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 Kaslo to Gabriola Island.
For scale
As the crow flies508 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car827 km ยท 11 h 04 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 · four legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
SkyTrain helps connect the dots.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo) โNew Westminster555 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐SkyTrainTransLinkNew Westminster 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.
โด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) โHullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)61 kmBook online ahead โ 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ $25 in personNo e-bikes โ no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.9 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour โDescanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option two · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
The coach takes care of the long stretch.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo) โDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)571 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
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 Departure BayHorseshoe Bay โDeparture Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / Doveror the 25 Ferry ShuttleDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) โDowntown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 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
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.6 km.
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour โDescanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option three · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Halfway across the province, no car required.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo) โAbbotsford506 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Abbotsford to G Ferguson Way at McCallum Rd (Abbotsford), about 0.6 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Abbotsford Mission Taxi, Central Valley Taxi might help.
๐BC Transit31 Valley Connectoror the 31X Valley Connector (doesn't run every day)G Ferguson Way at McCallum Rd (Abbotsford) โJunction Mall (Mission)9.1 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
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Junction Mall (Mission) to Lougheed Hwy at Haig St (Mission), about 0.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Teco Taxi might help.
๐West Coast ExpressTransLinkLougheed Hwy at Haig St (Mission) โVancouver Canada Place63 kmRoll on, free โ 2 bikes per carWeekdays only โ peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.
โด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) โHullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)61 kmBook online ahead โ 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ $25 in personNo e-bikes โ no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.9 km.
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour โDescanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option four · five legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A coach bus, two flights, a SkyTrain, and a ferry.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ VancouverA Ave at 4th St (Kaslo) โCastlegar93 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
โ๏ธAir CanadaVancouver (YVR) โ Castlegar (YCG)Castlegar โVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)402 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.
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
โด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour โDescanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐ฒYou arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola 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: Gabriola Island to Kaslo (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Connections from Kaslo: Nelson (best: bus) · Abbotsford (best: bus) · Langford (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)
Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Langley (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Osoyoos (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Kaslo and Gabriola Island