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 Kamloops to Bowen Island.
For scale
As the crow flies258 km
Biking whole way414 km ยท 28 h 12 m
By car378 km ยท 4 h 06 m
We found four ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.
๐ 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 coach takes care of the long stretch.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Rider ExpressVancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1)Kamloops โDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)301 kmRides in the hold โ bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike โ non-refundable
๐TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) โHorseshoe Bay19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
โด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay โSnug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option two · four legs📅 seasonal
Beautiful BC from a coach window.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐EbusVancouver โ Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver โ Calgary)Kamloops โPacific Central Station (Vancouver)301 kmRides in the hold โ bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
๐SkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) โVancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐Squamish ConnectorSquamish โ VancouverVancouver Canada Place โHorseshoe Bay16 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack โ otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
โด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay โSnug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option three · six legs
A transport smorgasbord: coach bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, city buses, and ferry.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐EbusVancouver โ Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver โ Calgary)Kamloops โPacific Central Station (Vancouver)301 kmRides in the hold โ bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
๐SkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) โVancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
โด๏ธSeaBusTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver)3.5 kmRoll on, free โ bikes ride inside the cabin6 bikes per sailing at rush hour โ weekdays 7โ9:30 am and 3โ6:30 pm; no limit other timesE-bikes OK โ no charging on boardNo trailers โ 185 cm max bike length
Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.
๐TransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) โPark Royal (West Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
๐TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) โHorseshoe Bay11 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
โด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay โSnug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option four · six legs✈ the splurge
A long haul, but it all connects.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ฒFirst, get from Central Kamloops to YKA (Kamloops), about 7.9 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Kami Cabs might help.
โ๏ธAir CanadaVancouver (YVR) โ Kamloops (YKA)YKA (Kamloops) โVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)258 kmBox or sturdy bag requiredBook ahead for your bikeAbout $50 per directionNo e-bikes
๐SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) โVancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
๐ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ Nanaimo HarbourCXH (Vancouver) โNanaimo Harbour60 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee โ bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter โ other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.6 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
๐BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDowntown Nanaimo Exchange โDeparture Bay (Nanaimo)3.3 kmFront rack, no fee โ 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only โ lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
โด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) โHorseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
โด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay โSnug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
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: Bowen Island to Kamloops (best: ferry + bus)
Connections from Kamloops: Chase (best: bus) · New Westminster (best: bus + SkyTrain) · Kimberley (best: bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)
Connections from Bowen Island: Sechelt (best: ferry + bus) · Victoria (best: ferry + bus) · Enderby (best: ferry + bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: ferry + rental car)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Kamloops and Bowen Island