Getting There
By Plane -- Comox Valley Regional Airport, north of Comox, welcomes daily flights from Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. The airport is served by Pacific Coastal Airlines (tel. 800/663-2872; www.pacific-coastal.com) and WestJet (tel. 877/952-4638; www.westjet.com).
By Ferry -- BC Ferries (tel. 888/BC-FERRY [223-3779] in B.C., or 250/386-3431; www.bcferries.com) crosses from Powell River on the mainland to Little River, just north of Comox. The one-way fare is C$12 per passenger and C$38 per vehicle. Nanaimo's Duke Point and Departure Bay are the closest terminals with connections to the Vancouver area. If you'd like to see the Sunshine Coast on your way to Comox/Courtenay -- and stay overnight to make it possible and worthwhile -- cross from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale in Gibsons, then drive along Hwy. 101 to Earl's Cove in Sechelt, crossing again to Saltery Bay, finally ferrying from Westview in Powell River to Comox.
By Train & Bus -- Courtenay, which is 90 minutes north of Nanaimo on Hwy. 19, is also the terminus for VIA Rail's E&N Railiner, or Malahat (tel. 888/VIA-RAIL [842-7245] or 250/383-4324; www.viarail.ca), which offers daily service from Victoria. Vancouver Island Coach Lines (tel. 250/388-5248, or book through Greyhound tel. 800/661-8747; www.greyhound.ca) offers bus transport from Nanaimo to the Comox and Courtenay area along the Hwy. 19 corridor. One-way fare from Victoria to Courtenay is C$45.
Visitor Information
Contact the Comox Valley Visitor Info Centre, 2040 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay (tel. 888/357-4471 or 250/334-3234; www.discovercomoxvalley.com).
Special Events
The Filberg Festival attracts over 140 artists and craftspeople from across the province. It takes place at Filberg Park, with some events in the lodge and others in tents and booths. The festival includes musical entertainment and theater. It's held the first weekend of August; admission is C$10 adults, 13 and under free. Tickets can be purchased at www.sidwilliamstheatre.com or by calling tel. 866/898-8499 or 250/338-2420, ext. 3. For information, contact the park or the festival coordinator (tel. 250/334-9242; www.filbergfestival.com).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
