Having enjoyed exploring Ontario and Quebec on a previous family road trip, we decided to return to Canada to explore the western side. However, due to flight availability, the itinerary of our Pacific Northwest road trip quickly expanded to include Seattle, USA. Whilst the Pacific Northwest region is large, you can take a great circular route over two to three weeks, to give you a great insight into this magical area of the world.
Table of Contents
Where is the Pacific Northwest?
The Pacific Northwest is a region relating to the upper west coast of the North American continent, covering the:
- northwestern corner of the United States (including Washington State and Oregon) and
- southwestern part of Canada (namely British Columbia).
Platinum Travel Planning Roadmap for the Pacific Northwest
Companions – perfect for almost everyone!
If you like the great outdoors then a Pacific Northwest road trip offers you an outdoor adventure paradise. There are endless opportunities to get out into nature for activities, such as, hiking, kayaking and even white-water rafting.
In addition, there are also some very special wildlife spotting opportunities along the way, including bears and whales (if you are lucky!).
This makes a perfect destination for families with teenagers or young adults, as there are plenty of activities to keep them interested. However, similarly, it is a wonderful destination for everyone else too – solo travellers and couples will love the freedom of exploring this wonderful region.
Perhaps this road trip would be harder with young children (under 10s) due to driving distances, and lack of a central base?
Type of trip - Road trip
The best way to explore this area, and see the most on one trip, is on a road trip.
Going by car allows you to:
- get off the beaten track on the car ferry to the San Juan islands,
- reach remote Tofino on Vancouver Islands, and
- drive the dramatic Sea-To-Sky Highway to Whistler.
The driving on a Pacific Northwest road trip is very straightforward, on well-maintained roads with lots of places for stops along the way – perfect for a relaxed but very rewarding road trip in the Pacific Northwest region.
When to travel to the Pacific Northwest
July and August are the perfect months to undertake a Pacific Northwest road trip, during the Summer when you are likely to have good weather. The shoulder months of June and September would also be a good option, although the evenings can get quite chilly in these months.
Note – It is very green throughout the Pacific Northwest region which is a sign that it rains a lot here. July tends to be the driest month in Seattle, Washington, which is notoriously wet, so still be prepared for some rain even in the summer months.
Where to explore on your Pacific Northwest Road Trip
Where to start your road trip?
Vancouver or Seattle would be the main airport hubs for a Pacific Northwest road trip.
We had intended to fly to Vancouver, Canada, from the UK and start our Pacific Northwest road trip itinerary from there. However, our plans became more complicated because we wanted to use AMEX Companion Vouchers and Avios points collected as part of the British Airways Loyalty Scheme. Unfortunately, the flight availability from London Heathrow to Vancouver (allowing us to redeem our AMEX Companion Vouchers) didn’t work for the dates we wanted to travel on.
Our solution was to change tack, and fly in and out of Seattle, USA, which is a 2.5-hour drive from Vancouver. This allowed us to use our AMEX Companion Vouchers and start a circular road trip from there.
So, you have options from either of these two cities, depending on your onward travel logistics.
Which stops to include on a Pacific Northwest road trip?
There are so many potential places to stop that you can have fun working out the priorities for your trip and looking at options.
San Juan Islands – I started our research by consulting a large colourful coffee table book called Travel – Where to go When from DK Eyewitness which I frequently refer to when considering where to go at certain times of the year (usually during UK school holidays). The Where to Go When book features the San Juan Islands, USA, in the month of August, and highlights it as a good place for spotting orcas (Killer Whales) which caught my attention.
So, a stop in the San Juan Islands seemed like the perfect stepping stone to get from the USA (Anacortes ferry port, north of Seattle) over to Canada (Sidney ferry port, Vancouver Island) using Washington State ferries, which gave us the second stop on our road trip.
I had not been aware of the San Juan Islands previously, which I think are possibly under the radar for many Brits.
Vancouver Island – in terms of Vancouver Island, I had visited previously when 20 years old on a backpacking trip following a stint of summer work in Toronto.
On that trip, I visited the city of Victoria before hiking some of the West Coast Trail. However, sadly I didn’t get as far as Tofino despite hearing amazing things about the town, so Tofino became the next target destination on our Pacific Northwest road trip. Tofino offered surfing and bear watching as activities which appealed to our children who were 12 and 15 at the time.
As Vancouver Island is large, 460 km (285 miles) from top to bottom, we planned in some stops between the port town of Sidney in the south of the Vancouver Island (where the Washington State Ferries arrive) and Tofino, about halfway up Vancouver Island on the west coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Using the ferries – after Tofino, we then needed retrace our steps to the east side of Vancouver Island and pick up a ferry from Nanaimo across to mainland Canada. We had a choice of two ferry options:
- BC Ferries from Nanaimo (Duke Point) to Vancouver (Tsawwassen), the closest stop to metro Vancouver, or
- BC Ferries from Nanaimo (Departure Bay) to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) to the north of Vancouver city.
An exciting drive to Whistler – we decided to head to Horseshoe Bay, north of Vancouver, and pick up the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Highway 99) to Whistler for a few days in the mountains, before dropping back down to Vancouver as our last stop of the holiday, before driving back to Seattle to catch our flight home.
The itinerary for our Pacific Northwest road trip was therefore as follows:
- Seattle, Washington State, USA – 3 nights at the start
- Drive to Burlington to reposition (1 hour)
- Burlington, Washington State, USA – 1 night
- Ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, USA
- Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, USA – 3 nights
- Ferry to Sidney, Vancouver Island, Canada
- Drive to Chemaninus (1 hour 15′)
- Pitstops at the Merridale Cidery, Kinsol Bridge and Duncan, town of totems
- Chemainus, Vancouver Island, Canada – 1 night
- Drive to Tofino (3 hours)
- Pitstops at the Old Country Market, Coombs and Cathedral Grove, Macmillan Provincial Park
- Tofino, Vancouver Island, Canada – 3 nights
- Drive to Nanaimo (3 hours)
- Ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay)
- Drive to Whistler (1 hour 15′)
- Whistler, British Columbia, Canada – 3 nights
- Drive to Vancouver (1.5 hours)
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – 2 nights
- Drive to Seattle (2.5 hours)
- Pitstop for Boeing Factory Tour, Everett, USA
- Pick up onward flight home.
How long do you need for a Pacific Northwest road trip?
We were away for the best part of 3 weeks for our Pacific Northwest road trip which was a good amount of time for this road trip route.
If you only have two weeks then there are some options to trim time, such as:
- Cut down on your time in metro Vancouver in favour of the other places on the itinerary (controversial?)
- Travel between Seattle, Vancouver, and Whistler, missing out Vancouver Island – although I would strongly encourage you to keep Vancouver Island in the mix
- Spend less time in the San Juan Islands on your way to Vancouver Island.
If you have more than 3 weeks, or would prefer a different route, then you could stay in the USA and explore more of Washington State (the Evergreen State), such as the Olympic Peninsula, or head down into Oregon. Alternatively, you could travel further up the coast of British Columbia.
The opportunities for outdoor adventures here are endless in the Pacific Northwest!
Budget and bookings – flights, cars and accommodation
Booking your flights
I have already talked about this in the section about where to start your Pacific Northwest road trip.
However, in summary, either Vancouver or Seattle are the best options for arrival/departure for this trip, which gives you more flight options. Portland could be another possibility to the south of Seattle if you want to spend more time in the USA.
Booking your hire car
Robust vehicle – although the roads are generally good, I would advise booking a robust car as the distances are quite long, and your car needs to be comfortable on the journey, and also able to withstand potential incidents of wildlife jumping out in front of the car – although unlikely, it can happen.
We were given a real whopper of a car, an 8-seater Chevy Suburban, which was much bigger than we had ordered. However, it proved extremely comfortable and good for covering the longer distances.
One way fees – with this circular road trip route, you avoid any one way fees being charged by the rental agency.
Book and make ferry reservations early
This itinerary for a Pacific Northwest road trip includes three ferry trips, as follows:
- 2 with Washington State Ferries:
- from Anacortes, USA, to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, USA
- from Friday Harbor, USA, to Sidney, Vancouver Island, Canada
- 1 with BC Ferries:
- from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay), Canada.
Reservations for Washington State Ferries (WSF)
The Washington State Ferries (WSF) route from Anacortes, USA, to Sidney, Canada, is viewed as an international route and is the only route for which WSF do not sell tickets in advance, because your paperwork (passports) needs to be verified before you are sold a ticket.
However, you can make a reservation for your vehicle on this route using the Washington State Ferries Save-a-Spot Vehicle Reservations System, for which you receive a confirmation email for your reservation. Then on the day of travel, you are advised to turn up at the Washington State Ferries departure point 60-90 minutes early to get in line, visit the ticket office with all your passports and paperwork as necessary and pay for your ferry crossing.
Note – our passports were formally inspected and stamped by Canadian border control as were leaving the Sidney port.
Ferry reservations or bookings with BC Ferries
On our route from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) there was an option with BC Ferries to either pay in full on-line, or to make a reservation with a deposit paying the rest on arrival at the port.
Whichever option you decide to go with, you should be able to book or reserve your crossing with BC Ferries around 5.5 months in advance, e.g. mid-February for a crossing in August. Diary date when the bookings open, then you can get organised nice and early and make sure you get the BC Ferries crossings that you want.
Note – you need to know the length and height of your vehicle when you make your reservation with either Washington State Ferries or BC Ferries, so this will need to be based on your hire car specifications. If in doubt, over-estimate rather than underestimate to avoid being caught out when you arrive at the ferry port.
Booking accommodation for your road trip
There are lots of great accommodation options for a Pacific Northwest road trip depending on your budget and requirements.
My main advice here is to book as early as possible to ensure that you get what you want particularly if you are travelling in high season.
We booked a range of accommodation on our Pacific Northwest road trip:
- AirBnB (Friday Harbor)
- functional hotels (Burlington and Chermainus)
- IHG Kimpton Hotel (Seattle)
- Apart Hotel (Whistler)
- splurge stay for a significant birthday at The Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino.
Booking activities for your Pacific Northwest road trip
Once you’ve done your trip research, you might have a list of activities that you’d like to do. If you’re travelling in July and August then some activities can sell out, so think abut booking some before you set off on your trip.
Sea Kayaking, San Juan – the main activity we booked in advance of travelling was the Sea Quest Kayak Tour in the San Juan Islands in search of orcas. This is effectively a ‘holiday within a holiday’ and counts as one of your night’s accommodations, if you choose the overnight camping option (or longer if you take the 3 night option).
Popular activities which you could book in advance of travelling to the Pacific Northwest to avoid disappointment include:
- tickets to a Seattle Mariners Baseball game
- Bear watching trip in Tofino, and
- cycling tour of Stanley Park in Vancouver.
Activities which we booked whilst on holiday include:
- White-water rafting, Green Lake, Whistler
- Surfing lesson in Tofino
- Ballard boat trip and museums in Seattle
Float Planes – one great activity to consider booking is a scenic flight on a float plane around Vancouver or Vancouver Island, or up to Whistler. Not cheap, but a real Pacific Northwest experience. We wished we’d done this…
Booking activities can make a hole in your budget, so prioritise and avoid over scheduling – there is enough to do in the Pacific Northwest without formal activities. The scenery itself is an activity!
What to pack for your Pacific Northwest road trip
The Pacific Northwest is a very casual region, so no need to book anything smart for your trip.
The key advice is to make sure that you have clothing for a range of weather, in particular:
- Wet weather gear – the Pacific Northwest is green for a reason, it rains a lot, so pack cagoules in case of a downpour. Quick drying clothing can be useful for hiking.
- Sun protection – sun hats or baseball caps, sunglasses and sun cream.
- Warm layers – even in the summer months, it can sometimes feel cool in the evenings, so a fleece or warm sweatshirt might be welcome.
- Activity gear – depending on what activities you book, you might need:
- Swimwear and rash vests
- Kayaking or White Water Rafting gear
- Hiking boots and lightweight clothing.
Actually, it becomes quite a tricky trip to pack for as you might need a bit of everything!
Travel in Confidence
Check FCDO Travel Advice
As with any trip, the first thing I do is to check the travel advice on the website of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). If you live outside the UK, check the advice of the equivalent body in your country of residence.
At the time of our trip, there were no areas of concern flagged by the FCDO.
Make sure you have the correct documentation
Passports and Visas
Canada and USA – before booking your Pacific Northwest road trip, check the entry requirements of all the relevant countries you plan to visit, related to your nationality and the length of your stay.
Passports – make sure there is enough time left to run on your passport before it expires, in line with entry requirements. Passports for USA trips needed to have 6 months validity remaining on your passport after the end of our trip when we travelled.
Visas – as a British Citizen travelling with a current valid passport, we needed to apply for 2 sets of e-Visas, one for Canada and one for the USA, as follows:
- Canada – ETA
- USA – ESTA
You can apply for ETAs and ESTAs on-line and they generally come through quickly, but don’t leave it to the last minute, just in case of any issues.
If you are planning to travel for a longer period, then check whether any other requirements are necessary.
Driving documentation
For driving in both Canada and the USA, we were able to hire a car with AVIS on the provision of a full UK driver’s licence.
An international driving licence was not required for our trip, but again, it’s worth double checking with your car hire provider.
Travel insurance
Use travel insurance which covers you well for medical emergencies, breakdowns and driving incidents, and also for any activities you are thinking of doing whilst in Canada or the USA, such as, surfing, kayaking, white water rafting etc.
Driving in Canada and the USA
How we found the roads in the Pacific Northwest
The roads on Pacific Northwest road trip were very good indeed. We were driving on main roads and not in remote areas, so we felt confident that we could have sought assistance if needed. We didn’t do any significant driving at night.
The Sea-to-Sky Highway on the way to Whistler was quite a hard drive as it is a fast-moving highway with lots of bends and undulations. It just took a lot of concentration, without getting distracted by the fantastic views along the way.
Navigation tools for your road trip
We used the sat nav which came with the hire car and so didn’t need to rely on any other app, however WAZE is very popular in Canada. We used WAZE in Costa Rica and were really impressed by it and its real time data telling you if there were any objects in the road!
Driving hazards in the Pacific Northwest
Wildlife
There is a risk from wildlife suddenly running out into the road, particularly at dawn or dusk, so just be alert to any animals lurking by the sides of the road. Although this is a real risk, we didn’t have any close encounters on our Pacific Northwest road trip.
Other drivers on the road
Like at home, there is always a risk from other drivers, for example, jumping red lights or speeding, so just take it easy, know the local rules of the road and be extra vigilant.
Other considerations for your road trip
Risk of tsunamis
On Highway 4 to Tofino, which runs along the Pacific west coast of Vancouver Island, there are tsunami warning signs all along the road. Although the chance of experiencing a tsunami after an earthquake is very slim, there are small earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest region each year, so you need to know what to do if one occurs.
The formal tsunami advice is as follows – if the ground shakes under your feet, or you see the waterline recede quickly from the shore, a tsunami may be coming, so you should move to higher ground and or follow tsunami evacuation routes. The rule of thumb is to attempt to gain 20 meters in elevation within 20 minutes.
Bugs
We used bug spray whilst on the kayaking trip in the San Juan Islands, and when in forested areas, but didn’t really suffer from bites on our trip which was good. However, be prepared as it might be different when you visit dependent on the season and climate.
Drugs / Crime / Homelessness
We did see a lot of homeless people in Vancouver, actually on a scale which was quite distressing. In addition to this, hard drug taking on the streets was very visible.
Whilst nothing untoward happened to us whilst in Vancouver itself, it did feel edgy, so just be prepared for that in advance – if travelling with children you might want to think about avoiding some areas in downtown (Gastown was pretty bad when we visited).
Final thoughts...
Our Pacific Northwest road trip in USA and Canada was a big hit with the adults and kids alike with fantastic views around every corner.
The roads are great for driving on this road trip and we didn’t have any driving issues on the route at all.
I particularly enjoyed the variety of landscapes on this itinerary – from city, to islands, to rainforest and mountains – and the balance of activities which it offered.
So, in summary, I can whole heartedly recommend this trip. Enjoy the roads, enjoy the views – enjoy the Pacific Northwest!
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