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 rental cars can carry you and your bike from Hornby Island to Quadra Island.
For scale
As the crow flies69 km
Biking whole way89 km · 5 h 46 m
By car92 km · 1 h 44 m
We found two 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 · six legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Fill in the gap with a rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyShingle Spit (Hornby Island) →Gravelly Bay (Denman Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Gravelly Bay (Denman Island) to Denman Island West, about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestDenman Island West →Buckley Bay2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayBuckley Bay →Courtenay20 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 Transit11 Airport via Powell R. Ferry / DowntownCourtenay →Comox Airport (YQQ)8.3 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
One loop serves both the Little River ferry terminal and Comox airport; about 5–7 trips a day, and Sunday service is unconfirmed.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Campbell River – ComoxComox Airport (YQQ) →YBL (Campbell River)38 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from YBL (Campbell River) to Campbell River, about 8.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bee-Line Taxi might help.
⛴️BC FerriesCampbell River – Quathiaski Cove (Quadra)Campbell River →Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island)2.9 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island).
Option two · seven legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
The long way round, but it works.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyShingle Spit (Hornby Island) →Gravelly Bay (Denman Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Gravelly Bay (Denman Island) to Denman Island West, about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestDenman Island West →Buckley Bay2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayBuckley Bay →Courtenay20 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
🚗PoparideIsland Hwy rideshare (Nanaimo - Courtenay)Courtenay →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange97 kmOnly some rides take bikes — look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable — check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDowntown 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
🚲Travel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimo)Downtown Nanaimo →YBL (Campbell River)127 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from YBL (Campbell River) to Campbell River, about 8.3 km.
⛴️BC FerriesCampbell River – Quathiaski Cove (Quadra)Campbell River →Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island)2.9 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island).
Not an option · five legs🚫 not possible with a bike
Three ferries, a city bus, and a coach bus.
🚫 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 FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyShingle Spit (Hornby Island) →Gravelly Bay (Denman Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Gravelly Bay (Denman Island) to Denman Island West, about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestDenman Island West →Buckley Bay2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayBuckley Bay →Courtenay20 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 FerriesCampbell River – Quathiaski Cove (Quadra)Campbell River →Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island)2.9 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island).
Not an option · six legs🚫 not possible with a bike📅 seasonal
Six legs, end to end.
🚫 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 FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyShingle Spit (Hornby Island) →Gravelly Bay (Denman Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Gravelly Bay (Denman Island) to Denman Island West, about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestDenman Island West →Buckley Bay2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayBuckley Bay →Courtenay20 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 Campbell River to Coast Marina (Island Hwy) (Campbell River), about 0.4 km.
🛥️Qaya Way West TransportationCampbell River – Savary Islandor Discovery Launch Water Taxi (Campbell River – Cortes Island) (doesn't run every day)Coast Marina (Island Hwy) (Campbell River) →Manson's Landing (Cortes Island)19 kmPolicy not on file — check with the operator
Southern run daily June 26 to September 7, calling at Manson's Landing and Hernando; reservations required.
🚲Travel the short hop from Manson's Landing (Cortes Island) to Whaletown (Cortes Island), about 7.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesHeriot Bay (Quadra) – Whaletown (Cortes)Whaletown (Cortes Island) →Heriot Bay (Quadra Island)11 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲At the far end, Central Quadra Island is about 6.8 km from Heriot Bay (Quadra Island). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.
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: Quadra Island to Hornby Island (best: ferry + rental car + bus)
Connections from Hornby Island: Port Alberni (best: ferry + bus + carpool) · Gabriola Island (best: ferry + bus + carpool) · Tofino (best: ferry + bus + carpool) · Port Hardy (best: ferry + bus + rental car)
Connections from Quadra Island: Lund (best: ferry) · West Vancouver (best: ferry + rental car) · Princeton (best: ferry + rental car + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + SkyTrain)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Hornby Island