Merritt to Campbell River with a bike

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 rental cars can carry you and your bike from Merritt to Campbell River.

For scale

As the crow flies318 km

Biking whole way539 km · 33 h 35 m

By car521 km · 6 h 42 m

We found three 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 · four legs

A little bit of everything.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Merritt →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)231 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Horseshoe Bay19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging 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) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)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

🚲At the far end, Central Campbell River is about 8.3 km from YBL (Campbell River). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bee-Line Taxi might help.

Option two · four legs

Same as Option one, but a SkyTrain instead of the city bus.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌EbusVancouver – Kelownaor Ebus (Vancouver – Kamloops) or Ebus (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary)Merritt →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)230 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲Travel 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.

⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) →Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)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 Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.5 km.

🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo →Campbell River134 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking

🚲Travel the short hop from Campbell River to Campbell River, about 0.3 km.

🚲You arrive at Campbell River.

Option three · five legs

Fill in the gap with a rental car.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Merritt →Chilliwack139 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable

🚲Travel the short hop from Chilliwack to Downtown Chilliwack Bay B, about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Chilliwack Taxi might help.

🚎BC Transit66 Fraser Valley ExpressDowntown Chilliwack Bay B →Lougheed Stn Bay 5 (Burnaby)76 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

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkLougheed Stn Bay 5 (Burnaby) →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🚲Travel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.5 km.

🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Campbell River – NanaimoDowntown Nanaimo →Campbell River134 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking

🚲Travel the short hop from Campbell River to Campbell River, about 0.3 km.

🚲You arrive at Campbell River.

Not an option · four legs🚫 not possible with a bike

Two coach buses, a SkyTrain, and a ferry.

🚫 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

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🚲Travel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 1 km.

🚌Island LinkIsland Express BusDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Campbell River138 kmDoes not carry bikes

🚲You arrive at Campbell River.

Not an option · five legs🚫 not possible with a bike

Two coach buses, two city buses, and a ferry.

🚫 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

🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Merritt →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)231 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Horseshoe Bay19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / Doveror the 25 Ferry ShuttleDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 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

🚌Island LinkIsland Express BusDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Campbell River138 kmDoes not carry bikes

🚲You arrive at Campbell River.

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: Campbell River to Merritt (best: rental car + ferry + bus)

Connections from Merritt: Kamloops (best: bus) · West Vancouver (best: bus) · Lund (best: bus + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)

Connections from Campbell River: Lund (best: just ride) · Delta (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain) · West Kelowna (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: rental car + ferry + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Merritt and Campbell River

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia