I traveled between Canada and Seattle on a $64 car ferry and a $124 passenger ferry, and I wouldn't do the cheap option again

• I live in Victoria, Canada, and I think ferries are the best way to get to Seattle, Washington.

• There are passenger ferries and car ferries, so I tried both to see which is more worth it.

• Although it's nice to have a car if you want to do some shopping, I prefer the passenger ferry.

As a long-time resident of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, I love to take weekend trips to Seattle.

Flying anywhere has been an absolute pain these last few years, and I'm not sure the delays and price jacks will get better anytime soon. But luckily, one of the easiest ways to get between Canada and the US is by ferry.

The Victoria Clipper is a popular, high-speed passenger ferry that goes from harbor to harbor. But many people from Victoria will also take their car on BC Ferries to Vancouver and drive two or three hours to Seattle.

I haven't been to Seattle since 2020, so I recently tried both options to see which I like better right now. If you're considering either ferry, here's what I liked and disliked about each one.

The Victoria Clipper passenger ferry boards along the scenic inner harbor downtown.

I love how conveniently located the Victoria Clipper terminals are — right in the heart of downtown Victoria.

It's only an eight-minute drive from my house, and I arrived an hour before my 5 p.m. sailing. I quickly went through customs before moving to the boarding lounge.

With taxes and fees, my one-way economy ticket cost $124.

Don’t let the bare-bones boarding area worry you.

The actual ferry vessel is much nicer than the folding chairs in its waiting area.

I only had to wait about 10 minutes before it was time to board the ferry.

Boarding was easy, stress-free, and super scenic.

Passengers board the ferry using an outdoor walkway.

While boarding, I looked over my shoulder and got a stunning view of the inner harbor, including the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel.

There’s a variety of different seating options.

Standard economy seating is on the lower deck of the boat.

As a local who's taken the trip before, I know some of the seats in the section are better than others. I chose a front-facing seat near the snack bar (I know my priorities).

It might be worth it to upgrade to a window seat.

If I were a tourist traveling on the Clipper for the first time, I'd consider upgrading to the economy panorama fare. Those seats are located along the window of the lower deck and cost $140.

Even though they're pricier, you get an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean, snow-capped mountains, and city skylines.

If you're looking for an even more luxurious trip, you can upgrade to the vista or comfort classes on the upper deck. Those one-way tickets range from $140 to $175.

You don’t have to worry about your luggage on the Victoria Clipper.

Checked luggage is available for $20 an item, but I decided to go with just a carry-on, which was free with my ticket.

I was worried about where I'd put it once I was aboard because the ferry doesn't have overhead bins like an airplane. Luckily, there were several large luggage racks throughout the boat, which made storing and accessing my bag a breeze.

There’s a small onboard snack bar.

The economy snack bar served coffee, prepackaged sandwiches, treats, beer, and wine.

The selection of sandwiches was quite limited, but I liked that you could get local snacks and treats from Seattle Chocolate Company.

I brought some takeout with me, so I just ordered a glass of wine for about $9. The service was prompt and the staff was super friendly.

I spent the rest of the ride reading a book and drinking my wine.

In between sips, I'd look out the closest window and catch a stunning glimpse of the Cascade Mountains.

The ferry was only half full, so I was able to stretch out and relax. Before I knew it, the two-hour-and-45-minute trip was over.

I arrived in downtown Seattle at 8 p.m.

Since I only had carry-on luggage, I went through customs quickly after we docked in Seattle.

To make the trip worth it, I booked a hotel room — otherwise, I'd basically have to turn right around because of the ferry schedules.

Within half an hour of our arrival, I checked into my hotel and was relaxing by the fireplace in my room.

I spent the night at The Edgewater Hotel.

The Edgewater Hotel is my favorite place to stay in Seattle. The historic building is famous for hosting musicians like The Beatles and Kurt Cobain

The location couldn't have been more ideal — it was a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal and close to the downtown Seattle attractions.

My friend met me there with her car so we could hop on the car ferry back the next day, and she said it was also easy to access the hotel from the freeway.

We spent our short time in Seattle eating good food and soaking up all the cozy vibes.

If you're visiting Seattle, I highly recommend treating yourself to dinner at Six Seven (the late Anthony Bourdain praised its cedar-planked salmon).

I'm still thinking of the miso black cod on a bed of crispy coconut rice that I had for dinner and the Dungeness crab frittata I enjoyed the next day before hitting the road.

Leaving Seattle was unexpectedly easy and traffic-free.

To get back to Canada, the plan was to drive across the border to Vancouver and take our car on BC Ferries to Victoria.

I was dreading the two-and-a-half-hour drive because the traffic between Seattle and Vancouver can be excruciating.

Luckily, we didn't encounter any issues leaving the city, but we passed by a gridlock of cars trying to go the other direction.

Having a car meant we could make a stop at Trader Joe’s to pick up our favorite snacks.

We don't have Trader Joe's in Canada, so I knew I couldn't leave the US without grabbing some of my favorite snacks. We made a pit stop at a mall in Everett, Washington, and stocked up.

If you're in the mood for bargain hunting, there are also a couple of outlet malls between Seattle and the Canadian border.

We stopped for gas and made it to the Canadian border in just under three hours.

Hours-long waits at the US-Canada border are common on weekends, but we made it through in about 20 minutes.

From there, it was a 40-minute drive to the Tsawwassen car-ferry dock.

We made a reservation for the 8 p.m. sailing on BC Ferries.

We thought we were being smart by planning ahead. But when we arrived at the terminal, we learned that our 8 p.m. ferry had been canceled due to poor weather conditions.

We left Seattle at 3 p.m. and didn't end up boarding the next ferry with our car until 9 p.m.

This was the point in the trip that I started to miss the ease of taking the passenger ferry. By the time our boat left the dock, it was 9:30.

But my one-way ticket cost around $14, plus $50 for the car, which was significantly cheaper.

BC Ferries has way better food options.

You can get everything from burgers and poutine to snacks and salads at the BC Ferries cafeteria. The line is usually long, so I typically spend the first 20 or 30 minutes of the ride waiting to order.

The evening we sailed, the ferry was full of kids and teens returning from sporting events — the cafeteria had the feeling of a crowded school lunchroom.

Since we were already tired and a little drained, we ended up grabbing some food at the smaller snack bar on a different deck and sitting in one of the lounge areas.

It took eight and a half hours to make it home.

We finally drove off the ferry at almost 11 p.m.

BC Ferries docks in Swartz Bay, which is 20 miles outside of Victoria. By the time I made it home, it was 11:35 p.m., and I was exhausted.

We didn’t use our car once in Seattle.

I'm grateful I was able to get my Trader Joe's fix on this trip, but everything else we wanted to see and do — visit Pike Place Market, do some shopping, and explore Capitol Hill — was within walking distance of our hotel or accessible by public transit.

Unless you're traveling with a big group or have plans that will take you outside of the city, I don't see any advantage to bringing your car on the ferry to Seattle.

If I could do it all over again, I’d take the passenger ferry both ways.

The Victoria Clipper is more expensive, but it's a much more relaxing travel experience than the car ferry.

I loved that I was able to go from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle without the hassle of dealing with a car.

Next time I travel to Seattle, I'm happy to pay a bit more for a roundtrip ticket on the passenger ferry. I look forward to relaxing with my favorite beverage while enjoying the gorgeous view.

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