Unless you have eight reindeer to fly you out of Vancouver Island, you might want to make a ferry reservation for your trip home.
Christmas Day saw a nearly empty Swartz Bay ferry terminal, but Boxing Day sailings are filling up faster as travellers make their way to the Lower Mainland.
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There is a one-sailing wait from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen with the 4 p.m. sailing 100 per cent full. The 5 p.m. is almost 75 per cent full and the 6 p.m. is 60 per cent full.
The 4:25 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour is almost half-full but the following sailings have plenty of room.
There isn’t much more space available on ferries taking passengers towards Greater Victoria. The 4 p.m .sailing is 100 per cent full and the 5 and 6 p.m sailings are 66 and 50 per cent full, respectively.
The 9 a.m. sailing to Tsawwassen left at about 88 per cent full Thursday morning. The 12 p.m. sailing was 100 per cent full, as were the 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. sailings.
The 9 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay left at around 65 per cent full. The 12 p.m. sailing to Swartz Bay was 72 per cent full and the 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. sailings are more than 50 per cent full by noon.
Boxing Day comes with extra sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen, with sailings every hour from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations can be made online at bcferries.com.
Currently, traffic in Greater Victoria is fairly clear, with a 32- minute driving commute from downtown to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal and a 20-minute commute between downtown Victoria and Langford.
READ ALSO: Boxing Day hockey tourney returns to Oak Bay
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