Swartz Bay Ferry Limo & Victoria Car Service

A Swartz Bay ferry limo is mostly about the other end of the crossing. After 95 minutes at sea from Tsawwassen, you step onto Vancouver Island at a terminal that is not a city: it is at the end of Highway 17 on the Saanich Peninsula, with Victoria about 32 km to the south. A pre-booked chauffeur turns that gap into a smooth, door-to-door arrival.

This page is written for both directions. If you are arriving from the mainland, it explains how to be met and what fares to expect into Victoria. If you are leaving the island, it explains how to be at the terminal within the check-in window.

How far is Swartz Bay from downtown Victoria?

The terminal address is 11300 Patricia Bay Highway, Sidney, BC V8L 5J4. Highway 17 is the spine of the peninsula and the main road between the terminal and the capital, and the small town of Sidney is the closest community.

Because the road is largely one corridor, the main variable is rush-hour traffic on weekdays and queueing on summer weekends when sailings disgorge a deck of vehicles at once. A chauffeur who is already waiting is better placed than a rideshare that has to be summoned after you land and navigate the same corridor.

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Swartz Bay terminal at a glance

The operator describes all of this on its Swartz Bay terminal page. It does not list a dedicated passenger drop-off area, so your chauffeur will confirm the stopping point by message.

Swartz Bay ferry car service fares

Fares in this table come from the LimousineCanada.ca rate card, before tax. Gratuity is at your discretion, and the booker prices the exact pickup or drop-off address.

The shortest rows all sit at the minimum transfer fare. Distances are rounded planning figures based on the main roads, and the exact total depends on your address.

Arriving at Swartz Bay from Tsawwassen

BC Ferries lists the crossing from Tsawwassen as 1 hour 35 minutes, non-stop. On a clear summer day the arrival is routine, but the vehicle and foot-passenger flow means there is a short wait before you reach the curb. If you want a name-board greeting, our standard add-on for meet-and-greet is $100-$150 and works best at an airport arrivals hall rather than at a ferry terminal, so for ferry arrivals we recommend a text-message meeting point.

Tell us the sailing you booked, and your chauffeur will plan the pickup from its published arrival time. Foot passengers should allow time to disembark and collect bags before heading to the pickup point. If your plans include a connection on the island, such as a float plane or a cruise ship, tell us in advance so we build the right buffer.

Leaving Victoria: reaching Swartz Bay in time

Check-in rules shape the pickup time. For Tsawwassen with a booking, the terminal page says to arrive 30 to 60 minutes before departure, with booking check-in opening 60 minutes before and closing 30 minutes before for foot-passenger groups and vehicles. If you arrive outside the window, the booking is not honoured and travel is in order of arrival.

For non-bookable routes, such as the Gulf Islands run on arrival order, foot-passenger ticket sales and check-in close 10 minutes before departure and vehicle sales close 5 minutes before. The Saturna Island service has its own priority-boarding rule on certain weekday sailings, so confirm the current notice on the BC Ferries page.

Because the drive from the Inner Harbour is about 33 km, a hotel pickup around 8:15 puts you at the terminal near 9:00 for a 10:00 sailing. That is 60 minutes before departure and 30 minutes before check-in closes, a cushion that earns its keep on a Friday afternoon or a long weekend when traffic builds on the highway.

Cheapest ways to reach Swartz Bay, compared

The routes in this table are listed on the BC Ferries coach, bus and shuttle page. Bus fares are paid through the Umo app, exact cash or contactless card, according to the operator.

When the bus is the better choice

If you are a foot passenger with a single bag and your hotel is on Douglas Street, the 70 or 72 bus is direct and inexpensive, and a limo would be an indulgence. The same is true if you are travelling alone and your timing is relaxed.

A private car comes into its own when your party is three or more, when you have large luggage, when you are leaving before the bus timetable suits, or when your day on the island has stops that transit cannot reach. Think of a wedding guest list arriving for a ceremony in Brentwood Bay, or a family with golf bags heading for a course on the peninsula. The limo versus rideshare page compares the two approaches in more depth.

Swartz Bay and Victoria airport: the quick transfer

Victoria International Airport is the island's main gateway, and the drive to Swartz Bay is about 10 minutes via Highway 17. That makes it practical to fly into Victoria and sail to Vancouver in the same day, or the reverse. The practical rule is to allow at least three hours from landing to the closing of ferry check-in on an international arrival, and about two hours on a domestic one.

Our Victoria airport limo page covers terminal pickup, and business travellers should see the Victoria private aviation guide if they arrive by charter. Both pages sit close to this one in the transfer chain.

Butchart Gardens, Inner Harbour and the Saanich Peninsula

Most visitors who disembark at Swartz Bay head for one of three places. Butchart Gardens is about 22 km from the terminal, and it makes a natural first stop for a half day. Our guide to Butchart Gardens in Victoria covers seasons, timed visits and the Inner Harbour pairing.

The Inner Harbour and the Fairmont Empress are about 33 km away. For a longer stay, see our weekend in Victoria for a plan that works from a base in the city. A chauffeur can also combine them: ferry arrival, a garden visit, then the hotel with luggage stored in the vehicle.

Cruise passengers and Ogden Point

Cruise ships dock at Ogden Point, about 36 km from Swartz Bay. If your cruise starts or ends in Victoria and you travel by ferry from the mainland, the fare is $165-$200 in a sedan or $210-$255 in an SUV. Our Victoria cruise port page covers boarding logistics, terminal hours and luggage handling.

Salt Spring Island and the Gulf Islands

Swartz Bay also sends boats to Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island and to the Southern Gulf Islands. Those routes operate on a first-come, first-served basis in many cases, with check-in windows that close shortly before departure. For island-hopping weekends, a chauffeur is more useful at the mainland end than on the islands, where cars are scarce and distances short.

If you plan to take a vehicle across to Salt Spring, check the BC Ferries rules for your sailing, because space on busy days can sell out.

Sooke, Nanaimo and the longer runs

A Swartz Bay to Sooke transfer is about 70 km and takes 60 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. A run to Nanaimo is about 100 km and takes 1.25 to 1.5 hours. Both are better value as point-to-point transfers than as hourly bookings, because you do not pay for idle time.

For the west coast, our guide to the Pacific Rim and Tofino explains the drive and the seasons. Tofino is a long day from Swartz Bay, so plan a stop on the way.

Hourly service, weddings and group arrivals

Time-based pricing starts at $135-$165 an hour for a sedan, with a two-hour floor. SUV time is $175-$210 an hour on the same two-hour floor, while a Sprinter is $240-$295 an hour with a three-hour floor. A stretch limousine is $225-$300 an hour for three hours or more, and a mini-coach is $300-$420 an hour for four.

A wedding party landing at Swartz Bay can be met by a Sprinter, which carries 12 to 14 passengers and 12 or more bags. Ask for child seats when you book and they are supplied free. The full fleet is listed on its own page.

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Foot passengers, vehicles and accessibility at Swartz Bay

Think about which kind of traveller each person in your party is, because the terminal treats foot passengers and vehicles slightly differently. Foot-passenger groups with a booking follow the same 60-minute-open, 30-minute-close window as vehicles, while walk-on travellers without a booking face the 10-minute ticket cut-off. A chauffeur drops everyone at the same moment, so the practical point is to hold the booking reference and photo ID on the first passenger's phone.

Accessibility is covered well on paper. BC Ferries lists an accessible washroom, an elevator, boarding assistance, wheelchairs for boarding, wheelchair access to the ferry and accessible parking at Swartz Bay. If a passenger needs a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or has limited mobility, say so when you book, because the vehicle choice and the time you need at the curb both change.

Pets travel too. The terminal has a pet area, and the cabin policy for animals on board is set by BC Ferries, so check the current rules for your route before you arrive with a dog.

Planning with the Tsawwassen end

Most Swartz Bay travellers also use Tsawwassen on the mainland. The two terminals are 1 hour 35 minutes apart by water, and the BC Ferries Tsawwassen terminal page has its own check-in rules. If you need chauffeurs at both ends, book two legs and give us the sailing details for each.