BC Ferries has scheduled more than 80 extra sailings on the Vancouver – Victoria route in anticipation of heightened traffic during the Thanksgiving long weekend.
The company has also added more sailings at popular times on the Metro Vancouver – Nanaimo, and Metro Vancouver – Sunshine Coast routes for the upcoming weekend.
According to a news release, “the most popular travel times are expected to be Thursday and Friday afternoons, and Saturday morning for traffic moving from the Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay terminals to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.”
However the busiest day of the weekend is expected to be Monday, as traffic returns to the mainland from the Swartz Bay, Departure Bay, and Langdale terminals.
The Thanksgiving Monday is also traditionally the busiest day of the year for walk-on passengers, so they are advised to arrive at the terminal up to an hour before their scheduled sailing.
Parking lots at major terminals are also expected to fill up at the beginning of the long weekend, so BC Ferries advises people to take public transit or arrange to be dropped off at the terminal if possible.
Extra sailings between Vancouver and Victoria:
- 6 a.m. departures on October 5, 6, 8, and 9
- 10 p.m. sailings from Tsawwassen on October 4, 5, and 8
- End of day sailings from Swartz Bay on October 5 and 8
