 Harbour Air Floatplane, Tourism BC/Tom Ryan photo A high-speed bypass is the Nanaimo Parkway (#19). It begins off the Trans Canada at Nanaimo's south end just past the Duke Point turnoff and skirts the western edge of the city on its way up-island. Several car rental companies can be found in Nanaimo for those wishing to pick up a car on arrival. Ferry Travel Nanaimo is the major arrival and departure point for nearly two million cars and 5 million passengers annually via BC Ferries. It is home to two of the island's three major ferry terminals – one at the northwestern edge of downtown (Departure Bay) and the other at Nanaimo's south end (Duke Point). Island visitors from the U.S. often arrive via the Black Ball Ferry (Port Angeles, WA. to Victoria) or Washington State Ferries (Anacortes, WA. to Sidney, BC).
Bus Travel and Public Transportation Greyhound Canada offers regular service to Nananimo. The bus station (1 Terminal Avenue North) is adjacent to the Howard Johnson Hotel and 15 minutes from downtown via the harbourfront walkway. The Nanaimo Regional Transit System provides regularly scheduled morning, afternoon and early evening service. Pick up a schedule at a Visitor Centre or call the customer information line (250-390-4531) for routing tips. Rail Travel The Malahat (train 198 in the VIA Rail passenger fleet) stops here twice a day: in mid-morning on its way from Victoria north to Courtney; and then again in mid-afternoon while returning south. The train station (336 Prideaux Street) in the Old City Distict is within ten minutes of downtown and the harbour. The station was damaged by a fire in 2007 but remains operational.
Air Travel Harbour Air, the largest all-seaplane company in the world with a fleet of 30 aircraft, offers frequent daily service from Vancouver to Nanaimo's inner harbour. The flat-out thrilling 20-minute flight shaves hours of commuting time off the trip between downtown cores. The company also offers a quick puddle-jump between Nanaimo Harbour and Vancouver International Airport. Nanaimo Airport is 18 km/11 mi south of the city off the Trans-Canada Highway. Air Canada offers a schedule of daily flights to and from Vancouver International Airport – earliest departure from Nanaimo is 6:10 a.m., while flights return as late as 11 p.m. Sea-to-Sky Air, meanwhile, offer flights to Whistler, site of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and other spots on Vancouver Island and coastal BC Maps The centrespread of Tourism Nanaimo's annual Visitor's Guide features a colorful big-picture map of the city along with a detailed downtown street guide. Also available at the city's two Visitor Centres is a large-format, one-sheet map produced by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce as well as Skycorpmaps' handy, pocket-sized look at the region.
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