Gabriola Island to Surrey with a bike

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 Surrey.

For scale

As the crow flies73 km

Biking whole way119 km · 5 h 31 m

By car120 km · 3 h 01 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 · three legs

The views come built in.

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.

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Surrey CentralRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲You arrive at Surrey Central.

Option two · three legs📅 seasonal

Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the SkyTrain.

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.

🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.

🚌Quick Shuttle (Quick Coach Lines / TRAXX)Vancouver – Seattle (SeaTac)Vancouver Canada Place →South Surrey Border (176 St & 8 Ave)46 kmBikes accepted — book as an add-on$42 USD each — about $57 CAD

Runs year-round; winter service drops to Friday–Monday only.

🚲At the far end, Surrey is about 21 km from South Surrey Border (176 St & 8 Ave). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Aldergrove-Langley Taxi Ltd., Green Cab might help.

Option three · three legs✈ the splurge

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.

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Surrey CentralRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲You arrive at Surrey Central.

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: Surrey to Gabriola Island (best: SkyTrain + ferry)

Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Saanich (best: ferry + bus) · Kelowna (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)

Connections from Surrey: Mission (best: SkyTrain + bus) · Port Alberni (best: SkyTrain + ferry + rental car) · Port McNeill (best: SkyTrain + ferry + bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: SkyTrain + train + ferry)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island and Surrey

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia