Victoria International Airport (YYJ) serves Victoria, British Columbia's capital city, located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, and a rental car makes it easy to explore both the city and the island's southern reaches, though reaching the mainland requires a ferry rather than a bridge. The airport sits north of the city in North Saanich, with rental counters from international and local companies inside the terminal, and pickup is generally efficient given the airport's moderate size relative to major mainland hubs.
From YYJ, Highway 17, also known as the Pat Bay Highway, runs south directly into downtown Victoria, a drive of roughly twenty-five to thirty-five minutes depending on traffic, passing through Saanich Peninsula farmland and suburban stretches along the way. The same highway also connects north to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, just minutes from the airport, where BC Ferries sail to Tsawwassen on the mainland near Vancouver, a crossing of about ninety minutes to two hours including terminal time, making a rental car genuinely useful for combining an island stay with a mainland day trip. Beyond Victoria, the island's southern coastline and towns like Sooke, roughly forty-five minutes west, offer further day-trip routes through forested, hillier terrain.
Driving is on the right throughout Canada, and roads around Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula are generally well maintained and easy to navigate, though it is worth confirming with your rental company whether your agreement permits taking the car aboard a BC Ferries sailing, since policies on ferry travel and inter-island or mainland drop-offs vary between companies. Vancouver Island's climate is notably milder and wetter than much of the Canadian mainland, with rain more common than snow through the winter months, though higher-elevation routes inland can still see occasional snowfall. Fuel stations are frequent around Victoria and the peninsula, and ferry schedules are worth checking and booking ahead during summer and holiday periods, when sailings from Swartz Bay fill up well in advance.