subsidy) came from various sources, including gasoline taxes, vehicle license fees, federal appropriations, bonds, etc.
Meh, the ferry from Wellington, NZ to Picton will set you back $300, one-way for three adults and a (normal sized) car.
It’s a good question - I don’t know the answer.
Like Hermitian, I am curious about the comparative volume of traffic between the Washington ferries and the BC ones.
There does also seem to be a major subsidy on the Washington side. If there’s no similar subsidy on the BC side, because they have to operate on a stand-alone basis, that may well be the answer.
Just to throw in some numbers, a round-trip ferry ride from Marblehead, OH to Kelly’s Island for a car with three people and a bike rack will run you around $88. The distance between the mainland and the Island is only 5 miles.
It is not just that one route. While the Vancouver-Victoria ferry route is profitable for the ferry corp., there are a multitude of other smaller routes along the BC coast that BC Ferries are required to run that are money losers. So it is not a one to one comparison with the Seattle ferry crossing.
Seattle ferries are run by WSDOT and are subsidized.
The equivalent agency, BC Ministry of Transportation doesn’t run the coastal ferries but does run the inland ferries - including the longest FREE ferry in the world (5 miles/8 km).
I’ve ridden on this free vehicle ferry - it was very scenic and comfortable ride. If ferry fees are holding you back from visiting BC I suggest you readjust your destination.
…you do realize that Vancouver is on the mainland and Victoria is on the Island, right? And you can’t drive from one to the other, you need to take a ferry.
Yes, that’s why I recommended a different option for each city. Vancouver has really good mass transit. Victoria has cheap rental cars.
The round trip ferry ride for a car is $100, a rental is $45 for the weekend. Depending on how many days you will be spending in Victoria that may be cost effective.