BC Cycle Tourism Society

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, trains and flights can carry you and your bike from Golden to Smithers.

For scale
As the crow flies784 km
Biking whole wayno route found
By car1,251 km ยท 13 h 28 m

We found three ways to get you there.

๐ŸŽ’ 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⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Beautiful BC from a coach window.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒEbusVancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver โ€“ Calgary) or Rider Express (Vancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1))Golden โ†’Kamloops265 kmRides in the hold โ€” 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.
๐ŸšŒEbusKamloops โ€“ Prince GeorgeKamloops โ†’Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George)456 kmRides in the hold โ€” 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.
๐Ÿš†VIA RailSkeena (Prince Rupert โ€“ Prince George โ€“ Jasper)Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George) โ†’4th Ave at King St (Smithers)315 kmChecked baggage โ€” staffed stations only, including Vancouver BC and Jasper AB$25 per directionE-bikes OK โ€” battery disconnected at check-in
Three departures a week; the trip includes an overnight stop in Prince George (book your own hotel).
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at 4th Ave at King St (Smithers).
Option two · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the train.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒEbusVancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver โ€“ Calgary) or Rider Express (Vancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1))Golden โ†’Kamloops265 kmRides in the hold โ€” 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.
๐ŸšŒEbusKamloops โ€“ Prince GeorgeKamloops โ†’Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George)456 kmRides in the hold โ€” 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.
๐ŸšŒBC Bus North (Tahltan NST Busing Ltd.)Prince George โ€“ Prince Rupert (Hwy 16 West)Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George) โ†’4th Ave at King St (Smithers)327 kmLuggage bay on the Prince Rupert routeOther routes: bagged or boxed โ€” checked as luggage
Twice a week: Monday and Thursday westbound, Tuesday and Friday eastbound.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at 4th Ave at King St (Smithers).
Option three · three legs✈ the splurge
Fly most of the way, then let transit finish the trip.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒEbusVancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1)Golden โ†’Calgary AB215 kmRides in the hold โ€” 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.
โœˆ๏ธFlair AirlinesVancouver (YVR) โ€“ Calgary (YYC)Calgary AB โ†’Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)683 kmRides in the hold โ€” boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes
โœˆ๏ธAir CanadaVancouver (YVR) โ€“ Smithers (YYD)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) โ†’YYD (Smithers)684 kmBox or sturdy bag requiredBook ahead for your bikeAbout $50 per directionNo e-bikes
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at YYD (Smithers).
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: Smithers to Golden (best: train + bus)

Connections from Golden: Field (best: bus) · Harrison Hot Springs (best: bus) · Brentwood Bay (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)

Connections from Smithers: Houston (best: train) · Kamloops (best: train + bus) · Pender Island (best: train + SkyTrain + bus) · Fernie (best: train + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Golden and Smithers