Comox printable guide

Comox

Base in Comox or Courtenay for 2 nights if you ski Mount Washington or fish; otherwise see it as a half-day stop on the Island highway.

Comox is a town of about 15,000 on the east coast of Vancouver Island, 115 km north of Nanaimo, paired with Courtenay and Cumberland as the Comox Valley. It is a small, mild-climate base for Mount Washington skiing, Strathcona Provincial Park, fishing and golf, not a sightseeing city. Two nights covers the town and one big day out; one night is enough if you are passing through.

Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.

Country

Canada

Best months

Jun–Sep for dry, sunny weather; Dec–Mar for Mount Washington skiing

Avoid

Oct–Mar for rain (about 80% of annual precipitation falls in this window)

Stay

2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency: CAD
Money: Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
Daily spend: Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data: Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
Emergency: Police, fire and ambulance 911
Plugs: Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
Tipping: Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
Water: Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
Toilets: Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.

What things cost

Item	Price
Coffee	C$3–6 (2026 estimate)
Fish and chips at the marina	C$18–28 (2026 estimate)
Pub main course	C$20–32 (2026 estimate)
Draught beer	C$7–10 (2026 estimate)
5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi	check
eSIM or data SIM, about a week	C$20–40 (2026 estimate)
Museum entry	By donation

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

YQQ · Comox Valley Regional Airport: Direct flights from Vancouver (35–40 min), Calgary (1.5 h) and Edmonton (1.75–2 h); some BC Transit service Mon–Sat.

Typical fares

BC Ferries Comox (Little River) → Powell River: 1 h 25 min crossing; sailing frequency and fare check.
YQQ airport → downtown Comox taxi: Fare and travel time check.
BC Transit local fare: Fare check.

Get around

BC Transit (Comox Valley Regional Transit System) runs 13 routes, most through downtown Courtenay, with links to Comox, Cumberland, Royston, Fanny Bay and Oyster River (Mon–Sat). A car is the practical choice for Mount Washington, Strathcona and the ferry terminal. Taxis: Comox Taxi.

See and do

Known for

Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Comox Air Force Museum
Filberg Festival
Salmon and fly fishing
Comox Glacier and Strathcona Provincial Park

Day trips

Where	How	Time
Mount Washington Alpine Resort	Drive from Comox; route and travel time check.	check
Strathcona Provincial Park	Drive; route and travel time to trailheads check.	check
Cumberland	Drive or take BC Transit from Courtenay; trip time check.	check
Campbell River	Drive north on Highway 19; travel time check.	check
Powell River	BC Ferries from Comox (Little River); crossing takes 1 h 25 min.	check

Sleep

Downtown Comox: Walkable to the marina, restaurants and the Comox Archives & Museum; quiet at night.
Comox Marina area: Waterfront pubs and fish and chips; transient moorage for boaters.
Courtenay: Larger centre south of Comox with more hotels, shops and the nearest hospital; drive or BC Transit (check the trip time).

Phrase card

English	Say or show
Thank you	Thank you
Excuse me	Excuse me
How much is it?	How much is it?
Can I pay by card?	Can I pay by card?
Where is the toilet?	Where is the toilet?

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume

Scams and watch-outs

Winter at sea level is mild and wet; pack rain gear from October to March.
Check Mount Washington road conditions before driving up in winter; required tires or chains are unknown.
The Comox (Little River) ferry connects to Powell River; check the timetable and fares.
The nearest hospital is in Courtenay, not Comox.

Comox is a low-crime small town and safe for tourists. The real risks are wet winter roads, cold water at the beaches and the Mount Washington access road in snow: drive to conditions.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Comox yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Comox Air Force Museum
Filberg Festival
Salmon and fly fishing
Comox Glacier and Strathcona Provincial Park

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Town of Comox: www.comox.ca/
Comox Valley Regional Airport: www.comoxairport.com/
BC Ferries — Comox (Little River) terminal: www.bcferries.com/travel-boarding/terminal-directions-parking-food/comox-little-river/CMX
BC Transit — Comox Valley: bctransit.com/comox-valley/home
Comox Air Force Museum: comoxairforcemuseum.ca
Comox Archives & Museum: comoxmuseum.ca/
Wikivoyage: Comox, revision 5003443 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5003443

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Comox

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Police, fire and ambulance911

English is widely used.

Voykit · checked 2026-09