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, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Cumberland to Gabriola Island.
For scale
As the crow flies98 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car110 km · 1 h 29 m
We found three 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 · three legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
A carpool saves the day.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit2 Cumberland / Anfield CentreDunsmuir Ave at 4th St (Cumberland) →Anfield Centre (Courtenay)6.4 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Anfield Centre (Courtenay) to Courtenay, about 2.9 km.
🚗PoparideIsland Hwy rideshare (Nanaimo - Courtenay)Courtenay →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange97 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).
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.6 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option two · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
One long leg does most of the travelling.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit2 Cumberland / Anfield CentreDunsmuir Ave at 4th St (Cumberland) →Anfield Centre (Courtenay)6.4 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Anfield Centre (Courtenay) to Courtenay, about 2.9 km.
🚎BC Transit11 Airport via Powell R. Ferry / DowntownCourtenay →Comox Airport (YQQ)8.3 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
One loop serves both the Little River ferry terminal and Comox airport; about 5–7 trips a day, and Sunday service is unconfirmed.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Comox – NanaimoComox Airport (YQQ) →Downtown Nanaimo88 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 Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.6 km.
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Not an option · three legs🚫 not possible with a bike
City bus to Courtenay, coach bus to Nanaimo, then a ferry into Descanso Bay.
🚫 This chain exists, but Island Link does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit2 Cumberland / Anfield CentreDunsmuir Ave at 4th St (Cumberland) →Anfield Centre (Courtenay)6.4 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Anfield Centre (Courtenay) to Courtenay, about 2.9 km.
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.6 km.
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option four · five legs✈ the splurge
Fly most of the way, then let transit finish the trip.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit2 Cumberland / Anfield CentreDunsmuir Ave at 4th St (Cumberland) →Anfield Centre (Courtenay)6.4 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit1 Comox Mall / Anfield Centre via N.I.C.Anfield Centre (Courtenay) →Comox Mall Bay B4 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Comox Mall Bay B to Comox Harbour, about 0.4 km.
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – ComoxComox Harbour →CXH (Vancouver)138 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
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Nanaimo HarbourCXH (Vancouver) →Nanaimo Harbour60 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
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
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: Gabriola Island to Cumberland (best: ferry + carpool + bus)
Connections from Cumberland: Texada Island (best: bus + ferry) · Burnaby (best: bus + carpool + ferry) · Shearwater (best: bus + rental car + ferry) · Calgary, AB (best: bus + carpool + ferry)
Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Saanich (best: ferry + bus) · Kelowna (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Cumberland and Gabriola Island