To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia
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 Whistler.
For scale
As the crow flies364 km
Biking whole way810 km · 43 h 11 m
By car848 km · 11 h 17 m
We found three ways to get you there.
🎒 Riding a coach? Most BC coach operators want your bike bagged or boxed. Our field note walks through packing it, including an inexpensive packable bike bag we like: How to bike-and-bus in BC ›
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📅 seasonal
A one-way rental fills in the missing piece.
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.
🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌YVR SkylynxVancouver – Whistleror Whistler Shuttle (Vancouver – Whistler)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →Gateway Loop / Village (Whistler)106 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxedFirst bike freeReserve ahead — Squamish is reservation-only
Summer service April 18 to November 21; Squamish is a reservation-only stop.
🚲You arrive at Gateway Loop / Village (Whistler).
Option two · five legs📅 seasonal📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
A carpool saves the day.
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 – NanaimoYZT (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 FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Horseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚗PoparideSea-to-Sky rideshare (Vancouver - Squamish - Whistler)Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Gateway Loop / Village (Whistler)96 kmOnly some rides take bikes — look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable — check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
🚲You arrive at Gateway Loop / Village (Whistler).
Option three · two legs✈ the splurge📅 seasonal
Pedal the first stretch, then let the flights take over.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲First, get from Central Bella Coola to QBC (Bella Coola), about 11 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Bella CoolaQBC (Bella Coola) →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)429 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
🚌YVR SkylynxVancouver – Whistleror Whistler Shuttle (Vancouver – Whistler)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →Gateway Loop / Village (Whistler)106 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxedFirst bike freeReserve ahead — Squamish is reservation-only
Summer service April 18 to November 21; Squamish is a reservation-only stop.
🚲You arrive at Gateway Loop / Village (Whistler).
Route facts last checked August 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: Whistler to Bella Coola (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry)
Connections from Bella Coola: Ocean Falls (best: ferry) · Tofino (best: ferry + rental car + carpool) · Port Renfrew (best: ferry + rental car + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + bus)
Connections from Whistler: Squamish (best: bus) · Pender Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Salmon Arm (best: bus + SkyTrain) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + SkyTrain + train)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Bella Coola and Whistler