Best Vancouver Island Resources to Help Plan Your Trip

The following information provides some of the best resources for planning a trip to Vancouver Island. The resources listed offer great deals and exceptional value. I use them when booking trips in and around Vancouver Island and elsewhere.

And yes, several of the links listed below are affiliate links. This means that if you purchase from one of the affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Accommodation Bookings

Booking.com – The best booking site for consistently providing great rates and the bonus of free cancellation and no prepayment needed. They also now offer the ability to book house rentals, flights, car rentals, attractions, and taxis from major airports.

Expedia – No explanation should be necessary, but Expedia offers incredible rates and easy-to-book hotels and homes, flights, cars, packages, cruises, and activities.

Vrbo – For all your vacation rental needs! Find the best vacation rentals throughout Vancouver Island and beyond.

The Beach Club Hotel – Vancouver Island View readers get an exclusive special rate at this beautiful oceanfront hotel in Parksville.

BC Parks – to book Provincial Park campgrounds and backcountry areas.

Tour Bookings

Viator – The top website for booking tours, experiences, and activities all over Vancouver Island and elsewhere. Here is a list of dedicated pages to my favourite Vancouver Island Tours.

GetYourGuide – also offers unforgettable experiences in each city around the world including those on Vancouver Island.

Transportation Resources

Vehicle Rentals

As mentioned above, you can now book rental cars from Expedia and Booking.com. Another great Canadian option is Rentalcars.com.

RV Rentals: Use Outdoorsy for all your RV rental needs across North America, including the island! Book an RV, camper van, or travel trailer.

Ferry Services

BC Ferries – For travelling to and from Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and the surrounding smaller islands (including the Gulf and Discovery Islands).

Hullo – The newest fast ferry takes passengers from downtown Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver in around 70 minutes.

Black Ball Ferry – The Coho ferry provides daily service between downtown Victoria, BC, and Port Angeles, Washington. The 90-minute crossing is a scenic journey through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with spectacular views of the Olympic Peninsula.

The Clipper is a passenger-only catamaran service from Clipper Vacations between Victoria and Seattle.

Read this article for tips on getting to Vancouver Island via Vancouver and this one for tips from Washington State.

Air Services

Seair Seaplanes – Offering tours, daily scheduled flights, and chartered flights to and from Vancouver Island and beyond.

Harbour Air Seaplanes – Harbour Air has 12 scheduled destinations and full-service terminals in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Richmond (YVR South), Whistler, Seattle, Sechelt, Comox, and Ganges. They also offer private tours.

Helijet International is a helicopter airline and charter service based in Richmond, British Columbia. Its scheduled passenger helicopter airline services operate flights from heliports at Vancouver International Airport, downtown Vancouver, downtown Nanaimo, and downtown Victoria.

Bus Services

Vancouver Island Connector – This bus line provides regular transportation to various locations on Vancouver Island. They also have a Vancouver – Horseshoe Bay route. You board the bus at the Vancouver bus depot, and they will bring you to the Horseshoe Bay terminal. Once there, you will disembark the bus and walk on the ferry. You will then meet the coach on the other side.

IslandLinkBus – provides passenger express bus service between many Vancouver Island points and BC Ferries’ services at Nanaimo Departure Bay.

Read this article for a full list of bus services provided on Vancouver Island.

Exploration Resources

AllTrails – This app/website provides tools for great trail adventures. It offers offline maps, alerts for when you take a wrong turn, the ability to create a list of favourite local trails, map details, and the ability to find trails anywhere. It's honestly my most used app.

Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook – This is our #1 tool for exploring the backroads of Vancouver Island and how we've found many hidden gems.

On Vancouver Island View

These two ebooks and our membership site will help you immerse yourself in the wonders of Vancouver Island:

Locally Made Goods

Etsy – This is my first stop when searching for locally made goods from credible artisans and creatives all over Vancouver Island.