Getting to and from Victoria International Airport (YYJ)

Victoria International Airport (YYJ) is one of the larger airports in Canada, and it handles around 1.5 million passengers per annum. The airport is considered as the ninth busiest in terms of passenger traffic, and as the second busiest for the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also served by several important airline companies, including Air Canada, WestJet and CanJet. Passengers can travel to the airport in their own vehicles, as there are parking spaces available, and they will find Victoria International Airport directions quite simple to follow. Airport directions can also be obtained from various online and offline sources.

The international Airport of Victoria is also known as the Sidney Airport, as it is located in the area of Sidney, on the Saanich Peninsula. From the city of Victoria, it is a distance of about 22km, or 14 miles. The airport is found just west of Sidney, to the north of Victoria, View Royal, the John Dean Provincial Park and the Glen Meadows Golf and Country Club, and to the south of the Shoal Harbour Bird Sanctuary. The Saanich Peninsula, comprising mainly of the areas of Sidney and Victoria, is on the south-eastern end of Vancouver Island, which is to the west of Vancouver on mainland Canada. Cities on the island also include Duncan, Chemainus, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni, Courtenay and Port Hardy. A number of other islands lie in the close vicinity of Vancouver Island and its Saanich Peninsula, including Saltspring Island, North Pender Island, Mayne Island and Galiano Island. To the east of the Saanich Peninsula are islands that are part of the United States of America, including Orcas Island, Lopez Island and the San Juan Islands.

A number of roads are in the close vicinity of Victoria International Airport. The two largest are the Highway 17, or the Patricia Bay Highway, and McTavish Road. Mills Road runs the northern perimeter of the airport grounds and Willingdon Road is found to the west and south of the airport. On the eastern sides are various roads including McDonald Park Road, Beacon Avenue, Stirling Way, Ocean Avenue and Canora Road. Road access to Victoria International Airport was recently improved with the McTavish Road Interchange Project. The new interchange at Highway 17 and McTavish Road was completed in April 2011. In general, the interchange enhanced road safety and improved efficiency for motorists travelling to various locations on the Peninsula.

Victoria International Airport directions from the north

The Patricia Bay Highway 17, which is one of the main access roads of Victoria International Airport, can be used from areas in the north. It is most convenient from the eastern side of the Peninsula, and is linked to Wain Road and to Lands End Road. From Sidney, Beacon Avenue is the main connection to the highway. The Patricia Bay Highway is then a link to McTavish Road, from where Creswell Road leads to Willingdon Road closer to the airport grounds. Motorists may, however, prefer to take the Canora Road turn-off, and then Willingdon Road to the airport. The airport terminal is located on the far south of the airport grounds. On the western side of the peninsula, W Saanich Road can be used for access to Willingdon Road or McTavish Road. It is also linked to Wain Road and Lands End Road, as well as to Tallow Road, Birch Road, Downey Road and Towner Park Road. On all roads nearby the airport, signposts indicating the direction of the terminal building will be noticed.

Victoria International Airport directions from the south

Victoria Airport is about a twenty minute drive from downtown Victoria (on Highway 17) out of peak traffic hours, and about a forty minute drive when busier traffic is experienced. Highway 17 is the route followed by most passengers driving to Victoria Airport, however, other roads can be taken as well such as the W Saanich Road or Wallace Drive. The Patricia Bay Highway, en route to the airport, passes the turn-off for the Trans Canada Highway 1, Swan Lake, the Rithet’s Bog Conservation Area, Beaver Lake and Elk Lake. The Sidney Channel will be to the east. Motorists can take McTavish Road and Cresswell Road, or Canora Road, to the closer roads of the airport.

Victoria International Airport directions from further cities on Vancouver Island

Although there are other airports on Vancouver Island, travellers may need to reach Victoria International Airport from areas such as Nanaimo and Duncan. Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Chemainus and Duncan are all directly linked to the city of Victoria by the Trans Canada Highway 1, which in turn leads to the Highway 17 in the direction of Victoria International Airport. Nanaimo is about 110km from Victoria. The Inland Island Highway 19 can be used to reach the Trans Canada Highway 1 from Courtenay, Comox and Parksville, which are areas further to the north-west of Nanaimo. Sooke is a small town to the south-west of Victoria, and Sooke Road, or the Road 14, can be used for travelling to the city of Victoria, and then the airport via the Highway 17.

Once arriving at Victoria International Airport, motorists can choose between short-term and long-term parking options, or simply drop off departing passengers at the terminal building. Passengers can also be collected in front of the arrivals area. Inside the terminal there are several shops and restaurants, as well as currency exchange services, ATMs, wireless internet access points and public telephones. A family room is found across from the gift shop before the security screening checkpoint, and in the upper departure lounge is a children’s play area and business workstations. Passengers can check-in online, use the self check-in kiosks or go to the conventional check-in counters. The airport is completely accessible to disabled passengers, and assistance is provided by the Red Coat Airport Ambassadors, who circulate the building. Information desks are also available.

Passengers who would prefer to travel by public transport can use the bus routes 83, 86 and 88, or ride the Akal Airporter bus from many downtown Victoria locations. Taxis are another popular form of transport to the airport, and will cost about $56.00 from downtown Victoria. There is no train station at the airport.

Victoria International Airport directions in further detail can be obtained online, at https://maps.google.com.