Planning your inter-regional travel with BC Transit, TransLink and BC Ferries
Travelling throughout different regions of British Columbia? Whether you’re heading from Victoria to Vancouver, Vancouver to Nanaimo, or exploring the Fraser Valley, connect with BC Transit, BC Ferries, and TransLink to make your trip as smooth and convenient as possible. Here’s a guide to help you navigate and plan your journey.
To travel from Victoria to Vancouver using public transit:
Take the 70 Swartz Bay/Downtown, 71 Swartz Bay/Downtown or 72 Swartz Bay/Downtown from downtown Victoria to Swartz Bay.
Board the ferry at Swartz Bay Terminal heading to Tsawwassen Terminal. Pay for your ferry ticket with cash, debit, credit, or the BC Ferries Experience Card. Reserve your spot online insert link or by phone in advance.
Upon arriving at Tsawwassen Terminal, take the 620 Bridgeport Station bus to Bridgeport Station in Richmond.
Transfer to the Canada Line SkyTrain at Bridgeport Station to reach your destination in Vancouver
To Travel from Vancouver to Victoria it’s the reverse process. Take a TransLink bus or SkyTrain service from your location in Vancouver to Bridgeport Station on the Canada Line 🡪 Take the 620 Tsawwassen FerryBus from Bridgeport Station to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal 🡪 Ferry from Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to Swartz Bay 🡪 Route 70, 70X or 72 from Swartz Bay to downtown Victoria.
To travel from Nanaimo to Vancouver:
Take the Route 20Hammond Bay or 20A Dover from downtown Nanaimo or 25 Ferry Shuttle from Woodgrove Exchange to Departure Bay.
Board the ferry at Departure Bay Terminal heading to Horseshoe Bay Terminal. Pay for your ferry ticket with cash, debit, credit, or BC Ferries Experience Card. Reserve your spot online or by phone in advance.
Upon arriving at Horseshoe Bay Terminal, take the 257 Vancouver Express or 250 Vancouver bus to downtown Vancouver.
To travel from Fraser Valley to Vancouver:
Board the 66 Fraser Valley Express from Downtown Chilliwack, Vedder at Luckakuck, Lickman Park & Ride, McCallum Park & Ride, or Highstreet Mall, which will take you to Lougheed SkyTrain Station in Burnaby.
From Lougheed Station, connect to the SkyTrain or TransLink buses to reach your destination in Vancouver.
For destinations in Surrey or Langley, Route 21 Aldergrove/Abbotsford also provides a connection to TransLink Route 503 in Aldergrove, which provides onward service along Fraser Highway to Surrey Central Skytrain Station.
TransLink services are also available in Mission, from Mission City Station. The West Coast Express commuter train operates during peak commuter hours, in the peak direction. The 701 Coquitlam Central Station bus route also provides limited service during offpeak periods.
Please note that you will need to purchase a ticket to board the SkyTrain or to connect to TransLink buses
If you are planning to travel from Salt Spring Island:
For Victoria, take Route 2 Ganges/Fulford Harbour from downtown Ganges to Fulford Harbour 🡪 Board the ferry at Fulford Harbour Terminal heading to Swartz Bay Terminal 🡪 take Route 70, 70X or 72 from Swartz Bay to downtown Victoria.
For Vancouver, take Route 4 Downtown/Long Harbour from downtown Salt Spring Island to Long Harbour 🡪 Board the ferry at Long Harbour Terminal heading to Tsawwassen Terminal 🡪 take 620 Bridgeport Station bus to Bridgeport Station in Richmond 🡪 Transfer to the Canada Line SkyTrain at Bridgeport Station to reach your destination in Vancouver.
For Duncan, take Route3Downtown/Vesuvius Bay from downtown Salt Spring Island to Vesuvius Bay 🡪 Board the ferry at Vesuvius Bay Terminal heading to Crafton Terminal 🡪 take Route 6 Crofton-Chemainus to reach your destination in Duncan.
Pay for your ferry ticket with cash, debit, credit, or the BC Ferries Experience Card. Reserve your spot online insert link or by phone in advance.
To travel from Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast (Gibsons and Sechelt):
Take the Route 250 Horseshoe Bay or Route 257 Horseshoe Bay Express from downtown Vancouver to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal.
Board the ferry at Horseshoe Bay heading to Langdale Terminal. Pay for your ferry ticket with cash, debit, credit, or the BC Ferries Experience Card.
Upon arriving at Langdale board the Route 1 Sechelt Local or Route 90 Sechelt Express via Hwy 101 or Route 90 Sechelt Express via North Road. If you are going to Gibsons, do not board the Route 90 Sechelt Express via North Road, as this bus bypasses Gibsons.
To travel from the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver, it’s the reverse process. Catch a Route 1 Langdale or 90 Langdale Express to Langdale Ferry Terminal 🡪 Then board the ferry to Horseshoe Bay 🡪 Disembark at Horseshoe Bay then catch the Translink Route 250 Vancouver, or 257 Vancouver Express to downtown Vancouver.
To travel from Courtenay/Comox to Powell River and Texada Island:
From the Downtown Courtenay Exchange, take the Route 11 Airport via Powell River Ferry, to the BC Ferries Little River Terminal.
Board the ferry at Little River heading to the Westview Harbour Terminal. Pay for your ferry ticket with cash, debit, credit, or the BC Ferries Experience Card.
Disembark at Westview Harbour then take the Route 2 Grief Point bus (catch it on Marine Avenue at Duncan Street) to Powell River Town Centre.
If you’re going from Courtenay to Texada Island, you’ll need to arrive in Powell River on a Wednesday night and catch the Route 13 Texada Island bus on Thursday morning at 6:17 a.m from Powell River Town Centre Exchange or at 6:50 a.m. at the Westview Harbour Ferry Terminal. The Texada bus only runs on Thursdays.
To travel from Powell River to Courtenay/Comox, it’s the reverse process. Catch a Route 2 Grief Point from Powell River Town Centre to Marine Avenue at Duncan Street 🡪 Walk to the Westview Harbour Ferry Terminal 🡪 Board the ferry to Little River Terminal 🡪 Disembark at Little River then catch the Route 11 Airport via Downtown bus to the Courtenay downtown transit exchange.
BC Transit offers riders a wide range of ways to pay their fare including cash or prepurchase tickets and passes. Umo, BC Transit’s new electronic fare system also allows riders to pay their fare aboard the bus with the Umo Mobility app or a reloadable Umo card. As the app includes trip-planning tools and real-time information, it’s BC Transit’s recommended fare product. Umo is currently available in the Victoria Regional Transit System and scheduled to be implemented in the Regional District of Nanaimo Transit System this fall. To use the Umo app, download the Umo Mobility App from your app store and create an account.
For Metro Vancouver transit riders, Compass is the fare payment system used by TransLink. You can use it to pay for your bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express trips with a Compass Card or Ticket, or by tapping your credit card or mobile wallet. To learn more about Compass and how to use it, visit TransLink’s website.
Please note that Umo and Compass are different systems and you will need to use both together should you be travelling on BC Transit and TransLink services. Riders will not be able to use the Umo app in Metro Vancouver, nor will they be able to use Compass Cards beyond the Metro Vancouver region. The one exception of this is the red Compass Card for the Province of British Columbia’s BC Bus Pass fare program for low-income seniors and individuals receiving disability assistance, accepted on all BC Transit routes.
Travel Tips
Now that you know how to travel between Vancouver, Victoria and the Fraser Valley using BC Transit, BC Ferries, and TransLink, here are some travel tips and etiquette for each service:
Tap your Compass Card, Ticket, credit card, or mobile wallet when you enter and exit a SkyTrain station or SeaBus terminal, or when you board a bus or West Coast Express train.
Have enough stored value or a valid pass on your Compass Card or Ticket before traveling. You can reload your card or buy a ticket at any Compass Vending Machine, online, by phone, or at select retailers.
Customer Service
For any inquiries or assistance, reach out to the respective customer service departments of BC Transit, BC Ferries, and TransLink.
BC Transit
BC Transit’s corporate office is located at 520 Gorge Road East, Victoria, BC V8W 9T5 and can be contacted at 250-385-2551 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.
BC Ferries
BC Ferries’ customer service team can be reached at 1-888-BC FERRY (1-888-223-3779) for Canada & USA. Their operating hours are Monday to Friday from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm.
TransLink
TransLink’s Customer Service Centre is located at Waterfront Station #54 – 601 W. Cordova Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 1G1 and operates from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They can also be contacted at 604-953-3333.
Please note that operating hours and days may vary, so it’s always a good idea to check their official websites for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
