acantor

Does anyone have experience credit card touring on Vancouver Island? I may be in Victoria this summer, and I am wondering how easy it would be to head north by bike and find cheap motels, B+Bs, grocery stores, and restaurants as I need them.

RickL

Vancouver Island is great for credit card touring. From Victoria to Campbell River you are never more than 15 or 20 km from a gas station or store of some sort. There is reasonably cheap accommodation in Victoria, Mill Bay, Duncan, Chemainus, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Courtenay and Campbell River. Victoria, Nanaimo and Cumberland (at least, maybe more places) have hostels, the one in Cumberland caters to cyclists specifically. Use the marked cycle route on back roads from Mill Bay to Nanaimo for a slightly hillier but much more pleasant ride. Back road routes from Nanoose to Parksville and the old Island Highway from Parksville to Campbell River also avoid traffic and give more options for provisions and accommodation.

North of Campbell River things get a little sketchy. There is accommodation in Sayward (80 km or so north), Woss (another 80 km or so), Port McNeill (at least another 100 km) and Port Hardy (about 40 km more). These places also have groceries but there is little or nothing between them.

If you want to do a loop there is a ferry from Comox (near Courtenay) to Powell River (accommodation and supplies). You can then travel down the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver and then back to Victoria. There are several places to stay along the way. I would particularly recommend the hostel in Gibsons.

Other loops can be done using ferries from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay (North Vancouver) or to Tsawassen or from Crofton to Saltspring Island. If you're going to cycle north from Victoria I would advise bypassing the Malahat by taking the ferry from Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay unless you particularly enjoy long climbs with lots of traffic. Day or overnight trips to the Gulf Islands are also worth considering but they are all quite hilly.

Make sure you do at least a couple of hours on the Galloping Goose/Lochside Trail while you're in Victoria. The Galloping Goose part of the trail extends 55 km from Victoria to the site of an old mining community called Leachtown (nothing there anymore) and the Lochside part splits off from the Goose to travel north to the ferry depot in Sidney on about 30 km of trail and quiet urban streets.

5 more

You might try going to Port Alberni then out to Tofino. Some sections of the hiway to Tofino are scary but there is a ferry that runs from Port Alberni through the Broken Islands. And there is a kick ass hill heading into Port Alberni. Depending on the time of year you should reserve hotels well ahead of time. Tofino and Parksville are major tourists destination so prices are high in the summer but there is some cheaper accomadotions to be found. I believe there is a hostel in PA. There's lots of hotels, resturants etc along the way.

"If you want to do a loop there is a ferry from Comox (near Courtenay) to Powell River (accommodation and supplies). You can then travel down the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver and then back to Victoria." This is a great loop. The ferry back to Vancouver puts you at Horseshoe Bay. From there you can the ferry back to Nanaimo or ride through Vancouver to Tsawassen to catch the ferry to Victoria or the Gulf Island. Vancouver Island has alot to offer in scenery and destinations. Enjoy!