There are so many ways to get around in Nanaimo! Don’t have a car? No problem.
Today’s topic is something I get asked a fair bit and that is, Do I need a car in Nanaimo and what is the transit system like? I’ll go beyond this and explain some other methods of transportation you’ll want to know if you’re going to be living in Nanaimo.
Driving
Let’s start with the first question and that is do you need a vehicle here? My answer to this question is always… if you can afford one these days (gas prices) then yes, I highly recommend one. This is due to the fact that it provides you the ability to get to other destinations Vancouver Island has to offer much easily. Once you move here, you’ll want to explore and you can be in beautiful destinations in a matter of hours, like in this video of my trip to Hornby Island.
If you’re in the city, having a car makes it so you’re no more than 20-25 minutes from most points. Nanaimo is a long city North to South, with two highways that run in this direction so you can get anywhere fairly quickly. Nanaimo is great at providing lots of shopping opportunities in all segments of this city though, so if you’re fine with sticking to your neighbourhood then transit or biking is probably fine.
By car, according to Google Maps, from central Nanaimo you are 1h36mins to Victoria.
2h57 mins to Tofino
1h34 mins to Campbell River
32 mins to Parksville
2 hours to Port Renfrew
1h10 mins to Port Alberni
And 1h14 minutes to the Comox Valley
If you have an electric vehicle, Nanaimo currently has 81 charging stations around the city! If not, gas prices in Nanaimo today hover around 1.58…
As far as ride sharing is concerned, Nanaimo is lucky to have U-ride which started last November! Simply download the app and request a pick-up. It functions just like Uber and Lyft in bigger cities and is an excellent alternative to Taxis. I recently used this service to get from the Departure Bay ferry terminal to the Nanaimo Airport and it was a $45 fare.
Public Parking
Parking in Nanaimo is also very affordable compared to big cities and finding parking is usually pretty easy! There are a number of parking apps to make payment and extending your parking hastle-free.
Public Transit
Now onto Bus Transit. Nanaimo does have a very thorough bus route network throughout the city which covers down to Cassidy where the airport is located and up to Lantzville in the North, as well as the intercity bus route 91 which goes to Parksville and QB. The three large exchanges are located at Woodgrove Center, Country Club Mall and at VIU.
Cycling
On top of the bus transit system in Nanaimo, the city also has a healthy network of bike lanes. Active transportation is something Nanaimo is working on, as the population grows and people need more and more cost-effective ways to get around town. There have been major bike lane improvements along Metral Drive and Bowen road, however there has been some resistance with seeing improvements downtown on Front street with the major argument being congestion issues for cars and according to one article on Nanaimo News Now “ A lengthy project to include bike lanes on Wakesiah Ave. between Bowen Rd. and Colliery Dam Park is awaiting funding and direction from council.”
There’s also a Nanaimo Cycling App, but I didn’t find this very useful other than providing a map of the city with coloured routes.
Extended Travel
Now besides ways to get around within the city, what about ways to get off the island, to and from Nanaimo?
Most people’s immediate plan of action here is BC Ferries. After this video is done, check this one out where I describe my experience using BC ferries to commute to and from West Vancouver for a year for work. As travel to and from Vancouver Island has increased, particularly during the summer months, it’s recommended you always reserve a sailing if you’re travelling with your car! Otherwise, you will risk having to wait for a sailing or more. Nanaimo has two large BC ferry terminals, one in Departure Bay which connects you to West Vancouver and one in Duke Point which brings you into Twawassen. There’s also a 20-minute sailing from the Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola island. These smaller ferry services will take you to all the smaller islands off the coast of Vancouver Island called the Gulf Islands, like Salt Spring, Denman and Hornby. They’re well worth exploring
Of course, if you’re looking for a direct and easy way to get from downtown Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver, Nanaimo’s new high-speed passenger ferry called Hullo began service this summer. I’ve taken it twice so far and it’s been super easy, albeit a little pricier than walking on with BC ferries. A base fare for Hullo is $39, compared to $19 with BC ferries.
If you’re not into travelling by boat, then one of the smaller seaplanes from Nanaimo Harbour could be the answer. Seair offers service from downtown Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver for around $116(when booked online**) and Harbour Air, which I found fares this week for as low as $79.
Located in the same area as Hullo Ferries, Helijet offers flights to downtown Vancouver on their twin-engine 12-seater helicopter and will get you there in just 18 minutes! Flights this week were as low as $129.
Then if you really have places to go, Nanaimo’s Airport offers service to connect you to international airports through airlines such as Air Canada, West Jet and Pacific Coastal.
I hope this has answered your questions about how to get around the city of Nanaimo! If there’s something you’d like to know that I did not cover, get in touch! ritafraserrealty@gmail.com
