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 and flights can carry you and your bike from Cranbrook to Bowen Island.
For scale
As the crow flies548 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car869 km · 9 h 50 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 · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
The coach takes care of the long stretch.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit36 Golden – Cranbrook Connector (Health Connections)Cranbrook →Golden223 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Golden →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)568 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option two · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Calgaryor Mountain Man Mike's (Kaslo – Cranbrook – Calgary (weekly)) (doesn't run every day)Cranbrook →1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)162 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Mountain Man Mike's: Runs once a week, continuing east into Alberta.
Mountain Man Mike's: The only ground service between Cranbrook and Calgary; weekly, eastbound Monday and westbound Tuesday.
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) →New Westminster495 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkNew Westminster →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option three · five legs📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Another way: same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit36 Golden – Cranbrook Connector (Health Connections)Cranbrook →Golden223 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Golden →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)568 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverVancouver Canada Place →Horseshoe Bay16 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.
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option four · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Another way: same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Cranbrook – Calgary (weekly)Cranbrook →Calgary AB353 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
The only ground service between Cranbrook and Calgary; weekly, eastbound Monday and westbound Tuesday.
🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Calgary AB →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)784 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option five · four legs✈ the splurge
Pedal the first stretch, then let the flights take over.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲First, get from Central Cranbrook to YXC (Cranbrook), about 12 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Key City Cabs Ltd., Star Taxi might help.
✈️Air CanadaVancouver (YVR) – Cranbrook (YXC)YXC (Cranbrook) →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)539 kmBox or sturdy bag requiredBook ahead for your bikeAbout $50 per directionNo e-bikes
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
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: Bowen Island to Cranbrook (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain)
Connections from Cranbrook: Fernie (best: bus) · Logan Lake (best: bus) · Mayne Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + plane)
Connections from Bowen Island: Sechelt (best: ferry + bus) · Harrison Hot Springs (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Salmon Arm (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Cranbrook and Bowen Island