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 and ferries can carry you and your bike from Ladysmith to Penelakut Island.

For scale
As the crow flies12 km
Biking whole way19 km ยท 1 h 25 m
By car22 km ยท 48 m

We found two ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.

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 · two legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
City bus to Pine & Daniel, then a ferry into Penelakut Island.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit34 Ladysmith-ChemainusCoronation Mall (Ladysmith) โ†’Pine & Daniel (Chemainus)8.1 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
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Pine & Daniel (Chemainus) to Chemainus, about 0.9 km.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesChemainus โ€“ Thetis โ€“ PenelakutChemainus โ†’Penelakut Island8.4 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Penelakut Island.
Option two · three legs
Option one, plus a city bus at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan Expressor the 36 Ladysmith-Duncan Express (doesn't run every day)1st Ave at Hwy 1 (Ladysmith) โ†’Duncan26 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit6 Crofton-ChemainusDuncan โ†’Chemainus20 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesChemainus โ€“ Thetis โ€“ PenelakutChemainus โ†’Penelakut Island8.4 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Penelakut Island.
Route facts last checked October 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 Something wrong or out of date?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: Penelakut Island to Ladysmith (best: ferry + bus)

Connections from Ladysmith: Salt Spring Island (best: bus + ferry) · Courtenay (Comox Valley) (best: bus + carpool) · Armstrong (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain)

Connections from Penelakut Island: Pender Island (best: ferry + bus) · New Westminster (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Qualicum Beach (best: ferry + bus) · Port Hardy (best: ferry + bus + rental car)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Ladysmith