Booking ahead and arriving at the terminal

Reservations are limited and often sell out on our more popular sailings. We strongly recommend that you book ahead if you plan to travel during popular sailing times, including:
 
  • Holiday weekends
  • Thursday and Friday afternoons and evenings
  • Sunday afternoons
Booking in advance secures a spot for your vehicle on board your preferred sailing. Without a booking, vehicles are loaded in order of arrival at the terminal on the next available sailing. 
 

Not all routes can be booked in advance. When you select the route you plan to travel, you will see if it can be booked or not.

The availability of space on a sailing varies based on the time of day, holidays, weather conditions, and more. You can keep an eye on current conditions before you travel to see the space available on our sailings.

Book now  

IMPORTANT: Check-in times

To avoid missing your sailing, find and view the specific check in times for your departure terminal.

  • Check-in time information can be found on terminal pages for foot passengers and all vehicle types, whether travelling with or without a booking

Whether you booked ahead of time or not, your first step upon arriving at the terminal is to check in with a ticket agent.

Paying at the terminal

Our ticket agents can accept these payment options:

  • Debit
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Google Pay and Apple Pay
  • Cash
  • BC Ferries Experience™ Card

Note: Gift certificates can be used to purchase standard fares at the ticket booths. However, bookings and payment with a gift certificate must be made at the Terminal Administration office in advance of travel.
 

Self-serve payment stations for foot passengers accept debit, credit card and Experience Cards. They are available at these terminals:

When boarding begins, the gate will open and your boarding pass will be collected as you board the ferry.
 

Paying online

You can book online using the following payment options:
The following payment options cannot be used for online bookings:
  • Gift certificates
  • BC Ferries Experience™ Card
  • Travel vouchers
  • Travel Assistance Program (TAP) passes
 
Important
  • Gift certificates cannot be used to pay for fares online. However, bookings and payment can be made with a gift certificate at the Terminal Administration office in advance of travel.
  • To provide you with additional payment protection while booking travel on bcferries.com and our mobile app, we recently introduced a feature called 3-D Secure. Learn more about how it works and check troubleshooting tips.

Bookings, cancellations and confirmations

Booking confirmation
After booking, you'll receive a confirmation by email with all of your travel details.

When you arrive at the terminal, please let us know that you have a booking, and provide your booking reference number, or the phone number that you used when booking.
Reservation fees and payment options
When you book online, some routes offer the option of paying a reservation fee only. If you just pay for the reservation fee online, the remainder of your fare will be due at the ticket booth when you arrive at the terminal.

For travel between Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and the Southern Gulf Islands and on our Northern routes, full pre-payment of fares is required at the time of booking.

Payment types accepted at the terminal ticket booths include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Cash, BC Ferries Experience™ Card and debit.

Visit our Fares & Fees page to learn more about reservation fees by route and to see which routes are bookable online.
 
Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard®
Pay for your online bookings with Canadian Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard®

You can also save your Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard as payment options in your BC Ferries account, to load your BC Ferries Experience™ Card or Assured Loading Card, to purchase Gift Certificates and for BC Ferries Vacations™ bookings. These cards are also available for bookings made over the phone through the Customer Service Centre.

At this time, debit cards that are not associated with Visa or Mastercard are not accepted for online bookings. You can use all debit cards regardless of the provider for payment of fares at terminals and for amenities on board.
 

Refunds

Refunds provided at terminals, on board ferries and over the phone will be credited back to the same form of payment used at the time of purchase.

Changing or cancelling your booking
You can make changes to your bookings online, login to your account, or refer to your booking confirmation email for information if you do not have an account. Alternatively you can call 1-888-BC FERRY (1-888-223-3779).

Changes to your booking are subject to the terms and conditions of the fare purchased and applicable fees. Check BC Ferries’ Cancellation/Change policies for details.
Cancelled sailings

Cancelled sailings – day of travel

We'll do our best to get you on the next available sailing if your sailing is cancelled. Scheduled sailings may need to be cancelled from time-to-time as a result of severe weather conditions, mechanical difficulties or other unforeseen circumstances.
 

If you checked in at the terminal and the sailing is then cancelled

We will make every effort to load you on the next available sailing where space is available.

Customers with a booking on the next scheduled departure will be loaded in advance of customers from the cancelled sailing. If we are unable to load you on the next available sailing, you will be loaded in order of arrival at the terminal.

If you choose not to travel, return to the ticket booth to check out of the terminal. Your fares and any reservation fees will be automatically refunded to your original form of payment. Any changes made to your booking at the terminal will also be automatically refunded, with the exception of a cash or cash equivalent transactions, which need to be processed by a ticket agent at the terminal.

If you left the terminal without going through a ticket booth, you can mail a copy of your receipts (and any alternate travel receipts) to Customer Relations for consideration on a case-by-case basis.

For the most up-to-date departure information, visit current conditions and check service notices.
 

If your sailing is cancelled before you check-in at the terminal

We will make every effort to move your booking to an alternate sailing, later in the day, based on space availability. This will occur at no cost to you, regardless of the fare you paid. Future sailings may have limited reservation space due to previous bookings.

If your booking is moved, you will be notified. If we are not able to move your booking, you will be notified in advance that your booking has been cancelled, your fares and any reservation fees will be refunded.

If you choose to travel without a booking on a later sailing, you can purchase a Standard at Terminal fare and be loaded on the next available sailing based on order of arrival at the terminal and deck space availability.

For the most up-to-date departure information, visit current conditions and check service notices.
 

Cancelled sailings – prior to day of sailing

In the event of schedule changes known in advance of the day of sailing, we will move you to the next scheduled sailing, based on space availability. This will occur at no cost to you, regardless of the fare you paid. Future sailings may have limited reservation space due to previous bookings.

If your booking is moved, you will be notified. If we are not able to move your booking, you will be notified in advance that your booking has been cancelled, your fares and any reservation fees will be refunded.

For the most up-to-date departure information, visit current conditions and check service notices.

Vehicles that can be booked online
Explore the types of vehicles our passengers travel with and check if your vehicle type can be booked online.
Medical Assured Loading (MAL)

Medical Assured Loading for patients travelling for medical specialist services

Medical Assured Loading (MAL) is available for those travelling for medical specialist services where their medical practitioner has determined an extended wait at a ferry terminal for a ferry sailing could cause risk to their health.

To receive MAL, patients must present the following to the ticket agent:

  • A completed Ministry of Health Travel Assistance Program (TAP) Request for Travel Assistance form that includes a Medical Services Plan (MSP) confirmation number
  • A letter signed by their medical practitioner.
 

View full Medical Assured Loading details
 

Waitlists

Waitlists are available on bookable Northern and Southern Gulf Island sailings. If a sailing is full, you can add yourself to a waitlist in case of a cancellation.

Very weak Weak Medium Strong Very strong password.strength.unsafepwd Too short Use %d - %m characters with a mix of any 3 [upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers & symbols] 8 32 Password must be more than eight characters and contain a mix of any three of the following: upper case letters, numbers and symbols. Password must be less than 32 characters and contain a mix of any three of the following: upper case letters, numbers and symbols. Enter current password Enter valid email address Password not valid Select account type Enter first name Enter last name Confirm Email Not Valid Password must be more than eight characters and contain a mix of any three of the following: upper case letters, numbers and symbols. Passwords do not match Enter valid postal/zip code Loading... Please wait... Stores loaded View schedule from View sailing status from Discover our routes from to