Travel & LOdging for SON2025

SON2025 will be held at the Victoria Convention Center, located in the beautiful Inner Harbour of downtown Victoria, B.C.

We have reserved room blocks at group rates at two hotels very near the Convention Centre for July 13 through July 17. Group rates are also available at both hotels three days before and after the conference days, subject to availability.

The deadline for hotel reservations with the room block discount expire on June 12, 2025.

Hotel Grand Pacific:

$269 CDN/night (~$187 USD)

For reservations

Toll Free 1-800-663-7550
Direct (250) 386-0450
Email: reserve@hotelgrandpacific.com
 
Group Name: Society of Nematologists
Group Code: JUL25SON

Marriott Victoria Inner Harbour:

$329 CDN/night (~$229 USD)

Getting There ~

Traveling to Victoria by air:

Victoria International Airport (YYJ) handles more than 100 daily flights throughout North America, with an average of 16 flights landing each day from Vancouver; 4 each day from Calgary, and 2 each day from Toronto, Seattle, and Edmonton and Kelowna.

YYJ is approximately 26 km and 35 minute drive from downtown Victoria.

Ground transportation from the airport to downtown (Ground Transportation - Victoria Airport Authority):

• Taxi & Uber: Approximately $70CAD for taxi.
• 
  
• BC Transit (public bus) (Victoria Route Overview): $5.00CAD. This bus journey departs every 30 to 60 min, depending on time of day, and takes 1 to 1.5 hr on average to get downtown. Downtown bus stops are within a block of the Victoria Marriott and Hotel Grand Pacific, and directly in front of the Conference Centre.
• • Proceed to the designated public bus stop outside the terminal.
  • Get on the #88 Sidney bus to McTavish Exchange (2 stops).
  • Get off at McTavish Exchange and board the #72 Downtown bus for Victoria.
•  Car Rental: All major car rental companies rent out of YYJ.

Traveling to Victoria by land and sea, the scenic way - with a car:

Traveling by car, the most popular crossing to Vancouver Island and Victoria is via BC Ferries, the Vancouver (Tsawwassen) to Victoria (Swartz Bay) route (Vancouver (Tsawwassen) - Victoria (Swartz Bay) | BC Ferries).

From the Peace Arch US-Canada border crossing, the Tsawwassen ferry terminal is approximately 35 km northeast via Interstate 5/Highway 99 and BC Highway 17.

There is also a vehicle ferry to Victoria from Port Angeles on the Olympic peninsula of Washington state (Black Ball Ferry Line | Daily Departures to Victoria and Port Angeles).

 

By land and sea – without a car

From downtown Vancouver or the Vancouver airport (YVR), the BC Ferries Connector bus (Home - BC Ferries Connector Bus) will take you to downtown Victoria for only $30CAD.

From downtown Seattle, walk-on passengers can take The Clipper, a high-speed passenger ferry (no vehicles) directly to downtown Victoria (Seattle to Victoria Ferry | Victoria Clipper Schedules & Fares). Fares range from $160 to $210 USD. While this route is efficient and very scenic, there are only two to four sailings per day from Seattle, so book ahead!

Washington State Ferries Corp. also operates scenic vehicle and passenger ferries to southern Vancouver Island/Victoria from Bellingham and Anacortes, Washington (Passenger & Vehicle Ferry services to Victoria, BC - All Seattle, Bellingham, Port Angeles, Friday Harbor & Vancouver BC ferry systems are included.).

Finally, for the more exclusive traveller, there are regular seaplane flights to Victoria harbour from downtown Seattle and Vancouver harbours (Harbour Air Flight Schedules).

Find out if you need a visa to travel to Canada

Most people need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada - not both. Some people may only need their valid passport. Answer a few questions to see what's right for you: https://ircc.canada.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Letters of invitation  ~

Being a global community of scientists, we understand that many of you might need letters of invitation in order to gain visa approval to travel to SON2025. Attendees are encouraged to apply for a visa as soon as you are confident you will attend. Some consulates may have backlogs in scheduling visa interviews, so applicants should contact the consulate directly to determine wait times. All applicants must be able to qualify for a visa on their own merits. SON cannot intervene with embassies in other countries on behalf of any meeting participants. 

Customized visa invitation letters can be issued to confirmed registrants— those who have paid the meeting registration fees, have submitted an abstract, or are otherwise presenting. If you would like to receive a visa invitation letter, please complete the invitation letter request form.
If you have additional questions, please contact the SON Registration Desk.