Getting Around the Saanich Peninsula

The peninsula is small enough that you could walk from one end to the other in a long day, but most people don’t. Here’s how people actually get around.

Driving

Highway 17 (the Patricia Bay Highway) runs the length of the peninsula from Victoria to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. The drive from downtown Victoria to Sidney takes about twenty-five minutes without traffic. During summer weekends and around ferry sailing times, add ten to fifteen minutes for congestion near the terminal.

Side roads through Central Saanich and North Saanich are generally quiet. The speed limits drop to 50 or even 30 km/h through residential areas, and enforcement is real. Parking in Sidney is free on most streets and in the municipal lots behind Beacon Avenue. Brentwood Bay has limited parking near the waterfront, which fills up on summer afternoons.

BC Transit

BC Transit runs several bus routes through the peninsula from the Victoria transit hub. The most useful ones:

• Route 70 connects downtown Victoria to Swartz Bay via the Pat Bay Highway, with stops in Sidney. This is the route ferry passengers use.
• Route 72 serves Saanichton and runs through Central Saanich.
• Route 75 connects Sidney to Victoria along a different corridor through Royal Oak.

Buses run roughly every thirty minutes during peak hours, less often on evenings and weekends. A single fare covers any distance within the region, and day passes are available.

The trip from downtown Victoria to Sidney on the 70 takes about fifty minutes. Bring something to read.

BC Ferries

Swartz Bay is the main ferry terminal on the peninsula, with sailings to Tsawwassen (Vancouver) and several Gulf Islands including Salt Spring, Pender, Galiano, Mayne, and Saturna.

The Tsawwassen crossing takes about ninety minutes. Summer sailings run roughly every hour; winter frequency drops to every two hours. Reservations are available on the Tsawwassen route and worth booking in summer, especially for Friday evening and Sunday afternoon sailings.

Walk-on passengers rarely have trouble getting on any sailing. Vehicle traffic is another story. If you’re driving onto a ferry in July or August without a reservation, arrive at least ninety minutes before the scheduled departure.

From Brentwood Bay, a small ferry (the Mill Bay ferry) crosses the Saanich Inlet to Mill Bay on the Cowichan side. It saves about an hour of driving compared to going around through Victoria and up the Malahat. The crossing takes about twenty-five minutes and runs every couple of hours.

Cycling

The Lochside Trail runs from Victoria to Sidney along a mostly flat, paved corridor through farmland and residential areas. The full ride from the Switch Bridge in Victoria to the Sidney waterfront covers about 29 kilometres and takes most riders around ninety minutes to two hours.

From Lochside, the trail connects north to the airport and the ferry terminal. South, it links into the Galloping Goose Trail, which heads west toward Sooke.

Cycling within Sidney and along the peninsula’s quieter roads is comfortable. Shoulders are narrow on some stretches of West Saanich Road, so ride predictably and use lights after dusk.

Bike racks are available on all BC Transit buses, holding two bikes each. The ferries accommodate cyclists easily; you line up in a separate lane and board before the vehicles.

Walking

Sidney’s core is compact enough to walk end to end in fifteen minutes. Beacon Avenue from Fifth Street to the waterfront covers most of the restaurants, shops, and the pier.

For longer walks, the waterfront path from Tulista Park south toward Resthaven offers a flat, paved route along the shore. Inland, the back roads through North Saanich farmland make for pleasant walking if you don’t mind sharing the road with the occasional tractor.

Getting here from Victoria Airport

Victoria International Airport (YYJ) sits in the middle of the peninsula, between Sidney and Saanichton. Sidney is about a ten-minute drive north of the airport. A taxi or ride to Beacon Avenue runs around fifteen to twenty dollars.

The airport is also served by the BC Transit Route 88, which connects to the broader transit network at McTavish Exchange.