Vancouver Island
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Victoria with Kids: 5 Things to Do with Toddlers in Victoria, BC
A reader writes in: We are planning a family vacation to Victoria in June with our 2 year old. Do you have any recommendations for kid-friendly hotels and activities? Thank you so much for your help! — Jessica I’m so excited for you. Victoria is one of my favorite destinations, particularly with toddlers. Here’s how I would plan a trip. Kid-friendly Victoria BC Hotels: I like staying at the Royal Scot Hotel & Suites, because I like the kitchen-equipped rooms, particularly when staying anywhere with kids, and I like how big the suites run (one bedroom separate from living area with a pull-out couch). There’s also an indoor pool and…
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Kid-friendly Resorts of Vancouver Island
Smart families have already made their family resort reservations for Vancouver Island—perhaps for 2024! Want to play catch-up? Here’s a selection of ultra-deluxe Vancouver Island resorts and affordable family accommodations, as I’m doing my own research for a trip through Vancouver Island. I found plenty of resorts where children are definitely NOT welcome; one said that kids were welcome to use the pool — for exactly three hours per day! But there are also resorts that seem to encourage family visitors. And while the pandemic seems to have ended some family programming (childcare, mainly), other resorts are still offering kid camps and childcare. I’ve mostly listed upcoming high season prices.…
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No Hotel Rooms? No Problem.
I’ve recently been contacted by readers, despairing that my top hotel picks are either priced out of reach or unavailable for the upcoming summer. Family hotels in Portland, Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle are booked solid, sold out and too expensive! Well, no surprise — I’ve dealt with the same situation, even as a travel writer. Here’s what I typically do when faced with sold-out hotel rooms, a planned trip and kids. 1. Set up in the suburbs. Now, some suburbs are better than others. For example, many suburbs of Vancouver offer the SkyTrain option into downtown Vancouver, so I’ll look for hotels near the SkyTrain. Portland offers this as well. Seattle is still working on getting…
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New for Families from Victoria Clipper
For U.S. residents, there’s never been a better time to visit Canada. Thanks to the strong dollar, U.S. visitors will find items less expensive, from hotels to restaurants (if you withdraw Canadian money from an ATM, using your low-transaction-fee debit or credit card). The Victoria Clipper has a few new options I thought I’d share — they’ve added a Family Fun on Bicycles tour that takes families on a private, two-hour cycling tour of Victoria ($41.75/adults, $26.50/children over age 2, prices in USD). The tours fit the family — so young kids may want to visit the petting zoo at Beacon Hill Park or feed the seals at a wharf, older…
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How to Get Good Seats on the Victoria Clipper
The Victoria Clipper passenger ferry is an efficient, pleasurable way to travel between Seattle and Victoria, whether you’re with kids, as a couple or boating solo. While you can take ferries from Anacortes to Sidney, or Port Angeles to Victoria, the Clipper is the fastest (no-flight) way to reach Vancouver Island’s shores from Seattle, or vice versa. However, the Victoria Clipper boards in groups, and if you’re in the dreaded last boarding groups, you won’t have your pick of seats. You may find yourself wedged between strangers in less-than-ideal spots without views of the gorgeous islands, inlets and mountains. I personally love the window-side, table-seating area (even if I do have…
