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 Kaslo.
For scale
As the crow flies508 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car815 km ยท 10 h 43 m
We found five ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.
๐ 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⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Mountain Man Mike's will get you there.
CarrierRideYour bike
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) โNanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒTravel 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.
โด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) โCXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead โ 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ $25 in personNo e-bikes โ no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ฒTravel 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.
๐SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โNew WestminsterRoll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverNew Westminster โA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo)555 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ฒYou arrive at A Ave at 4th St (Kaslo).
Option two · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Beautiful BC from a coach window.
CarrierRideYour bike
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) โNanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.6 km.
๐BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / Doveror the 25 Ferry ShuttleDowntown Nanaimo Exchange โDeparture Bay (Nanaimo)3.3 kmFront rack, no fee โ 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only โ lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
โด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) โHorseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay โDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) โA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo)571 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ฒYou arrive at A Ave at 4th St (Kaslo).
Option three · six legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Four ways to travel, one destination.
CarrierRideYour bike
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) โNanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 0.9 km.
โด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) โCXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead โ 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ $25 in personNo e-bikes โ no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
โด๏ธSeaBusTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver)3.5 kmRoll on, free โ bikes ride inside the cabin6 bikes per sailing at rush hour โ weekdays 7โ9:30 am and 3โ6:30 pm; no limit other timesE-bikes OK โ no charging on boardNo trailers โ 185 cm max bike length
Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.
๐TransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) โPark Royal (West Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
๐TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) โDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)7.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) โA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo)571 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ฒYou arrive at A Ave at 4th St (Kaslo).
Option four · five legs📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Two ferries, two coach buses, and a city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) โNanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 0.9 km.
โด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) โCXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead โ 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ $25 in personNo e-bikes โ no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
๐Squamish ConnectorSquamish โ VancouverVancouver Canada Place โPark Royal (West Vancouver)5 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack โ otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
๐TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) โDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)7.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) โA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo)571 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ฒYou arrive at A Ave at 4th St (Kaslo).
Option five · five legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A ferry, two flights, a SkyTrain, and a coach bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) โNanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ Nanaimo HarbourNanaimo Harbour โCXH (Vancouver)60 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee โ bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter โ other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
๐ฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
๐SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
โ๏ธAir CanadaVancouver (YVR) โ Castlegar (YCG)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) โCastlegar402 kmBox or sturdy bag requiredBook ahead for your bikeAbout $50 per directionNo e-bikes
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverCastlegar โA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo)93 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ฒYou arrive at A Ave at 4th St (Kaslo).
Route facts last checked August 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: Kaslo to Gabriola Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry)
Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Langley (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Osoyoos (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Connections from Kaslo: Nelson (best: bus) · Abbotsford (best: bus) · Langford (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island and Kaslo