Travel

Cumberland is on Vancouver Island, a very long swim from the city of Vancouver and the mainland. Travel here can be complicated but…when you watch the dolphins and orcas jump and surf the ferry wake while sipping a beer, looking back over the snow capped mountains…you’ll understand why we love this place! You can get from Vancouver to Vancouver Island either by BC Ferry, airplane or helicopter. Public transit options are few, outside of the ferries. There is a scheduled small bus from Victoria to Cumberland with stops at the Nanaimo (Departure Bay) ferry terminal. Not too expensive, not to comfortable but reliable. The car ferry terminals are generally outside of the city they service so count on taxi rides.

Airports:

Comox - 30 minute drive from Cumberland. Flights from Vancouver. Car rentals

Nanaimo - 90 minute drive from Cumberland. Flights from Vancouver. Car rentals. Helijet provides helicopter service from Vancouver harbour to Nanaimo Harbour.

Victoria - 3 hour drive from Cumberland. Flights from Seattle and Vancouver

Ferries:

The nearest ferry terminals are in Nanaimo, a 90 minute drive from Cumberland or Victoria, a 3 hour drive from Cumberland. Car ferry from Horseshoe Bay (a 45 minute drive from Vancouver) to Departure Bay Nanaimo. 1 hour 40 minutes. There is a passenger-only fast ferry from Vancouver harbour to Nanaimo harbour. 1 hour 10 minutes. There are also car ferries from Tsawassen (close to the US border) to Victoria and Nanaimo.

The Blackball Ferry Line has twice daily sailings of their vintage car ferry from Port Angeles Washington to Victoria Harbour. Victoria is a lovely place to overnight, has a fascinating harbour and lots of terrific restaurants .

Passenger service from Seattle to Victoria: The FRS Clipper.

Suggested itineraries:

1 - Fly to Seattle and rent a car. Drive to Port Angeles, take the Blackball ferry to Victoria. Drive to Port Angeles (2 1/2 hours). MV Coho (Blackball Ferry Lines) to Victoria (90 minutes). Drive Victoria to Cumberland (2 hours 45 minutes). You will have to overnight in either Port Angeles or Victoria.

2 - Fly to Seattle. Rent a car and drive to Tsawassen ferry terminal (2 1/2 hours), take the car ferry to Nanaimo (2 hours). Drive to Cumberland (1 1/2 hours).

3 - Fly to Vancouver. Skytrain to Waterfront Station Vancouver Harbour (30 minutes). Walk to Hullo fast ferry (15 minutes). Hullo fast ferry to Nanaimo Harbour (1 hour 10 minutes). Taxi to rental car and drive to Cumberland (1 hour 15 minutes -or- taxi to Departure Bay (15 minutes), IslandLink bus to Cumberland (2 hours).

4 - Fly to Vancouver. Public transportation from YVR to Horseshoe Bay (90 minutes). BC Ferry to Departure Bay. Islandlink Bus from Departure Bay to Cumberland. (2 hours).

5 - Fly to Comox via Vancouver. Pick up a rental car. Drive to Cumberland. 30 minutes -or- taxi to Cumberland (30 minutes).