The easiest way from Nanaimo to Nanoose Bay is to drive north on Highway 19. Nanoose Bay is roughly 26 kilometres north of Nanaimo along that highway, so expect a drive of a bit over 20 minutes in normal traffic. Public transit is limited, so check the BC Transit trip planner before counting on a bus.
Highway 19 north out of Nanaimo
Leave Nanaimo on Highway 19, the main island highway, and keep heading north. Nanoose Bay sits about 16 kilometres south of Parksville, so you will pass it before you reach the Parksville area. Watch the signs for the Nanoose Bay turnoffs rather than relying on a single exit name, since the community spreads across several side roads and the peninsula.
Highway 19 is busiest on weekday afternoons and on summer weekends when ferry traffic is moving. Before a winter trip, look at DriveBC for road conditions and closures.
Bus options
Nanaimo’s regional transit system is run by BC Transit, and its route list includes the Parksville route 88 and the Qualicum Beach route 98. The system also has local routes in north Nanaimo, such as the Hammond Bay routes. Which of these, if any, reaches the stop nearest your address in Nanoose Bay is something only the current timetable can tell you. Enter your start and end points in the BC Transit trip planner, choose the day, and it will show you the stops and any change of bus.
If the planner shows long gaps between departures, a bus may not suit an early flight, a ferry sailing or a late return. Fares, day passes and concession rates are posted on the BC Transit site.
Getting around the Nanoose Bay area
Nanoose Bay is a scattered community with the Fairwinds neighbourhood, a marina at Dolphin Beach and a long shoreline, so the last stretch from the highway can be several kilometres. That is where having a car, or a ride that goes to the door, makes a difference.
A cab from Nanaimo suits arrivals from the ferry terminals or the airport, and the late hours when buses are thin. The Nanaimo taxi page covers rides from the city, and the fare estimator can give a rough idea of the cost. For a visit to Parksville and Nanoose Bay in one day, a car lets you move between the two without planning around timetables.