Travel Guidebook
Our favourite of many good travel guides is Lonely Planet:
Transportation to Gold River by Personal Vehicle
Having your own vehicle is the best & most convenient way to get to Nootka. You can travel when & where you want. In the summer accommodation can be hard to find in BC — if you have a tent & your own vehicle, you’re set. This is the most cost effective way to travel too.
Drive to Gold River, BC west about 100 km on Hwy 28 from the fishing / tourist town Campbell River. The roads are paved all the way. The scenery is gorgeous.
One problem to consider is where to park while you hike.
- Transport Gold river — Tahsis by personal Vehicle
No problems; 64 km of well maintained gravel road. Beutiful views enroute. Parking plentiful. Accomodation - Motel, B&B's Store, Marina, Liquor Store, Bakery, Hardware Store.
Flying to British Columbia — Travel Agents
In Canada we’d recommend Travel CUTS. It is a student travel agency but they serve anyone. Travel CUTS specializes in finding the least expensive travel options.
In the States try STA Travel (800 226-8624) or Council Travel (800 226-8624).
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Flying to British Columbia — Airlines
In Canada an airline security surcharge was imposed after the September 11th, 2001 World Trade Centre attack — an additional C$24 / ticket on every round-trip flight in Canada starting April 1, 2002.
Victoria & Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada are the best gateway cities to fly in to hike the Nootka Trail. Victoria is the closer of the two though Vancouver is the main transportation hub for the Canadian west coast.
Air Canada is the largest carrier in Canada though a number of international airlines fly into Vancouver. (888) 247-2262
Ask about WestJet, a Canadian carrier, which often undercuts Air Canada fares. (800) 538-5696. We love WestJet — which also flies to Comox, BC.
From Vancouver & Victoria you could connect with regional airlines to fly closer to Gold River. For example, one of our hikers flew Vancouver to Comox, BC at reasonable cost. You could even fly all the way to Gold River though it might be expensive.
At any airport you could rent a car & drive to Gold River. (But it's a bit of a shame to let a rent-a-car sit parked while you are hiking.) Instead you could try to make arrangements to catch a bus up to Campbell River on Vancouver Island. This is as close as the buses get to Gold River — about 90 km away. From Campell River you’d need to hitchhike or hire a taxi.
As you see, the Nootka Trail is remote.
Other options:
Check the Canada Customs web site.
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Flying to British Columbia — Airports
If you have a choice, fly into Victoria rather than Vancouver. Getting to the trailhead from Victoria is cheaper & somewhat easier to organize.
A taxi from the Victoria Airport into town will cost you C$40 or more. You can catch instead the AKAL Airport Shuttle Bus; toll free from North America (877) 386-2525, into Victoria. It costs C$13 / person (one way) though you might be able to negotiate C$8 / person (corporate rate) for groups of 5 or more.
If you fly into Vancouver Airport you’ve still a distance to go to get to Vancouver Island. You'll then need to connect with the ferry. Easiest is to catch the Pacific Coach Lines bus to Victoria. You get that bus at the Delta Pacific Resort in Richmond (near the airport) — ask for the airport shuttle to the Delta Pacific.
Vancouver Airport levies a departure tax called the Airport Improvement Fee. The fee / flight is C$5 for British Columbia and the Yukon, C$10 for other North American destinations, and C$15 for destinations outside North America.
The extra, sometimes unexpected, cost is just one of many reasons why some travelers dislike and avoid Vancouver airport. Fly to Victoria if you can. (Strangely, the Vancouver Airport sometimes appears on lists of the Best Airports in the World. How? We can’t imagine.)
If you do travel through the Vancouver airport don’t miss a marvelous piece of sculpture, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe by Bill Reid.
Sea-Tac Airport (Seattle)
If you are flying into Seattle, the Quick Coach bus shuttle stops at Sea-Tac and Bellingham airports and travels north to Vancouver, BC.
