Departure Bay (Nanaimo) ↔ Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)

At Horseshoe Bay, check-in for booked vehicles and foot-passenger groups opens two hours before sailing and closes 30 minutes before. At Departure Bay, booked travellers check in 60 to 30 minutes ahead. If you are walking on without a booking at Departure Bay, check in at least 10 minutes before departure.

Fares are one way. If you are taking any vehicle from Horseshoe Bay, including a motorcycle, book and pay in advance. You can't buy a drive-up vehicle fare there. Departure Bay still accepts drive-up vehicles, though booking is sensible. Foot passengers can book or buy at the terminal in either direction.

Yes, though parking at Horseshoe Bay is tight while terminal construction continues. Departure Bay has 526 paid spaces, including 349 long-term spaces, and the lot closes overnight outside ferry service hours. Check the live parking count and current payment instructions before you set out.

Yes. Pay the passenger fare and bring the bike free; it doesn't need a booking. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes early and tell staff you are cycling. Walk your bike on and off, and secure it on the vehicle deck where the crew directs you. You may bring an e-bike, but you can't charge it aboard.

No. A vehicle reservation is mandatory from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay only. Coming back from Nanaimo, BC Ferries recommends booking but still takes drive-up vehicles first come, first served. Be careful with the direction: Horseshoe Bay won't sell you a drive-up vehicle fare.

Choose Departure Bay for the Horseshoe Bay ferry. The terminal is about a five-minute drive north of central Nanaimo, with BC Transit, coach and taxi connections. Duke Point is a different terminal about 20 minutes south of the city, and its Vancouver route goes to Tsawwassen.

Yes. There is no extra booking fee for foot passengers on this route. At the terminal, use a kiosk or ticket agent to collect a boarding pass before entering the waiting room. If you miss the booked sailing, BC Ferries can apply the fare to another sailing that day on the same route and in the same direction.

Extreme tides can create a steep loading angle at Horseshoe Bay. That can be unsafe for a very low vehicle or one with a long rear overhang, including some RVs and buses. Staff may move you to a later sailing to avoid damage. Check the tides ahead of time if your vehicle has low clearance or extends far behind the rear axle.