Your trip starts and finishes in Port Alberni, British Columbia. Port Alberni is geographically situated on the east side of Vancouver Island yet linked to the open Pacific Ocean 40km down the Alberni Inlet. Port Alberni is only 80km from the ferry terminals of Nanaimo which link central Vancouver Island to mainland British Columbia.
Comox Airport (YQQ) is the best airport to fly into. The drive to Port Alberni is 70 minutes, mostly on the is Island Highway and then Highway 4 to Port Alberni through majestic Cathedral Grove, a remnant of the old growth forest. There are no scheduled flights into Port Alberni but charter companies can easily land here. We’ve had guests who come as a group charter a plane to Port Alberni from Vancouver and Seattle. Guests can clear Canada Customs in Port Alberni.
Budget Car Rentals (budget.ca) has a deal where you get a 24 hr one-way car rental with unlimited miles and no drop off charges in Port Alberni for. This is a great program for those who want to do some sight-seeing and want flexibility in their schedule. Often it is less expensive to rent for the entire week and leave the car at our property than it is to rent twice. Plug in your information in the quote generator. You can get great coupon codes for Budget here.
Getting to Port Alberni from Vancouver
If you’re trying to get to Port Alberni the fastest, we recommend that you fly to Vancouver and then take the bus to Port Alberni. There is a shuttle bus from the Vancouver Airport to bus terminal and then a connector bus to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. While it is a 2 1/2 hour trip to Port Alberni from Vancouver, 1 1/2 hours of it are aboard a BC Ferry going from the mainland to Vancouver Island. From the ferry terminals in Nanaimo, it is only an hour to Port Alberni. HarbourLynx offers passenger ferry service between Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo.
If you are driving through Vancouver, you can take a ferry from either the Tsawassen or Horseshoe Bay terminal to Nanaimo. It is a two hour ferry from Tsawassen to Duke Point (Nanaimo) or 1 1/2 hours from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo). From either Nanaimo terminal it is approximately a one hour drive to Port Alberni.
Getting to Port Alberni from Victoria.
It is a beautiful and scenic 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive to Port Alberni from Victoria. The highway winds up the east side of the island along the Straight of Georgia and there are many great places to stop along the way. After passing Nanaimo, you take the the well marked exit to highway 4 which takes you to Port Alberni and onto Pacific Rim National Park. Port Alberni is only a half hour drive up highway 4. If you’d like a break along the way, stop at Cathedral Grove, a stand of old growth forest with trees that are hundreds of years old.
Regional Transportation Links
Do not hesitate to contact Batstar Adventure Tours if you have any questions.
Airports
Ferries
Car Ferry Transportation between Vancouver and Victoria, Vancouver and Nanaimo
BC Ferries 1-888-BC FERRY (1-888-223-3779) from anywhere in British Columbia : 250-386-3431 from outside BC
Bus
It’s only a 10 minute cab ride from the bus terminal to our B&B just outside Port Alberni in the Alberni Valley.
Bus Transportation between Vancouver and Victoria
Pacific Coach Lines 1-800-661-1725
Bus Transportation to Port Alberni from Victoria and Nanaimo
Tofino Bus 1-800-663-8390
Washington State to Vancouver Island
Closest Major Airport in the USA, Seattle WA
Seattle/Tacoma Airport
Car Ferry Transportation from Annacortes, WA to Sidney (Victoria) BC
Washington State Ferries 1-888-808-7977 (WA) : 206-464-6400 from outside WA
Car Ferry Transportation from Port Townsend, WA to Victoria Harbour, BC
M.V. Coho Port Angeles, USA, 360-457-4491 : Victoria, Can, (250) 386-2202
High Speed Passenger Ferry Transportation from Seattle, WA to Victoria Harbour, BC
Victoria Clipper 1-800-888-2535
