In March I will be visiting relatives in Nanaimo. I won't need a car while visiting them and would like to save them the trouble of picking me up in Victoria.

I'm planning to take the ferry from Seattle to Victoria. I know there's a ferry right to Nanaimo from Vancouver but would prefer not to do the Seattle/Vancouver drive alone (if I did rent a car in Seattle).

Are there bus/train lines that I might use to reach Naniamo or should I just plan to rent a car? Any suggestions or help will be greatly appreciated.

There are two bus services that I'm aware of:

Laidlaw (a division of Greyhound)
http://www.greyhound.ca/

Tofino Bus (the name notwithstanding,it also connects Victoria and Nanaimo)
http://www.tofinobus.com/

VIA Rail operates a train, which is known as the Malahat.
http://www.viarail.ca/trains/en_trai_roch_vico.html

If you are coming in on the Victoria Clipper, the bus depot is a short walk away. All flat. The depot really needs a makeover, so just try to squint and ignore it.

Sorry, that is the depot the Greyhound runs from.

It's the same bus depot for both Greyhound and Pacific Coach Lines. And yes, it needs a makeover!

Current plans call for moving the depot up off Government Street above Herald a few blocks. Thje new depot may be spiffier than the old, but it will certainly be inconvenient for the tourist activity centered around the Inner Harbour or for passengers coming off the Victoria Clipper or the Coho

Andrewdavid