Vancouver Island Travel Information

Travel to Vancouver Island destinations is truly a West Coast experience. Ferry service is available from several mainland British Columbia and Washington state departure terminals as well as between locations on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Air service includes scheduled flights by major airlines to Victoria International airport and other Vancouver Island locations. There is harbour to harbour helicopter and float plane service including chartered flights to various Island locations. Regular scheduled motor coach, and city transit provide full bus transportation services to Island communities.

British Columbia Ferry Services provides daily service for 47 ports of call on 25 routes throughout coastal British Columbia. Crossing times between Vancouver Island and B.C.'s Lower Mainland range from about 90 minutes to two hours, depending ferry route you take.
Daily scheduled ferry service is provided from/to Vancouver Horseshoe Bay or Tsawwassen terminals from/to Swartz Bay near Victoria and Nanaimo Departure Bay or Duke Point Terminals. Shorter ferry routes include service to the Gulf Islands (sailing from both Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland), and to communities along the Sunshine Coast, northwest of Vancouver. There is a small ferry service between Brentwood and Mill Bay, across the Saanich Inlet (near Victoria).
Ferry service is also available from Northern Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert on board the Queen of the North, where you will travel through British Columbia's majestic Inside Passage, the gateway to Alaska. In the summer, BC Ferries sails from Port Hardy to Bella Coola, and other mid-coast ports of call, along the Discovery Coast Passage.
Other companies provide daily scheduled ferry services from downtown Victoria BC to Port Angles WA and from Sidney BC to Anacortes WA. Smaller vessels also provide transportation to Bellingham WA.

VIA Rail's E & N Railiner ticket office is located at 450 Pandora Avenue Victoria BC V8W 3L5. For ticket and reservations call from anywhere in Canada Toll-free: 1-888-842-7245 or visit Via Rail. Travel Vancouver Island on the VIA Rail's E & N Railiner "The Malahat". Starting in Victoria BC you travel along the beautiful east coast of Vancouver Island, through to Courtenay BC. Unlimited stopover privileges allow you to spend time visiting places such as Duncan with its Totem poles, Chemainus world famous murals, Nanaimo's beautiful inner harbour and explore downtown Courtenay. 

Major airlines offer scheduled flights to Victoria International Airport from Vancouver and Seattle. Victoria International Airport is located near Sidney and BC Ferries, a 30-minute drive from downtown Victoria. An airport shuttle service, taxis, and car rental agencies are available from the airport. Other smaller Island airports that provide daily airline services are located at Nanaimo, Campbell River ,Comox Valley and Port Hardy.