Where to Stay Before the Tsawwassen Ferry

On this page

1. Why stay near the terminal at all
2. Option 1: a hotel in Tsawwassen town
3. Option 2: a private suite in Tsawwassen
4. Option 3: stay in Richmond or Vancouver and drive in
5. Who should stay where
6. Making the most of an evening in Tsawwassen
7. Before you go
8. Frequently asked questions

Why stay near the terminal at all

Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal is on the far southern edge of Metro Vancouver, at the end of a causeway that runs out from Delta. It is about 36 km from downtown Vancouver and about 30 minutes from YVR, which is far enough that an early sailing, a late flight, or a summer weekend queue can each turn the trip to the ferry into the hardest part of the day.

Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal1 Ferry Causeway, Delta, BC V4M 4G6 Google Maps Apple Maps

Staying nearby the night before solves all three. You sleep properly, eat breakfast, and are at the check-in booths when the window opens rather than racing the cut-off.

This page compares the three realistic options; the detailed pages for each are in the stay section.

Three places to sleep before a Tsawwassen sailing

1

Hotel in town

Time

About 10 min to the terminal

Best for

One or two people on a single night

1. Check in at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn in the town centre
2. Sleep
3. Drive or taxi to the causeway in the morning

Pack breakfast; terminal food is limited before the first sailing.

2

Private suite (upper level of a home, one level inside)

Time

About 10 min to the terminal, about 30 min (26 km) from YVR

Best for

Families of four to six, groups, and anyone with a car

1. 3 bedrooms, sleeps six, private entrance, free driveway parking
2. Full kitchen for an early breakfast
3. Leave the car in the driveway and get dropped off if walking on
4. Complimentary laundry service on stays of five nights or more

3

Richmond–Vancouver base

Time

About 24 min from Richmond; about 36 min from downtown

Best for

Late-morning or afternoon sailings; trips built around the city

1. More to do the evening before
2. Highway 99 through the George Massey Tunnel, then Highway 17
3. Add buffer for rush hour

For the first sailing this means a 3:30 a.m. departure from downtown.

Option 1: a hotel in Tsawwassen town

Tsawwassen is a residential town just inland from the terminal, about ten minutes away by car. It has a hotel in the town centre, the Coast Tsawwassen Inn, along with a handful of smaller guest houses and motels.

A hotel is the simple choice for one or two people on a single night: check in, sleep, and drive or taxi to the terminal in the morning. The hotel near Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal page covers what to look for and how to get from the town centre to the causeway.

Option 2: a private suite in Tsawwassen

For families and groups, a self-contained suite beats a couple of hotel rooms. Ours is a private 3-bedroom suite in Tsawwassen: the entire upper floor of a two-level home, with its own entrance and keypad self check-in (the hosts live in the separate lower suite, with no shared indoor space). It sleeps six in a king, a queen, and a double bed, with 1.5 bathrooms, a full kitchen, and free driveway parking, about 10 minutes by car from the terminal and about 30 minutes (26 km) from YVR. That combination suits the ferry traveller in specific ways:

• Families of four to six get separate bedrooms and a kitchen for an early breakfast rather than a hotel corridor at 4 a.m.
• Anyone with a car has it off the street overnight and, if walking on, can leave it in the driveway and take a lift to the terminal.
• Early sailings become a ten-minute drive. The early morning Tsawwassen ferry guide works through the timings.
• Longer stays of five nights or more include a complimentary laundry service, so you can fly home with clean clothes.

Full details, including how bookings work, are on the 3-bedroom suite in Tsawwassen page.

Option 3: stay in Richmond or Vancouver and drive in

If your sailing is late morning or afternoon, or your trip is built around the city, staying in Vancouver or Richmond and driving to the terminal in the morning is perfectly reasonable.

Base	Distance to terminal	Drive time outside rush hour	Watch out for
Downtown Vancouver	About 36 km	About 36 minutes	Rush hour through the George Massey Tunnel; 3:30 a.m. departures for the first sailing
Richmond	About 24 km	About 24 minutes	Same tunnel bottleneck; closest to YVR for a late-night landing
Tsawwassen town	A few km	About 10 minutes	Limited restaurants; book early for summer weekends

The trade-off is sleep against convenience. Vancouver has more to do the evening before; Tsawwassen has the shorter morning.

Who should stay where

Traveller	Best option	Why
Solo walk-on passenger	Anywhere on the Canada Line or 620 bus route, or a hotel in Tsawwassen	No car to park; the 620 bus stops at the foot-passenger doors
Couple with a car, afternoon sailing	Vancouver, Richmond, or Tsawwassen hotel	Any of the three works; choose by where you want to spend the evening
Couple with a car, first sailing	Tsawwassen hotel or suite	Ten-minute drive to the 60-minute check-in window
Family of five with a car	The 3-bedroom suite in Tsawwassen	Sleeps six, own kitchen, free parking, short morning drive
Group of friends walking on for a week	Suite in Tsawwassen	Leave the car in the driveway and get dropped off; avoids a week of long-term parking fees
Late evening arrival at YVR	Tsawwassen suite or hotel	About 30 minutes (26 km) from the airport; take a relaxed morning sailing

If you land at YVR after dark, the reasoning is spelled out in YVR to Tsawwassen ferry: the last sailings are thin, the drive after a long flight is unpleasant, and a night in Tsawwassen costs little in time. If you are debating parking against staying nearby, the numbers are in Tsawwassen ferry parking.

Making the most of an evening in Tsawwassen

The town is quiet but not empty. There is a long beach and a viewpoint over the strait for a walk before dinner, a shopping centre with restaurants a few minutes from the causeway, and parks that suit children who have spent the day in a car. See things to do in Tsawwassen for a short list.

Restaurants near the terminal itself are limited, so eat in town or at Tsawwassen Mills, or cook in the suite.

Before you go

• Book the ferry first, then the accommodation. Reservations fix your check-in window; the place to stay follows from the sailing time.
• Fill the tank on the way in. Fuel is easier to find on Highway 17 in the evening than near the terminal at dawn.
• Confirm parking if you plan to leave the car. Ask the host or hotel before you arrive, and check the terminal lot rates as a comparison.
• Pack breakfast if you are in a hotel. Terminal food options are limited before the first sailing.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a hotel at Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal?

There is no hotel on the terminal itself. The nearest accommodation is in Tsawwassen town, about ten minutes away by car, including a hotel in the town centre and a number of holiday rentals.

How far is Tsawwassen town from the ferry terminal?

About ten minutes by car depending on the address. The terminal sits at the end of a 2 km causeway off Highway 17, and the town is just inland of it.

Should I stay in Vancouver or Tsawwassen before the ferry?

For a mid-morning or afternoon sailing, Vancouver is fine; the drive is about 36 km and 36 minutes outside rush hour. For the first sailing of the day, or if you are travelling with children, Tsawwassen is much easier.

Where should I stay if I land at YVR late in the evening?

Tsawwassen. It is about 30 minutes from the airport by car, so you can be in bed within an hour of collecting the rental car and take a relaxed morning sailing instead of chasing the last boat.

Is a private suite or a hotel better before the ferry?

A hotel suits one or two people for a single night. A suite suits families and groups who want separate bedrooms, a kitchen for an early breakfast, and parking for the car.

Can I leave my car at the accommodation and walk on the ferry?

At a suite with driveway parking, yes, if the host agrees to the dates. It can be cheaper than the terminal's long-term lot for a week away, and you get a lift to the foot-passenger building instead of a walk from the lot.

Last updated August 28, 2026. Schedules, fares, and parking rates change — confirm with the operator before you travel.