VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
Vancouver Island by campervan: ferries, Tofino and the rainforest
Campervan road trip on Vancouver Island: BC Ferries logistics, Victoria, Tofino and Pacific Rim, campgrounds to book early, prices and the best season.
By Clément Lacaille, editor of Van-Comparator · updated
Vancouver Island is 460 km long, with ancient rainforest, surf beaches pounded by the Pacific and fishing villages. In a campervan you can easily fill one to two weeks starting from Vancouver.
The ferry is the first leg of the trip
BC Ferries links Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) with Swartz Bay (Victoria) in 1 h 35, running roughly hourly in summer. A van under 20 ft pays the standard vehicle fare (about CAD 65) plus around twenty dollars per passenger; beyond that, the surcharge is calculated per foot of length, which adds up for a 25 ft+ motorhome. Reserve your crossing online in summer — Friday crossings sell out. Alternative: Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo to hit the middle of the island directly.
The itinerary everyone agrees on
- Victoria: the Pacific’s most British capital, one day on foot.
- Cowichan Valley: vineyards and farm gates, the foodie stop.
- Highway 4 west: Cathedral Grove and its 800-year-old Douglas firs, then 85 km of bends to the coast.
- Tofino and Ucluelet: surf, Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Green Point campground books out months ahead on the Parks Canada site.
Prices, season, overnight parking
Expect CAD 120-220/day for a campervan in summer, more for a vehicle with a shower. The comfortable season runs May to September; in winter Tofino lives off storm watching — spectacular but wet. Free overnight parking is banned in urban areas and in Tofino itself, heavily patrolled in summer: aim for provincial campgrounds (CAD 20-40) and private sites. Bring groceries — the island is pricier than the mainland.
Book at the best price
Van-Comparator compares Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers in one search; Outdoorsy, very well stocked in British Columbia, is being integrated. Before you commit, read which RV for which trip: on the island’s narrow western roads, a compact van beats an A-class every time.
Free checklist: your first campervan trip
Licence and vehicle size, pick-up inspection, stopovers or campsites, water and electricity, insurance, drop-off: everything to check before and during a first trip. Sign up — the link to the full checklist appears immediately.
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