Planning a trip to Port McNeill and Alert Bay

Getting There

There are three principal ways to get to Vancouver Island's northernmost towns and islands: by car, bus, and plane.

By Plane -- Pacific Coastal Airlines (tel. 800/663-2872; www.pacific-coastal.com) flies daily from Vancouver to Port Hardy Airport.

By Car -- Telegraph Cove is 198km (123 miles) north of Campbell River along the Island Highway (Hwy. 19). Port McNeill is another 9km (5 2/3 miles) north. Port Hardy is 238km (148 miles) north of Campbell River.

By Bus -- Vancouver Island Coach Lines (tel. 250/388-5248, or book through Greyhound tel. 800/661-8747; www.greyhound.ca) offers bus transport from Victoria and Nanaimo to Port Hardy and other towns in northern Vancouver Island. One-way fare from Nanaimo to Port Hardy is C$63.

Visitor Information

The Port McNeill Visitor Info Centre, 351 Shelley Crescent (tel. 250/956-3131; www.portmcneill.net), is open year-round on weekdays and daily in summer from 10am to 6pm. The Alert Bay Visitor Info Centre, 116 Fir St. (tel. 250/974-5213; www.alertbay.ca), is open in summer daily from 9am to 6pm, and the rest of the year Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.