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 Gibsons to Trail.
For scale
As the crow flies422 km
Biking whole way697 km · 46 h 09 m
By car683 km · 8 h 11 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⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Mountain Man Mike's will get you there.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – LangdaleLangdale (Gibsons) →Horseshoe Bay16 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – VancouverDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Castlegar478 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
🚲Travel the short hop from Castlegar to Castlegar Airport, about 3.4 km.
🚎BC Transit98 Columbia ConnectorCastlegar Airport →Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail)24 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 Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail).
Option two · five legs📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Halfway across the province, no car required.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – LangdaleLangdale (Gibsons) →Horseshoe Bay16 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverHorseshoe Bay →Vancouver Canada Place16 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack — otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →New WestminsterRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – VancouverNew Westminster →Castlegar462 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
🚲Travel the short hop from Castlegar to Castlegar Airport, about 3.4 km.
🚎BC Transit98 Columbia ConnectorCastlegar Airport →Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail)24 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 Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail).
Option three · six legs✈ the splurge
One long leg does most of the travelling.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – LangdaleLangdale (Gibsons) →Horseshoe Bay16 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 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
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.6 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
🛩️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. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – TrailVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →YZZ (Trail)408 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
🚲At the far end, Central Trail is about 8.7 km from YZZ (Trail). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Creston Cabs might help.
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: Trail to Gibsons (best: bus + ferry)
Connections from Gibsons: North Vancouver (best: ferry + bus) · Langford (best: ferry + bus) · Port Hardy (best: ferry + rental car) · Haida Gwaii (best: ferry + rental car)
Connections from Trail: Salmo (best: bus) · Harrison Hot Springs (best: bus) · Mayne Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + SkyTrain + train)