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, trains, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Nakusp to Bella Bella.

For scale
As the crow flies751 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car1,183 km ยท 19 h 11 m

We found three ways to get you there.

๐ŸŽ’ 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 · seven legs📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Fill in the gap with a rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit74 Nakusp-Nelson6th Ave NW at 2nd St NW (Nakusp) โ†’1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)101 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
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
๐ŸšŒMountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ€“ Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) โ†’New Westminster495 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ€” fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkNew Westminster โ†’Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ŸšฒTravel 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.
โ›ด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ€“ Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) โ†’Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)61 kmBook online ahead โ€” 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ€” $25 in personNo e-bikes โ€” no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 1 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDowntown Nanaimo Exchange โ†’Departure Bay (Nanaimo)3.3 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 Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km.
๐Ÿš™National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimo)Downtown Nanaimo โ†’YZT (Port Hardy)295 kmOne-way between Island branches โ€” no drop chargeBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel 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.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesPort Hardy โ€“ Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) โ†’McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella)164 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop โ€” check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella).
Option two · seven legs📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A transport smorgasbord: city buses, coach bus, SkyTrain, ferries, and rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit74 Nakusp-Nelson6th Ave NW at 2nd St NW (Nakusp) โ†’1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)101 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
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
๐ŸšŒMountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ€“ Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) โ†’New Westminster495 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ€” fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkNew Westminster โ†’Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)Roll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ŸšŽTransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) โ†’Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ€“ Departure BayHorseshoe Bay โ†’Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km.
๐Ÿš™National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo โ†’YZT (Port Hardy)295 kmOne-way between Island branches โ€” no drop chargeBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesPort Hardy โ€“ Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) โ†’McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella)164 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop โ€” check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella).
Option three · four legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Mountain Man Mike's will get you there.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit74 Nakusp-Nelson6th Ave NW at 2nd St NW (Nakusp) โ†’1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)101 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
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
๐ŸšŒMountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ€“ Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) โ†’New Westminster495 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote โ€” fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkNew Westminster โ†’Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
โœˆ๏ธPacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver โ€“ Bella BellaVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) โ†’ZEL (Bella Bella)480 kmRides in the hold โ€” small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at ZEL (Bella Bella).
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: Bella Bella to Nakusp (best: ferry + rental car + bus)

Connections from Nakusp: New Denver (best: bus) · Sparwood (best: bus) · Gibsons (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + SkyTrain + plane)

Connections from Bella Bella: Ocean Falls (best: ferry) · Squamish (best: ferry + rental car + bus) · Victoria (best: ferry + rental car + bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: plane)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Nakusp and Bella Bella