Taxis in Victoria

[Austin Family]

Hi, does anyone know if the taxis to Butchart Gardens at the cruise port in Victoria, BC will hold 4 adults and 1 child...we would like to all stay together, save money, and not have to wait in the shuttle lines. Is there a policy of how many a taxi will hold? Any other options? Thanks!!

[Sally Forth]

Hi, does anyone know if the taxis to Butchart Gardens at the cruise port in Victoria, BC will hold 4 adults and 1 child...we would like to all stay together, save money, and not have to wait in the shuttle lines. Is there a policy of how many a taxi will hold? Any other options? Thanks!!

 

Four total (1 in front and 3 in back) would be the max unless you get a taxi van.

 

Viv

[Putterdude]

Yes, some of the cabs are licensed to carry up to 5 persons...plan that your fare will be slightly in excess of $50 each way. The real concern that I have with a cab is that you are a solid 35 and up to 45 mins from the gardens to the cruise terminal and the gardens are in a rural area...so you really need to be calling a cab very early to get back to the ship and of course not all cabs can handle 5 pax.

[porsena]

The usual cab in Victoria is a Toyota Prius or Camry. You'd need a van. My impression is they're few and far between. You might want to book it in advance. Have you thought about using a limo service?

[Langley Cruisers]

Transportation by taxi is expensive; is there any way to convince you to take a tour? this will have your admission charge included. It's going to be a hefty day for you anyway, so I might gently suggest you look to alternative transportion.

 

If you want to. :D

[suzeqvhf]

When we were in Victoria on the HAL Amsterdam on July 11, six of us got off the ship at 4:15 and got a taxi van without a problem--after getting a fare of $180 from a limo driver for a city tour/Gardens trip--it was $51 total to the Gardens, and we were there at 5 PM. With tip, we each paid $10. He gave us his number to pick us up later, but once there, we saw that the Victoria city bus stops at the Gardens for $2.50. We caught the 7:33 PM bus back into town and the final stop is a short walk from the pier. We were back on the ship by 8:30.

 

I'm sure the same bus will take you to the Gardens as well, which will save you even more.

 

75 bus map - http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/schedules/map.cfm?p=side.txt&line=75&

 

schedule - http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/schedules/schedule.cfm?line=75&

[insideedge]

Most ships are not in till 6 or 7 o-clock and transit only runs out of the gardens on Saturday nights after the fireworks (and it arrives back too late for the ship)the rest of the days I think it is 7:00 is the last bus from the gardens. Some taxis may wait for you but most will head back to town for another fare and when you call it takes 30 min to come back and get you, if he comes at all(trust me that happens more than you would think).The safest way to get to the gardens is on a tour from the ship. Do you realise the cost that you would incur if you were left in Victoria? I don't like seeing the cruise ships make big money off tours but it is better than the airlines,hotels, and taxis in Seattle making money because you missed your ship. It is not what it costs it is what it is worth and peace of mind is expensive.

Now all that being said the later in the year you go, the earlier it gets dark. So late Aug. and Sept. the gardens will be dark by the time you arrive, yes it is lit up with accent lighting and it looks really pretty in the dark, but most people are disappointed that they could not get a good look at the flowers and the pathways are dimly lit. Don't get me wrong the gardens are worth seeing in the dark, but just seeing them in the dark is very disappointing. My recommendation is, save you money and do the gardens another time. When you can arrive at a better time, and can spend an appropriate amount of time there. Instead of going to the gardens I recommend just spend time wandering around the inner harbour and checking out the town. That is a much better way to spend the last night of your cruise, instead of running around and stressing about how to get to and from the gardens.

[crazy4cruisn]

We were there this past Saturday and the fireworks were magnificent! They started about 9:45 and lasted till about 10:20. Although the area to the right as you face the pond says "limited visibility," I think they may be the best seating. We were to the center left and it was hard to see over the crowds to the right as they all started standing. The fireworks begin to the right and then move slightly to the left. The animation is really neat with some coming up out of the ground and spinning! They are on Sat nights in July and maybe August. Take something for the ground to sit on.