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 Port Coquitlam.
For scale
As the crow flies79 km
Biking whole way123 km · 5 h 42 m
By car117 km · 2 h 58 m
We found three 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⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
The ferry is the main event.
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.
🚆West Coast ExpressTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Port Coquitlam Station28 kmRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carWeekdays only — peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
🚲You arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
Option two · six legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A little bit of everything.
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) →Coquitlam CentralRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚆West Coast ExpressTransLinkCoquitlam Central →Port Coquitlam Station5.1 kmRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carWeekdays only — peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
🚲You arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
Option three · three legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a plane instead of the ferry.
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.
🚆West Coast ExpressTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Port Coquitlam Station28 kmRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carWeekdays only — peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
🚲You arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
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: Port Coquitlam to Gabriola Island (best: train + 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 Port Coquitlam: Mission (best: train) · Seton Portage (best: train + SkyTrain + bus) · Port Hardy (best: train + ferry + rental car) · Whitehorse, YT (best: train + SkyTrain + plane)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island and Port Coquitlam