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 and ferries can carry you and your bike from Gabriola Island to Crofton.
For scale
As the crow flies38 km
Biking whole way52 km · 3 h 12 m
By car50 km · 58 m
We found two 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 · three legs
One long leg does most of the travelling.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) →Nanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 1.1 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch →Duncan46 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
🚎BC Transit6 Crofton-ChemainusDuncan →Joan & Queen - Saltspring Ferry (Crofton)11 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
🚲You arrive at Joan & Queen - Saltspring Ferry (Crofton).
Option two · three legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
Same as Option one, but a carpool instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) →Nanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.6 km.
🚗PoparideHwy 1 rideshare (Victoria - Duncan - Nanaimo)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange →Duncan47 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).
🚎BC Transit6 Crofton-ChemainusDuncan →Joan & Queen - Saltspring Ferry (Crofton)11 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
🚲You arrive at Joan & Queen - Saltspring Ferry (Crofton).
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: Crofton to Gabriola Island (best: bus + ferry)
Connections from Gabriola Island: Chemainus (best: ferry + bus) · Maple Ridge (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Vernon (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + SkyTrain + plane)
Connections from Crofton: Lake Cowichan (best: bus) · Langley (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · West Kelowna (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island and Crofton