Travel schedules and local info
Getting to Vancouver Island
Ferries, floatplanes, helicopters, flights and tide tables — every way over, how long it takes, and a link straight to each operator's live schedule. There's no bridge to the Island, so every trip starts on the water or in the air.
Schedules and fares change by season, so we link to the official source rather than copying timetables. Crossing times below are typical.
BC Ferries schedules and routes
Most visitors arrive by BC Ferries, and it's the only way to bring a car across from the mainland. In summer and on long weekends, reserve a vehicle spot ahead. Walk-on passengers don't need a reservation.
Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay
Vancouver (south) to Victoria
Crossing typically about 1 hr 35 min
The main route for Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula. Swartz Bay is about 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria.
Live BC Ferries schedule ↗Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay
West Vancouver to Nanaimo
Crossing typically about 1 hr 40 min
The handiest route from the North Shore and Whistler. Lands in central Nanaimo, the gateway to Tofino and the mid-Island.
Live BC Ferries schedule ↗Tsawwassen – Duke Point
Vancouver (south) to Nanaimo
Crossing typically about 2 hr
Busy with commercial traffic. Duke Point is just south of Nanaimo with fast highway access north and west.
Live BC Ferries schedule ↗Powell River – Comox
Sunshine Coast to the Comox Valley
Crossing typically about 1 hr 30 min
Links the Sunshine Coast to Courtenay and Comox. Good for a coastal loop trip.
Live BC Ferries schedule ↗Gulf Islands and Island-to-island routes
Salt Spring, Pender, Galiano, Mayne, Quadra, Cortes, Denman, Hornby and more
Short crossings, from minutes to about an hour
Smaller ferries link Vancouver Island to the islands around it. Many Gulf Island routes also run from Tsawwassen.
Live BC Ferries schedule ↗Passenger-only ferries
Faster, foot-passenger boats. No cars, but they land right in town.
Hullo
Downtown Vancouver to downtown Nanaimo
Crossing typically just over an hour
A high-speed passenger ferry between the two downtown harbours — no need to drive to a ferry terminal.
Hullo schedule ↗Victoria Clipper
Seattle to Victoria's Inner Harbour
Crossing typically about 2 hr 45 min
A fast passenger catamaran. Bring a passport — you clear Canadian customs on arrival.
Clipper schedule ↗Black Ball Ferry (Coho)
Port Angeles, Washington to Victoria's Inner Harbour
Crossing typically about 1 hr 30 min
Takes cars and passengers — the main way to drive over from Washington State.
Coho schedule ↗Floatplanes and helicopters
The fastest and most scenic way over. Most flights land right on the water in the middle of town, so there's no airport transfer at either end.
Harbour Air
Downtown Vancouver harbour to Victoria, Nanaimo and other coastal spots
Vancouver–Victoria typically about 35 min
The largest seaplane airline on the coast, flying from Coal Harbour right into Victoria's Inner Harbour and Nanaimo's harbour.
Harbour Air schedule ↗Helijet
Downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria
Typically about 35 min
Scheduled helicopter service between the two downtown heliports.
Helijet schedule ↗Seair Seaplanes
Vancouver airport (south terminal) to Nanaimo and the Gulf Islands
Typically about 20–45 min
Handy if you're connecting from a flight at YVR.
Seair schedule ↗Kenmore Air
Seattle to Victoria's Inner Harbour
Typically under an hour
Seasonal floatplanes from the Seattle area into Victoria.
Kenmore Air schedule ↗Flying to Vancouver Island
Five airports on the Island have scheduled flights. Victoria has the most routes, including direct flights from across Canada and some US cities.
Victoria International (YYJ)
North Saanich, about 25 minutes from downtown Victoria
Vancouver–Victoria typically about 25 min in the air
The Island's busiest airport, with the widest choice of airlines and routes.
YYJ flights ↗Nanaimo Airport (YCD)
Cassidy, south of Nanaimo
Short hops from Vancouver and Calgary
Good for the mid-Island, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and the drive to Tofino.
YCD flights ↗Comox Valley Airport (YQQ)
Comox
Flights from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton
The gateway for Courtenay, Cumberland and Mount Washington.
YQQ flights ↗Campbell River Airport (YBL)
Campbell River
Flights from Vancouver
Handy for the North Island and the Discovery Islands.
YBL flights ↗Tofino–Long Beach Airport (YAZ)
Between Tofino and Ucluelet
Small planes from Vancouver, often seasonal
Skips the long mountain drive over Highway 4.
YAZ info ↗Vancouver Island tide tables
Tides matter more here than most visitors expect. The difference between high and low water is often three to four metres, and it decides when you can walk the sand flats at Rathtrevor, explore tide pools at Botanical Beach, beachcomb in Tofino or pass headlands on coastal trails like the Juan de Fuca and West Coast Trail.
Check the tide before a beach walk, and never get cut off below a cliff — the water comes back in faster than it looks. Official predictions come from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Other spots: all tide stations in Canada.
Good to know before you come
- Driving: check DriveBC for road conditions and closures, especially on Highway 4 to Tofino and in winter. DriveBC ↗
- Weather: the west coast is much wetter than the east side. Environment Canada has local forecasts and marine warnings. weather.gc.ca ↗
- Wildfire and park alerts: in summer, check BC Parks for trail and campfire notices. BC Parks ↗
- Crossing from the US: bring a passport. You clear Canadian customs when you land in Victoria.
- Cell coverage: patchy on Highway 4, the North Island and remote trails. Download maps before you go.
Once you're here
Plan the route between towns with drive times, or find somewhere to stay booked direct with the host — no booking fees.