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 Merritt to Haida Gwaii.
For scale
As the crow flies847 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car1,465 km · 21 h 18 m
We found four 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⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Grab a window seat, the scenery's included.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌EbusVancouver – Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Merritt →Kamloops70 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚌EbusKamloops – Prince GeorgeKamloops →Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George)456 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs Wed/Fri/Sun toward Prince George and Mon/Thu/Sat toward Kamloops; no service on Tuesdays.
🚆VIA RailSkeena (Prince Rupert – Prince George – Jasper)Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George) →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)591 kmChecked baggage — staffed stations only, including Vancouver BC and Jasper AB$25 per directionE-bikes OK — battery disconnected at check-in
Three departures a week; the trip includes an overnight stop in Prince George (book your own hotel).
⛴️BC FerriesPrince Rupert – Skidegate (Haida Gwaii)Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St) →Skidegate (Graham Island)160 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
About 5–6 sailings a week; no Tuesday sailing westbound and no Sunday sailing eastbound.
🚲You arrive at Skidegate (Graham Island).
Option two · four legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the train.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌EbusVancouver – Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Merritt →Kamloops70 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚌EbusKamloops – Prince GeorgeKamloops →Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George)456 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs Wed/Fri/Sun toward Prince George and Mon/Thu/Sat toward Kamloops; no service on Tuesdays.
🚌BC Bus North (Tahltan NST Busing Ltd.)Prince George – Prince Rupert (Hwy 16 West)Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George) →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)619 kmLuggage bay on the Prince Rupert routeOther routes: bagged or boxed — checked as luggage
Twice a week: Monday and Thursday westbound, Tuesday and Friday eastbound.
⛴️BC FerriesPrince Rupert – Skidegate (Haida Gwaii)Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St) →Skidegate (Graham Island)160 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
About 5–6 sailings a week; no Tuesday sailing westbound and no Sunday sailing eastbound.
🚲You arrive at Skidegate (Graham Island).
Option three · four legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a train instead of the coach bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌EbusVancouver – Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver – Kelowna) 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
🚆VIA RailThe Canadian (Vancouver – Kamloops North – Jasper)Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Jasper AB541 kmChecked baggage — staffed stations only, including Vancouver BC and Jasper AB$25 per directionE-bikes OK — battery disconnected at check-in
Two departures a week in season; bikes can be checked on and off at Vancouver and Jasper only.
🚆VIA RailSkeena (Prince Rupert – Prince George – Jasper)Jasper AB →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)922 kmChecked baggage — staffed stations only, including Vancouver BC and Jasper AB$25 per directionE-bikes OK — battery disconnected at check-in
Three departures a week; the trip includes an overnight stop in Prince George (book your own hotel).
⛴️BC FerriesPrince Rupert – Skidegate (Haida Gwaii)Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St) →Skidegate (Graham Island)160 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
About 5–6 sailings a week; no Tuesday sailing westbound and no Sunday sailing eastbound.
🚲You arrive at Skidegate (Graham Island).
Option four · six legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
The long way round, but it works.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Merritt →Abbotsford Airport172 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
✈️Flair AirlinesAbbotsford (YXX) – Calgary (YYC)Abbotsford Airport →Calgary AB634 kmRides in the hold — boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes
✈️Flair AirlinesVancouver (YVR) – Calgary (YYC)Calgary AB →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)683 kmRides in the hold — boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Port HardyVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →YZT (Port Hardy)343 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
🚲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 – Prince Rupert (Inside Passage)Bear Cove (Port Hardy) →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)445 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Sails alternate days, roughly 3–4 sailings a week each way in summer.
⛴️BC FerriesPrince Rupert – Skidegate (Haida Gwaii)Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St) →Skidegate (Graham Island)160 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
About 5–6 sailings a week; no Tuesday sailing westbound and no Sunday sailing eastbound.
🚲You arrive at Skidegate (Graham 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: Haida Gwaii to Merritt (best: ferry + train + bus)
Connections from Merritt: Kamloops (best: bus) · West Vancouver (best: bus) · Lund (best: bus + ferry) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + train)
Connections from Haida Gwaii: Prince Rupert (best: ferry) · Port Alberni (best: ferry + rental car) · Clearwater (best: ferry + train + bus) · Sparwood (best: ferry + train + bus)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Merritt