BC Cycle Tourism Society
My bike and I are in and we’d like to be in .
We show what transit connections accept bikes. Check with the operator for prices, schedules, and reservations.
Same place twice. You’re already there, so enjoy the ride.

Good news: buses, ferries, trains, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Bella Coola to Saanich.

For scale
As the crow flies498 km
Biking whole way808 km · 41 h 08 m
By car1,085 km · 14 h 35 m

We found four ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.

Note: Most carriers carry only a handful of bikes, and summer weekends fill up fast. Reserve where you can. Where you can't, go early or have a backup plan.
Option one · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Fill in the gap with a rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBella Coola →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)268 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo295 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch →Duncan46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressDuncan →Hwy 1 & Tillicum (Saanich)49 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲You arrive at Hwy 1 & Tillicum (Saanich).
Option two · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
The same idea as Option one, on different routes.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBella Coola →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)268 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo295 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), about 1.3 km.
🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch →Duncan46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit66 CVX Cowichan-Victoria ExpressDuncan →Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria)46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) to Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich), about 2.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.
🚲You arrive at Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich).
Option three · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Ferry to Bear Cove, rental car to Nanaimo, then a rental car into Victoria.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBella Coola →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)268 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo295 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Nanaimo – Victoriaor Budget (One-way rental: Nanaimo – Victoria)Downtown Nanaimo →Downtown Victoria96 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Victoria to Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich), about 3.1 km.
🚲You arrive at Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich).
Option four · four legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
The scenic splurge: hop a flight.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBella Coola →McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella)103 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella) to ZEL (Bella Bella), about 0.9 km.
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Bella BellaZEL (Bella Bella) →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)480 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Victoria HarbourCXH (Vancouver) →Victoria Harbour98 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee — bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter — other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Victoria Harbour to Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich), about 3.2 km.
🚲You arrive at Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich).
Route facts last checked July 2026. We check that every leg here carries bikes, but policies and seasons change. Check times and book with the operator. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Explore more

Heading back: Saanich to Bella Coola (best: bus + rental car + ferry)

Connections from Bella Coola: Ocean Falls (best: ferry) · Barkerville (best: ferry + bus) · Port Coquitlam (best: ferry + rental car + train) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + bus)

Connections from Saanich: Salt Spring Island (best: bus + ferry) · Abbotsford (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Kamloops (best: bus + SkyTrain) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + rental car + ferry)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Bella Coola and Saanich