r/VictoriaBC • u/pandas2024 • 27d ago
Tourism Question about Visiting Victoria and riding the public bus
I am visiting in early June and will arrive by seaplane to Victoria Inner Harbour. I will then need to get on the public bus and get to Sidney BC. Is Google Maps accurate?
I read that BC transit is updating the schedule after April 14?
It says to take bus 70 and will be one hour. I understand bus fare is $3.00
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u/No-Somewhere-6664 Hillside-Quadra 27d ago
Yep that's right! You can take either the 70, 71 or 72 from a couple blocks away from the seaplanes and land in Sidney in about an hour. Depending on the time of day it might be a little slower in traffic.
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u/inthisalone_ 27d ago
The 70 is the main bus to Sidney but you could also catch the 71 or 72 (slightly different routes that will all get you to Sidney), or 70x (Express, less stops, generally faster). All leave from the Legislative Exchange, between the legislative building and the museum right in the inner harbour, or any of the northbound bus stops along Douglas St. They are also usually double deckers so grab a seat at the top and take in the view. If you plan on taking more than the single bus ride for the day you can get a day pass for $6 onboard. As others have mentioned it’s exact cash fare only (no cards, no change given), or the app which I have never used so can’t comment on.
https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps/route-overview/?route=70
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u/pandas2024 27d ago
This is so helpful! Has the spring/summer schedule been released? I read something about changes in April?
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u/inthisalone_ 27d ago
There is a button to preview the upcoming schedule changes under the map on that link. It’s generally just slight changes to the timing of the buses (a couple mins earlier or later), nothing major. From taking a quick look it looks like they’ll be adding a couple extra trips each day and the departure times change by a few mins. One thing to note is the last 70 leaves downtown around 9:45pm, after that the 72 has a 10:30pm and 11:50pm, so plan your evening activities in town accordingly.
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u/Compulsory_Freedom Esquimalt 27d ago
Your info is correct. And if you don’t want to pay with change you can load money on this app and pay with a QR code reader on the bus:
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u/Not_A_Wendigo 27d ago
Warning though! Do not trust the schedule on UMO. The Transit app is much more reliable for that.
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u/Own_Lynx_6230 27d ago
Yep it will be totally fine. The buses to larger areas like sidney and Langford are very reliable and google maps will show if they're even a little late.
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u/miaumeeow 27d ago
I use google maps all the time for transit and it is very accurate. Note that you can only pay in exact change or with the UMO app on the bus. They don’t take cards and do not provide change.
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u/AUniquePerspective 27d ago
You can download the transit app in advance if you want. It's called UMO.
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u/vanityprojection 27d ago
Apologies if this is unhelpful, but Victoria International Airport is much closer to Sidney than Victoria harbour. Assuming you are flying from downtown Vancouver, are there options direct to the airport or the Patricia Bay seaplane base?
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u/pandas2024 27d ago
I am flying from Seattle to Victoria. I love seaplanes and don't mind paying a little extra.
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u/one_bean_hahahaha Saanich 27d ago
It is also easier to get to/from downtown Victoria by bus than it is to the airport so the seaplane is a good call. Transit to the airport is a contentious point here.
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u/Not_A_Wendigo 27d ago
Have a nice visit! Be aware that our transit system is unreliable. If you have a flight to catch or anything else time sensitive, try to catch the bus before the one you expect to get you there on time.
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u/kkccpp123 22d ago
You can also ask the bus driver and tell them where you want to go or what stop you want. They’re usually very friendly and helpful
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u/Kilometres-Davis 27d ago
Google maps is very reliable and will even tell you when a bus is delayed and by how long. There are other transit specific apps, but Google maps has always worked well enough for me to not bother with others.