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 and flights can carry you and your bike from Gabriola Island to Sooke.
For scale
As the crow flies89 km
Biking whole way203 km · 9 h 15 m
By car124 km · 1 h 57 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
A ferry and three city buses.
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 Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressDuncan →Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria)54 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
🚲Travel the short hop from Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) to Douglas & Finlayson - Mayfair (Victoria), about 3.2 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.
🚎BC Transit61 Sooke / Langford / Downtownor the 65 Sooke / Downtown via Westhills (doesn't run every day)Douglas & Finlayson - Mayfair (Victoria) →Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd30 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 Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd.
Option two · six legs
A few connections, but each one moves you closer.
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.
🚎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 Transit8 Mill Bay via Telegraph Rd/Duncan via Shawnigan Lkor the 9 Mill Bay via Shawnigan Lk/Duncan via Telegraph RdDuncan →Deloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay)17 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 FerriesBrentwood Bay – Mill BayDeloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay) →Brentwood Bay12 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Daily, with fewer sailings on Sundays.
🚎BC Transit75 Saanichton / Royal Oak / DowntownBrentwood Bay →Douglas & Cloverdale (Saanich)16 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 Transit61 Sooke / Langford / Downtownor the 65 Sooke / Downtown via Westhills (doesn't run every day)Douglas & Cloverdale (Saanich) →Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd30 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 Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd.
Option three · four legs✈ the splurge
Treat yourself: wings over the water.
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
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Victoria HarbourCXH (Vancouver) →Victoria Belleville Terminal98 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 Victoria Belleville Terminal to Douglas & Finlayson - Mayfair (Victoria), about 2.6 km.
🚎BC Transit61 Sooke / Langford / DowntownDouglas & Finlayson - Mayfair (Victoria) →Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd30 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 Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd.
Not an option · three legs🚫 not possible with a bike
Ferry to Nanaimo Harbour, coach bus to Victoria, then a city bus into Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd.
🚫 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 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.
🚌Island LinkVictoria Express BusDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria)92 kmDoes not carry bikes
🚲Travel the short hop from Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) to Douglas & Finlayson - Mayfair (Victoria), about 1.9 km.
🚎BC Transit61 Sooke / Langford / Downtownor the 65 Sooke / Downtown via Westhills (doesn't run every day)Douglas & Finlayson - Mayfair (Victoria) →Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd30 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 Sooke Rd at Brownsey Blvd.
Not an option · two legs🚫 not possible with a bike📅 seasonal
Ferry to Nanaimo Harbour, then a coach bus into Sooke.
🚫 This chain exists, but West Coast Trail Express does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
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.
🚌West Coast Trail ExpressJuan de Fuca Trail routeor West Coast Trail Express (West Coast Trail route) (seasonal)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange →Sooke130 kmDoes not carry bikes
Runs May 1 to September 30.
🚲You arrive at Sooke.
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: Sooke 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 Sooke: Brentwood Bay (best: bus) · Courtenay (Comox Valley) (best: bus + carpool) · Clearwater (best: bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + SkyTrain + plane)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island and Sooke