Departure Bay - Horseshoe Bay
Ferries to Canada
Departure Bay - Horseshoe Bay
Ferries to Canada
Compare live pricing across ferry operators worldwide and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking sooner rather than later is the simplest way to secure the best fares and the widest choice.
Direct Ferries runs discounts across the calendar year. If your route qualifies for a senior discount, it's applied for you automatically as soon as you choose the correct age bracket in the passenger options when you search.
Students and recent graduates qualify for a 5% saving on their ticket. Register with our partner Student Beans to confirm your eligibility, then apply the discount code you receive at checkout.
A resident discount is also on offer for a number of Spanish and Italian crossings — select the "Residents" option where available and the price will adjust automatically. Make sure you can show proof of address, such as a residency certificate or ID card, when you check in.
Document requirements differ by route, so check what you'll need well before departure. Travelling from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay generally calls for a valid passport, plus any visa or national ID your nationality requires. Since rules depend on both your citizenship and your destination's regulations, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is a good place to check the details and avoid delays at check-in.
Getting your tickets is simple — enter your departure port, arrival port, and preferred travel date to see every fare and sailing available. From there, you can compare alternative routes and departure times to land on the best option for your trip.
Watch for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket formats, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that allow later changes or cancellations. Enter your details accurately, including passenger count and vehicle information, to keep your booking process smooth.
A confirmation email lands in your inbox the moment your booking is finalised. How your boarding pass gets issued from there depends on the specific ferry operator.
Certain operators release your boarding pass right after booking; others want you to check in once you reach the port. Where available, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online ahead of time.
Ticket desks sit near the ferry terminal in most cases. Give yourself extra time before departure to collect your tickets and complete check-in without stress.
You'll need to present your confirmation email plus valid photo ID — a passport or identity card — at check-in. Pet owners should bring vaccination and insurance paperwork, and anyone using a resident discount should have proof of address on hand.
A handful of reasons can explain the lack of departures from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay on your selected date — timetable adjustments, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal gap are the usual culprits. Try a different date or browse other routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay ferry early usually pays off, both in terms of price and choice — earlier bookings tend to unlock better fares and more departure and cabin options.
A few weeks' notice is generally enough to catch the best deals, though fares can still move depending on the season and remaining availability.
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Found on the coast of the Vancouver Island, a large, wedge-shaped landmass that marks the most south-eastern point of Canada, is the city of Nanaimo and the district of Departure Bay. Once an independent town until it was merged into Nanaimo in 1974, the evergreen tree-lined roads of the Departure Bay neighbourhood are built around an eponymous inlet of the Salish Sea. The port is found on the southern coast of Departure Bay, just opposite the uninhabited Newcastle Island. The passenger terminal here is a large facility consisting of a wide pier separated into lanes and an indoor market area featuring shops, toilets, cafes and restaurants selling hot food and drink. Getting to the harbour is easy due to the lengthy Trans-Canada Highway that leads from the British Columbia capital of Victoria 70-miles to the south, through the heart of Nanaimo, and directly to the entrance of the port. Buses stop a few steps from the ferry terminal too, offering regular services to the downtown areas of Nanaimo.
Found on the shores of a ragged protrusion at the edge of West Vancouver is the picturesque community of Horseshoe Bay. This rural slice of Canada sits in a niche between heavily-wooded, evergreen hills and surrounds a calm inlet of the Howe Sound; an expanse of sea that cuts a triangular chunk out of the British Columbia mainland. Most of the village stretches along a charming promenade. Here one can take a stroll upon the spring-green lawns of Horseshoe Bay park and watch the yachts bob gently between the jetties of the busy marina. Deeper inland, where the grid of tree-lined streets start to rise towards the rolling heartland, the village is moulded by a mishmash of boutique shops, family-owned restaurants, and an eclectic collection of quaint local households. The port of Horseshoe Bay is found on the eastern edge of the bay, just to one side of Sewell’s Marina. This sprawling facility is located at the end of the extensive Trans-Canada Highway where a trio of departure piers jut into the glistening waters of the inlet. The ferry terminal is found at the foot of these piers. Facilities here include a streamlined check-in service featuring self-service ticket machines, a small car-park and vending machines selling soft drinks. Travelling to and from the port is easy due to its prime location at the end of the Trans-Canada Highway and its close proximity to the central district of Vancouver city. The city centre is less than a half-hour drive south along the highway, a route that is also traversed by buses leaving from the Bay Street terminal located just a few steps outside the port entrance. Route 99, otherwise known as the Sea to Sky Highway, also heads north along the curving Howe Sound shoreline. It’s a stunning route that snakes along the base of the region’s coastal mountains and between the vast swathe of emerald woodland, heading towards the group of small settlements found there.
