A standard rideshare from Downtown Victoria to Sooke costs about $68 at normal demand, and most trips should fall between $61 and $79. The distance is 40 km and the drive takes about 50 minutes.
How we estimated the Sooke fare
The figure comes from average rideshare rates, not from Uber itself. We start with a $2.50 base fare, add $1.15 for each km and $0.35 for each minute, then add a $2 booking fee. Forty km and 50 minutes come to roughly $68. The Uber app shows the actual upfront price when you request the ride, so treat our number as a guide for planning.
Demand is the biggest swing factor on a long trip. When it is busy and fares run about 1.2 times normal, the price is near $81. At 1.5 times, which is very busy, it climbs to about $101. At peak demand, double the normal rate, it can reach $134.
For a bigger or better car, Comfort is about $85, XL with up to 6 seats is about $98 and Premier is about $151. The XL price is worth checking if you are splitting the ride between several people.
Taxi quotes and trip planning
No taxi tariff for this area was available for us to check, so a meter figure is not something we can give you. Over 40 km, phone a company and ask for a quote before you commit. Uptown Taxi can be reached on 250-886-6066, Victoria Taxi on 250-383-7111 and BlueBird Cabs on 250-382-2222. BlueBird Cabs lists wheelchair accessible vehicles and card payment.
Sooke is a smaller centre, and the number of drivers online there can change from one hour to the next. Open the app before you plan around it, and if no cars show nearby, try again a few minutes later or phone a taxi.
For the return leg, look at the price from the other end before you leave, since prices are set from where you are when you book. Give the driver the exact address, and mention luggage so the car is the right size.
At peak hours, allow extra time for the pickup as well as for the drive itself. A trip of 50 minutes is long enough that a late start matters if you have a connection or an appointment waiting.
Pay attention to the gap between the normal price and the peak price. On this route it is $66, which is nearly the cost of a whole extra ride. If your plans can move by an hour, check the app at a couple of different times and book when the price is lower.