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 Nakusp to Bowen Island.
For scale
As the crow flies408 km
Biking whole way702 km · 45 h 13 m
By car687 km · 7 h 57 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 · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Halfway across the province, no car required.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit74 Nakusp-Nelson6th Ave NW at 2nd St NW (Nakusp) →1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)101 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
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) →New Westminster495 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkNew Westminster →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option two · five legs📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit74 Nakusp-Nelson6th Ave NW at 2nd St NW (Nakusp) →1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)101 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
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) →New Westminster495 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkNew Westminster →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverVancouver Canada Place →Horseshoe Bay16 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack — otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option three · six legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
One long leg does most of the travelling.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit74 Nakusp-Nelson6th Ave NW at 2nd St NW (Nakusp) →1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)101 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
Health Connections bus: medical patients get priority. You must call ahead to book a seat. Runs Tuesday and Thursday only.
🚎BC Transit99 Kootenay Connector1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) →Hwy 3A at Ootischenia Rd (Brilliant)31 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
🚲Travel the short hop from Hwy 3A at Ootischenia Rd (Brilliant) to Castlegar, about 2.8 km.
✈️Air CanadaVancouver (YVR) – Castlegar (YCG)Castlegar →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)402 kmBox or sturdy bag requiredBook ahead for your bikeAbout $50 per directionNo e-bikes
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →Stadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay →Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
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: Bowen Island to Nakusp (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain)
Connections from Nakusp: New Denver (best: bus) · Sparwood (best: bus) · Gibsons (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + SkyTrain + plane)
Connections from Bowen Island: Sechelt (best: ferry + bus) · Harrison Hot Springs (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Salmon Arm (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Nakusp and Bowen Island