By bus, the usual way from Swartz Bay to Victoria International Airport is Route 72 to McTavish Exchange, then a transfer to Route 88 to the airport. A taxi is the direct option and skips the transfer.
Bus from the ferry terminal to the airport
BC Transit has advised that a Route 72 trip from Swartz Bay to McTavish Exchange links with Route 88 if you transfer within five minutes of arriving. Route 88 connects the airport with Sidney and the McTavish Park and Ride. Together the two routes were described as giving airport service about every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on weekends.
Route 88 has run from about 6:30 am to 9 pm on weekdays, with shorter hours on weekends. Treat those hours as a guide only. BC Transit has been consulting on changes to Peninsula routes, including extending Route 72 to reach the airport and dropping Route 88, and any change would not come before September 2026. The BC Transit trip planner shows what actually runs today, so enter Swartz Bay and the airport and follow what it gives you.
- Fares and the way to pay are on the BC Transit site.
- Allow extra time for the transfer if your flight is early in the morning or late at night.
- Carry your luggage on board and keep it with you.
Taxi from Swartz Bay
If you land at Swartz Bay with luggage, a taxi gets you to the terminal doors at the airport with no waiting between buses. The drive is on the Saanich Peninsula and is short compared with the trip to downtown Victoria. Use the taxi fare estimator to get a rough cost, and the Victoria taxi page for local companies. A call ahead helps when several sailings arrive at once.
Other ways to make the trip
Private airport shuttles and rental cars both operate in the Victoria area. Which companies serve Swartz Bay changes, so look at the BC Ferries and Victoria Airport Authority websites for current ground transport listings rather than relying on a name from memory. If you are catching a flight, work backwards from your boarding time and add a buffer for the sailing, the transfer and security.
Check the ferry arrival time on the BC Ferries site as well. Late sailings are common in busy periods, and a late arrival can change which bus you can catch.