Evening Only Car Rental - Victoria BC

[bconley351]

We will only be in Victoria from 7pm - 11:59pm. I have verified with Buchart Gardens that they will have late hours the day the ship is in port, and they will be open for everyone not just the ship's excursion. Now I'm trying to find out what car rental agencies are at the port, and if we can have a late rental. Does anyone know what rental agencies have kiosks at the port?

[Putterdude]

Unless things have changed recently there are no agencies at the Ogden Point cruise port but all of the biggies are located downtown which is about a five minute drive away and to my knowledge they will all pick you up and shuttle you to their offices. Over the years I have had very good success with Budget in Victoria.

[cruiseryyc]

Given that you're only in Victoria for a few evening hours, I highly you suggest you take either the ship's tour to the Gardens or CVS Victoria tours. You don't want to get caught up in traffic trying to find your way back to the pier, and watch the ship leaving without you. Although Victoria is not a bad place to get left behind.

[Putterdude]

I must say that I am very inclined to agree with the above post and you may care to give serious thought to the advice provided.

[Langley Cruisers]

Agree with the others. I worked for five years at Budget in DT Victoria and we closed at 6:30 pm, even during the busy summer months. Now, having said that, if anyone is open late enough for you to rent a car, they will definitely not be open when you return it (only the airport locations are open late, until midnight or so to meet late flights coming in). You will have to drop the car and then make your way back to the pier, either walking or by taxi. You cannot drop the car at the pier; it has to go back to the rental office.

 

Check the major companies' websites for hours - Budget, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Thrifty are the ones I know of. :)

.

[krev]

Given that you're only in Victoria for a few evening hours, I highly you suggest you take either the ship's tour to the Gardens or CVS Victoria tours. You don't want to get caught up in traffic trying to find your way back to the pier, and watch the ship leaving without you. Although Victoria is not a bad place to get left behind.

 

 

Hahaha, traffic! Hahaha. Sorry for laughing, I'm actually making fun of us not you! I live 5 minutes from Butcharts, unless you are here on a Saturday night July and August for the Butchart fireworks there is no traffic to speak of. Even rush hour in the morning is really nothing, we use to live in Vancouver, now that's traffic! Hope the car works out because that's certainly the quickest way out here.

 

 

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[Putterdude]

Hahaha, traffic! Hahaha. Sorry for laughing, I'm actually making fun of us not you! I live 5 minutes from Butcharts, unless you are here on a Saturday night July and August for the Butchart fireworks there is no traffic to speak of. Even rush hour in the morning is really nothing, we use to live in Vancouver, now that's traffic! Hope the car works out because that's certainly the quickest way out here.

 

 

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I am not sure what's so funny, let's see, ship arrives at 7 pm, minimum of 15 mins is spent clearing ship, another 15 mins is spent getting to car rental office and doing paper work, then comes the 30 min drive out to the gardens....so earliest ETA is 8 pm. If the ship leaves at 11:59 it will mean that passengers must be back at 11:30 so add the 30 min drive back to the rental car office, stop somewhere to fuel car, do paperwork, shuttle back to pier allow another 25/30 mins. So without any kind of fudge factor the OP might have 2.5 hrs at the gardens.....allow a fudge factor, throw in the stress of driving in a strange city at night, I think it begs the question....is a rental car a good idea....one hiccup and it's the Victoria Cliipper to Seattle in the morning and a hotel room in Victoria.

[krev]

I am not sure what's so funny, let's see, ship arrives at 7 pm, minimum of 15 mins is spent clearing ship, another 15 mins is spent getting to car rental office and doing paper work, then comes the 30 min drive out to the gardens....so earliest ETA is 8 pm. If the ship leaves at 11:59 it will mean that passengers must be back at 11:30 so add the 30 min drive back to the rental car office, stop somewhere to fuel car, do paperwork, shuttle back to pier allow another 25/30 mins. So without any kind of fudge factor the OP might have 2.5 hrs at the gardens.....allow a fudge factor, throw in the stress of driving in a strange city at night, I think it begs the question....is a rental car a good idea....one hiccup and it's the Victoria Cliipper to Seattle in the morning and a hotel room in Victoria.

 

 

2.5 hrs at Butcharts is plenty of time. Again if it's a Saturday during fireworks then that's an entirely different story. I guarantee there is no traffic at that time of night. There's really only a couple of turns if you take the highway, read the map and you'll be fine. Finding the rental car will be the harder thing to do, certainly not driving to the gardens

 

 

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[Putterdude]

2.5 hrs at Butcharts is plenty of time. Again if it's a Saturday during fireworks then that's an entirely different story. I guarantee there is no traffic at that time of night. There's really only a couple of turns if you take the highway, read the map and you'll be fine. Finding the rental car will be the harder thing to do, certainly not driving to the gardens

 

 

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As I have pointed out, there is very little room for error. You can't guarantee anything, an accident on the Pat Bay Highway or a wrong turn and the OP is hooped. Sadly, you are offering very bad advice.

[cruiseryyc]

Krev - I don't believe I said it was the traffic around the gardens that would be worrisome. It is the traffic in downtown Victoria, I would not want to be driving in a strange city trying to return a rental car and make it back to a departing ship with only a few hours. Many people arriving in Victoria via cruise ship do not realize the distance from the pier that the Gardens are, nor do they realize the time involved in picking up and dropping off a rental car and as another poster pointed out, downtown rental agencies are not necessarily open late at night.

 

I grew up in Victoria and I know very well what the traffic is like. Driving in a strange city can make the easiest traffic difficult.

[Lulubelle45]

I agree with foregoing the rental idea. Picked up friends from a cruise ship to do the gardens once and knowing the city didn't stop us from getting caught in ferry traffic on the Pat Bay on our way back. Thankfully we allowed extra time, but left before the fireworks. Besides you get a bit of a narrated city tour on the excursion and guarantee the ship will wait.

 

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[Putterdude]

I agree with foregoing the rental idea. Picked up friends from a cruise ship to do the gardens once and knowing the city didn't stop us from getting caught in ferry traffic on the Pat Bay on our way back. Thankfully we allowed extra time, but left before the fireworks. Besides you get a bit of a narrated city tour on the excursion and guarantee the ship will wait.

 

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Excellent point, I wasn't even thinking of ferry traffic but with the 9 pm sailing a person could find themselves in the middle of that traffic which we all know is not a lot of fun if you are in a hurry.