How To Get To Port McNeill
By Land:
Port McNeill (pop.2623) is located on the Northeast coast of Vancouver Island. From Victoria it takes about six hours to drive the 460 kilometers north to Port McNeill on Highway # 19. From the Nanaimo ferry, follow the signs to the highway and then drive for four hours. The journey from Campbell River, the half-way point, is approximately 2 hours.
You can also catch a bus to Port McNeill from Nanaimo and Vancouver. To view the schedule, go to the Greyhound website. The 5:30 am departures from Victoria and Vancouver arrive in Port McNeill by 3:00 pm.
If you're without a vehicle and departing Victoria, a most interesting way to travel is to catch the VIA Rail train that departs Victoria Johnston Street Bridge Terminal at 8:00 am. Relax and enjoy the climb over the Malahat, across trestle bridges, through tunnels & forests, farm fields and peoples' back yards to disembark at Courtenay about 12:30 pm. Then you can rent a car at Budget Car Rentals (they will pick you up at the Courtenay train station, no problem) or catch the Greyhound bus to Port McNeill. Depending on the train and bus schedules you may have to overnight in Courtenay to do this.
By Sea:
From Vancouver, take BC Ferries to Nanaimo from Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay. One can drive from Nanaimo to Port McNeill in less than 4 hours. Or you can catch the Greyhound bus from Nanaimo to Port McNeill
From Seattle, drive north to either Port Angeles on Highway 99 (take the M.V. Coho Blackball Transport to Victoria) or Vancouver on Highway I -5. Then take BC Ferries to Nanaimo from Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay. Once in Victoria or Nanaimo, you can drive north to Port McNeill as described above.
By Air:
Port Hardy is the closest commercial airport with flights from Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and many coastal communities. Air Carriers include Pacific Coastal Airlines and Air Canada.
WestJet Airlines operates nonstop flights between Comox and Calgary, with connections to other WestJet serviced airports out of Calgary.
Kenmore Air and Northwest Seaplanes offer scheduled flights from Seattle to Port McNeill.
