Sidney (British Columbia)

Sidney is a town in British Columbia, Canada, and is located north of the province's capital, Victoria, on Vancouver Island.

Get in

By car & ferry

The main arrival point for most visitors is at the   BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay, just a few kilometers from Sidney. This terminal provides the main connection to the mainland at Tsawwassen, just south of Vancouver.

Sidney is also served on a seasonal basis by   Washington State Ferries with connections to the San Juan Islands and Anacortes on Fidalgo Island. For security and immigration processing when travelling between the two countries, a 60 minute advance arrival at the terminal is strongly suggested. Walk on passengers need to arrive 30 minutes in advance. Vehicle reservations are recommended. Please speak with Washington State Department of Transportation Information Agents in Seattle tollfree on +1-888-808-7977 or reserve online. Passports are required to enter either country.

By plane

  Victoria International airport is just minutes from Sidney and is served by several regularly scheduled airlines including:

Get around

Sidney is not a large place so most of its amenities can best be explored on foot. Park on one of the side streets and take to the sidewalks. It's much less frustrating than trying to battle the traffic in your car.

If your activities take you outside Sidney, BC Transit has service throughout the Greater Victoria region including Sidney.

See

Do

Buy

Eat

Only slightly further afield are other eating establishments worth trying...

Drink

Sleep

Connect

Most restaurants, bars and hotels will have free Wi-Fi. Cell service is good.

Go next

The BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay is only a few kilometres from Sidney and offers frequent service to the Lower Mainland and the Southern Gulf Islands. The ferries themselves are attractions as well — on the Tsawwassen (Vancouver) route, the twin vessels Spirit of Vancouver Island and Spirit of British Columbia are the largest passenger ferries in North America.

Washington State Ferries runs regular ferry service between Sidney and Anacortes from a terminal on the southern outskirts of Sidney. Some runs stop in the San Juan Islands. The service does not run in winter.

Sidney is at one end of Vancouver Island and there is much to see as one travels north. Out on the Pacific Coast side of the Island is Pacific Rim National Park and the communities of Ucluelet and Tofino. At the northern end of Vancouver Island is Cape Scott Provincial Park, occupying a more remote and wilder part of the Island.

The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is a very worthwhile hiking route accessed through Sooke, not far from Victoria. The trail runs between Port Renfrew and Jordan River and can be done as a series of day trips or as a multi-day backpacking trip. This is a good choice if you want a marine hike without the logistical challenges of the West Coast Trail.

Routes through Sidney

Vancouver (via ) ← Delta ← ferry ←  N  S  → Saanich → Victoria


This article is issued from Wikivoyage - version of the Monday, August 10, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.