Travellers planning to ride with BC Ferries without reservations should prepare for sailing waits for the upcoming long weekend on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay routes.
The most popular travel times are expected to be Thursday and Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, according to a BC Ferries release. Reservations are recommended, as is avoiding sailings at peak times.
Those without reservations are urged to arrive early and to prepare for sailing waits if they’re aiming to travel during peak times. Walk-on passengers should plan to arrive at the terminal 45 minutes prior sailings.
Parking will also be busy and terminal parking lots could fill up quickly. BC Ferries recommends opting for ride-share or public transportation or arranging to be dropped off at terminals.
Travellers will have one more weekend of the current ferry schedule before seasonal changes come into effect. Those service changes will mean fewer sailings but a simpler schedule, starting Sept. 3.
The first ferry departing from both Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay are 7:00 a.m. daily. On selected days, 6:00 a.m. ferries are available. The last ferry leaving Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay daily will be 9:00 p.m. with an additional ferry scheduled for 10:00 p.m. only on Sundays.
The new schedules run until Oct. 15.
Travel advisories and terminal parking updates are posted on bcferries.com and on Twitter at @BCFerries.
-Files by Sophie Woodrooffe, Coast Reporter
