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, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Lake Cowichan to Bella Coola.
For scale
As the crow flies438 km
Biking whole way732 km · 40 h 03 m
By car1,165 km · 15 h 36 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 · five legs📅 seasonal
Fill in the gap with a rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit7 Cowichan LakeSouth Shore Rd & King George (Lake Cowichan) →Duncan27 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)3.3 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo)Downtown Nanaimo →YZT (Port Hardy)295 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 YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) →Bella Coola268 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲You arrive at Bella Coola.
Option two · five legs✈ the splurge
Four ways to travel, one destination.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit7 Cowichan LakeSouth Shore Rd & King George (Lake Cowichan) →Duncan27 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.4 km.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Bella CoolaVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →QBC (Bella Coola)429 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
🚲At the far end, Central Bella Coola is about 11 km from QBC (Bella Coola). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.
Route facts last checked July 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: Bella Coola to Lake Cowichan (best: ferry + rental car + bus)
Connections from Lake Cowichan: Thetis Island (best: bus + ferry) · West Vancouver (best: bus + ferry) · Hope (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain)
Connections from Bella Coola: Ocean Falls (best: ferry) · Tofino (best: ferry + rental car + carpool) · Port Renfrew (best: ferry + rental car + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + bus)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Lake Cowichan and Bella Coola