Gabriola Island to Williams Lake 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 Williams Lake.

For scale

As the crow flies350 km

Biking whole way539 km · 40 h 28 m

By car566 km · 8 h 33 m

We found four 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 · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

Grab a window seat, the scenery's included.

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 →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚌EbusVancouver – Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Kamloops301 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.

🚌EbusKamloops – Prince GeorgeKamloops →Williams Lake253 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs Wed/Fri/Sun toward Prince George and Mon/Thu/Sat toward Kamloops; no service on Tuesdays.

🚲You arrive at Williams Lake.

Option two · seven legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

Four ways to travel, one destination.

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) →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚌EbusVancouver – Kamloopsor Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Kamloops301 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

🚌EbusKamloops – Prince GeorgeKamloops →Williams Lake253 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs Wed/Fri/Sun toward Prince George and Mon/Thu/Sat toward Kamloops; no service on Tuesdays.

🚲You arrive at Williams Lake.

Option three · seven legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

The same idea as Option two, on different routes.

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 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) →Surrey CentralRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲Travel the short hop from Surrey Central to Surrey (Guildford Rec Centre), about 3.4 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Aldergrove-Langley Taxi Ltd., Green Cab might help.

🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Surrey (Guildford Rec Centre) →Kamloops280 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.

🚌EbusKamloops – Prince GeorgeKamloops →Williams Lake253 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs Wed/Fri/Sun toward Prince George and Mon/Thu/Sat toward Kamloops; no service on Tuesdays.

🚲You arrive at Williams Lake.

Option four · four 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

🚲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.

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Williams LakeVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →YWL (Williams Lake)342 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes

🚲At the far end, Central Williams Lake is about 8.4 km from YWL (Williams Lake). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.

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: Williams Lake to Gabriola Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry)

Connections from Gabriola Island: Chemainus (best: ferry + bus) · Victoria (best: ferry + bus) · Vernon (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + SkyTrain + plane)

Connections from Williams Lake: 100 Mile House (best: bus) · Port Moody (best: bus + SkyTrain) · Field (best: bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + plane)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island and Williams Lake

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia