Duke Point (Nanaimo) ↔ Vancouver (Tsawwassen)

Have a booking? Check in 60 to 30 minutes before departure at either end. Without one, vehicle check-in closes five minutes before sailing and foot-passenger sales close at 10 minutes. Drive-up space is first come, first served, so give yourself a real cushion at busy times.

You pay a one-way fare on this route. BC Ferries offers at-terminal, prepaid and limited Saver choices. Terminals take cash, debit, major credit cards and the Experience Card, while online bookings use the listed card methods. Price the vehicle and every passenger together.

Both terminals have paid parking. Duke Point lists 272 spaces, including 194 long-term, while Tsawwassen lists 884, including 716 long-term. Check live availability because those totals don't promise an open stall. At Duke Point, note your licence plate and don't put a trailer in a single-unit space.

Yes. Pay the passenger fare and your bike rides free. At Duke Point, start at the passenger drop-off, get a boarding pass inside the departures building, show it at the gate intercom, and walk down the shared path. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes early, then follow the crew's loading directions.

Arrange a ride first. Duke Point is about a 20-minute drive south of Nanaimo, and BC Ferries says there is currently no public transit there. Taxis are listed, but a city bus won't be waiting to finish your trip.

Yes, and there is no extra fee for the foot-passenger booking. You still need to redeem it at a kiosk or ticket agent for a boarding pass, then check in 60 to 30 minutes before sailing. Make sure your ride to Duke Point can meet that window.

No. Duke Point is in an industrial area about 20 minutes south of Nanaimo. Departure Bay is roughly five minutes north of the city centre, but that terminal serves Horseshoe Bay. Choose the crossing that fits your trip after the ferry, not just the one labelled Nanaimo.

Check the live Tsawwassen–Duke Point page before you reach the causeway. It shows delays, terminal notices, vessel position and deck-space estimates, which is especially helpful for a drive-up trip. If the numbers look rough, change plans before you're boxed into terminal traffic.