Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
area code
for Victoria is
250,
the same as all of British Columbia, except Van-
couver and the Lower Mainland. The cost for local calls at pay phones is $0.35 and from
$2.50 per minute for long-distance calls.
AllofVictoria'sdowntownaccommodationshavein-roomwirelessInternetaccess.As
ageneralrule,theleastexpensivelodgingsofferwirelessaccessforfree,butupscaleprop-
erties like the Fairmont Empress charge a fee. A good option for travelers on the run is
thesmallcaféonthelowerlevelofthe
Hotel Grand Pacific
(463Belleville St.,7am-7pm
daily), where public Internet access is free with a purchase.
Books and Bookstores
The central branch of the
Greater Victoria Public Library
(735 Broughton St., at
the corner of Courtney St., 250/382-7241,
www.gvpl.ca
, 9am-6pm Mon.-Sat., until 9pm
Tues.-Thurs., 1pm-5pm Sun., closed Sun. in summer) has a special collection focusing on
the history and peoples of Vancouver Island.
Lens & Shutter
(1005 Broad St., 250/383-7443, 9:30am-5:30pm Mon.-Sat., noon-5pm
Sun.) is the best downtown photo shop, with a wide selection of film and digital ac-
cessories as well as a reliable developing service. One block away, take your memory
card to
One Hour Photo Express
(705 Fort St., 250/389-1984) for service exactly as the
name suggests. A reliable, centrally located repair shop is
Victoria Camera Service
(864
Pembroke St., 250/383-4311, 9am-5pm Mon.-Fri.). If you're not a photographer, don't
worry—thenumberofcoffeetablebooks,postcards,andcalendarssoldalongGovernment
Street will astound you.
Air Canada
(604/688-5515 or 888/247-2262,
www.aircanada.ca
)
,
Pacific Coastal
(604/
273-8666or800/663-2872,
www.pacificcoastal.com
)
,and
WestJet
(604/606-5525or800/
538-5696,
www.westjet.com
)
have scheduled flights between Vancouver and Victoria, but
the flight is so short that the attendants don't even have time to throw a bag of peanuts in
your lap. These flights are really only practical if you have an onward destination—flying
out of Victoria, for example, with Los Angeles as a final destination.
