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 Gabriola Island to Field.
For scale
As the crow flies578 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car852 km · 10 h 23 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 · four legs
SkyTrain helps connect the dots.
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 Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 0.9 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.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkWaterfront (Vancouver) →Main Street-Science World (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Main Street-Science World (Vancouver) to Pacific Central Station (Vancouver), about 0.2 km.
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Field601 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚲You arrive at Field.
Option two · six legs
A transport smorgasbord: ferries, city buses, SkyTrain, and coach 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.
🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / Doveror the 25 Ferry ShuttleDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)3.3 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 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 →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Main Street-Science World (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Main Street-Science World (Vancouver) to Pacific Central Station (Vancouver), about 0.2 km.
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Field601 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚲You arrive at Field.
Option three · five legs✈ the splurge
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
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Nanaimo HarbourNanaimo Harbour →CXH (Vancouver)60 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
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkWaterfront (Vancouver) →YVR-Airport (Richmond)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
✈️Flair AirlinesVancouver (YVR) – Calgary (YYC)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →Calgary AB683 kmRides in the hold — boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Calgary AB →Field180 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚲You arrive at Field.
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: Field to Gabriola Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry)
Connections from Gabriola Island: Chemainus (best: ferry + bus) · Victoria (best: ferry + bus) · Williams Lake (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + SkyTrain + plane)
Connections from Field: Golden (best: bus) · Princeton (best: bus) · Vanderhoof (best: bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + SkyTrain + plane)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island and Field