Discover Vancouver Island

Bringing your children along on your RV adventure requires some extra planning, as they will have special needs that adult travellers don’t. We put together a list of tips on keeping your family trip safe, comfortable and enjoyable for you AND your kids.

One of the fastest growing areas in the CRD is the West Shore, also known as the Western Communities. Largely dismissed as a “redneck” area in the 90s and earlier, the new millennium has seen the West Shore rebuild and rebrand itself as a vibrant, growing residential hub for young workers and families. New shopping areas are springing up all the time, offering everything from malls, big box stores, retail and fast food chains to fine dining, boutiques, and artisan shops. As the West Shore is a newer area to be developed, it is still interspersed with and surrounded by plenty of green space with beautiful parks, trails and beaches.

If you are travelling Vancouver Island by RV, we encourage you to make the West Shore one of your stops! We’ve put together a list of our favourite places to stay, play, eat and explore in this lesser-known part of Victoria & area.

One of the things we Islanders love most about Vancouver Island is its mild weather, making it feel like summer stretches on and on. If you’re considering a trip to the Island in September (and we recommend it), here are some events, activities and destinations we think you and your crew might enjoy.

When most people think of Vancouver Island, the first thing to come to mind is the Garden City of Victoria. Every year, millions of tourists flock from around the world to enjoy Victoria’s beautiful gardens, parks, shopping and British charm.

Because so much of BC’s tourism marketing dollars go to Victoria, the attractions and offerings of the North Island are not as well documented. For this reason, we’ve put together this brief guide to six “hidden gem” towns north of Campbell River.

Park Sands Beach Resort, located in the heart of charming Parksville, BC, is a very special place. It’s the kind of place that families love to return to year after year, generation after generation. This 100-lot family-run resort welcomes guests from all over the world to enjoy the natural beauty and hospitality of this beautiful seaside town. The Resort is known for its friendly staff and its cheerful motto: “Positive Vibes Only”!

If you can’t tell from our previous Parksville-and-area posts, we love Parksville! We think one of the greatest things about the town is how friendly and welcoming it is to families, and how many exciting options it has to entertain kids of all ages. To celebrate this special aspect of the community we’ve chosen for our Resort Package we’ve put together a list of top Parksville places to take your children for food and entertainment - and to burn off some of that crazy vacation energy.

Want to have your cake and eat it too? Off-grid RV camping, or dry camping, is perfect for adventurers who love getting away from it all and exploring the pristine beauty of nature - without wrecking your back sleeping on the ground!

In this article, we list some helpful tips and must-brings for your off-grid adventure, followed by a list of five of Vancouver Island’s best rustic camping experiences. All campgrounds on this list are accessible by paved roads, so they will be safe for your vehicle. We have tried to highlight camping locations in diverse parts of the Island.