Bowen Island to Nanaimo with a bike

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 and trains can carry you and your bike from Bowen Island to Nanaimo.

For scale

As the crow flies50 km

Biking whole way65 km · 2 h 26 m

By car65 km · 2 h 11 m

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

🎒 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 · two legs

The ferry is the main event.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Snug Cove (Bowen Island) →Horseshoe Bay3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Departure Bay (Nanaimo).

Option two · four legs

Not far, just fiddly.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Snug Cove (Bowen Island) →Horseshoe Bay3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →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.

⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) →Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)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

🚲You arrive at Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way).

Option three · five legs

The long way round, but it works.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Snug Cove (Bowen Island) →Horseshoe Bay3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Bridgeport (Richmond)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚎TransLink620 Bridgeport Station / Tsawwassen Ferryor the 900 Bike Bus (seasonal)Bridgeport (Richmond) →Tsawwassen (Delta)22 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

620 Bridgeport Station / Tsawwassen Ferry: The 620 is year-round, roughly hourly, timed to sailings, with two bike-rack spots. On busy summer ferry days the seasonal 900 Bike Bus can carry an extra 10 bikes.

900 Bike Bus: Seasonal: June 12 to September 7, Fridays, weekends and holidays; hourly, timed to ferry sailings. Carries 10 bikes.

⛴️BC FerriesTsawwassen – Duke PointTsawwassen (Delta) →Duke Point (Nanaimo)58 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Duke Point (Nanaimo).

Option four · five legs

Two ferries, two city buses, and a SeaBus.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Snug Cove (Bowen Island) →Horseshoe Bay3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Park Royal (West Vancouver)11 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

🚎TransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusPark Royal (West Vancouver) →Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

⛴️SeaBusTransLinkLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) →Vancouver Canada Place3.5 kmRoll on, free — bikes ride inside the cabin6 bikes per sailing at rush hour — weekdays 7–9:30 am and 3–6:30 pm; no limit other timesE-bikes OK — no charging on boardNo trailers — 185 cm max bike length

Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🚲You arrive at Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way).

Option five · three legs📅 seasonal

Ferry to Horseshoe Bay, coach bus to Vancouver Canada Place, then a ferry into Nanaimo.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Snug Cove (Bowen Island) →Horseshoe Bay3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverHorseshoe Bay →Vancouver Canada Place16 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack — otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes

Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🚲You arrive at Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way).

Route facts last checked October 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: Nanaimo to Bowen Island (best: ferry)

Connections from Bowen Island: Sechelt (best: ferry + bus) · Comox (best: ferry + bus) · Enderby (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain)

Connections from Nanaimo: Chemainus (best: bus) · Lund (best: ferry + bus) · Sicamous (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + SkyTrain + plane)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Bowen Island and Nanaimo

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia