The cheapest way to get your car to Vancouver Island is to drive it onto a BC Ferries vessel yourself. For 2026, a standard one-way vehicle fare on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run runs roughly $89 for a car and driver, with advance-purchase Saver fares from about $49 to $99 on select sailings, plus a reservation fee and around $21 per adult passenger. If you would rather have someone else handle it, commercial auto-transport typically costs a few hundred dollars for the island leg and climbs from there.
What is the cheapest way to get your car across?
Driving it on yourself is almost always the cheapest option, because there is no rail or tunnel to the island. BC Ferries is the only public drive-on connection. The main car-carrying routes are Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay (Victoria), Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), and Tsawwassen to Duke Point (Nanaimo).
For anyone moving to Greater Victoria, the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run is the one you will use. It lands you on the Saanich Peninsula, about a 30 minute drive from downtown Victoria. The fare is set by your vehicle's length and height, with a threshold around 7 feet, so a standard car is the cheapest class.
How do Saver fares and reservations work?
BC Ferries offers advance-purchase Saver fares on select sailings, which can bring a car and driver down to roughly $49 to $99 one way depending on the sailing and how far ahead you book. The tradeoff is that Saver fares are non-refundable and tied to a specific sailing time.
A standard fare gives you more flexibility, but you pay for it. On top of the vehicle fare you add a reservation fee, around $17, and roughly $21 per adult passenger. Locals know the trick: book the sailing you want ahead of time, especially on weekends and long weekends, because the Swartz Bay lots fill up and the walk-on standby line can be long.
What does commercial auto-transport cost?
If you do not want to drive the car yourself, or if it is not roadworthy, you can use a commercial shipper. Companies like Navistar Auto Transport in Langley, Interlane, and freight operators such as Comox Pacific Express and Van Isle Cargo handle the ferry or barge crossing for you, either door-to-door or terminal-to-terminal.
These are quote-based, so there is no fixed published rate. Expect the intra-BC island leg to run a few hundred dollars, with door-to-door service and longer or cross-border moves pushing past $1,000 depending on distance, vehicle size, and how much handling is involved. Get quotes from a couple of operators before you commit.
What affects the final price?
For BC Ferries, it is vehicle length and height, the route, whether you book a Saver fare, and how many passengers are in the car. For a shipper, it is distance, vehicle size, whether the car runs and drives, and whether you want door-to-door pickup or a terminal drop-off.
The exact fares change a couple of times a year, so always run your specific vehicle through the BC Ferries fare calculator and get a written quote from any shipper. Treat the numbers here as a starting point, not a guarantee.
Why this matters if you are moving to the island
Getting your car across is one of the first practical steps of any move to Vancouver Island, and it is a cost people routinely forget to budget for. It is also a reminder that a car is a real part of life here, which is why we ask buyers how they use their vehicles when we help them choose a home.
If you are a car person, that question matters even more. A home with a proper garage or workshop changes what you can do with your vehicles, and some neighbourhoods on the West Shore and in Saanich give you far more room for that than a downtown condo. The cost of the ferry is one-time, but the right home for your car is a decision that lasts.
The Bottom Line
Expect to pay roughly $89 one way for a car and driver on BC Ferries in 2026, less with a Saver fare and more with reservations and passengers, and a few hundred dollars or more if you use a commercial shipper. Verify the current fares on the BC Ferries fare calculator before you travel.
When you are ready to make the move permanent, we can help you find a home that fits both you and your car. That is a conversation we enjoy having.
About the Author
Anna Hakim & Perry Fanthorpe, Happy Homes Team
Anna Hakim and Perry Fanthorpe are AI Certified Agents helping people build lives on Southern Vancouver Island. Perry builds financial roots through mortgage helpers and investment strategy. Anna builds emotional roots through community and belonging.
