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, ferries and flights can carry you and your bike from Mill Bay to Gabriola Island.

For scale
As the crow flies62 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car75 km ยท 1 h 15 m

We found three 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 · three legs
One long leg does most of the travelling.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria Expressor the 8 Mill Bay via Telegraph Rd/Duncan via Shawnigan Lk or the 9 Mill Bay via Shawnigan Lk/Duncan via Telegraph RdDeloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay) โ†’Duncan17 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 Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan โ†’Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 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 Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Nanaimo Harbour, about 1.1 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ€“ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour โ†’Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option two · three legs
The same idea as Option one, on different routes.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan-Victoria ExpressDeloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay) โ†’Duncan17 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 Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan โ†’Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 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 Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Nanaimo Harbour, about 1.1 km.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ€“ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour โ†’Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option three · four legs✈ the splurge
The long way round, but it works.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressDeloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay) โ†’Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria)36 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 Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) to Victoria Belleville Terminal, about 0.7 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.
๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ€“ Victoria HarbourVictoria Belleville Terminal โ†’CXH (Vancouver)98 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
๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ€“ Nanaimo HarbourCXH (Vancouver) โ†’Nanaimo 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesNanaimo Harbour โ€“ Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour โ†’Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou 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 Mill Bay (best: ferry + bus)

Connections from Mill Bay: Galiano Island (best: bus + ferry) · Maple Ridge (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · West Kelowna (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + rental car + ferry)

Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Saanich (best: ferry + bus) · Kelowna (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Mill Bay and Gabriola Island