Nanaimo is reached from the British Columbia mainland by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) to Departure Bay, or from Tsawwassen to Duke Point — a crossing of about 90 minutes. Both terminals are about 10 minutes from downtown Nanaimo. Advance reservations are strongly recommended on summer weekends.
Nanaimo Airport has scheduled flights from Vancouver International and Calgary. The city is also connected to Vancouver by scheduled floatplane service (Harbour Air and Kenmore Air), which lands right in the harbour — a spectacular arrival on clear days. From Victoria, Nanaimo is about 110 km north on the Trans-Canada Highway via the Malahat, roughly 90 minutes to two hours.