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, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Nanaimo to Hornby Island.
For scale
As the crow flies68 km
Biking whole way110 km · 7 h
By car103 km · 1 h 39 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📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
One long leg does most of the travelling.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚗PoparideIsland Hwy rideshare (Nanaimo - Courtenay)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange →Courtenay97 kmOnly some rides take bikes — look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable — check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayCourtenay →Buckley Bay20 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
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestBuckley Bay →Denman Island West2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Denman Island West to Gravelly Bay (Denman Island), about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyGravelly Bay (Denman Island) →Shingle Spit (Hornby Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Shingle Spit (Hornby Island).
Option two · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A one-way rental fills in the missing piece.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲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: Comox – NanaimoDowntown Nanaimo →Comox Airport (YQQ)88 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚎BC Transit11 Airport via Powell R. Ferry / DowntownComox Airport (YQQ) →Courtenay8.3 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
One loop serves both the Little River ferry terminal and Comox airport; about 5–7 trips a day, and Sunday service is unconfirmed.
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayCourtenay →Buckley Bay20 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
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestBuckley Bay →Denman Island West2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Denman Island West to Gravelly Bay (Denman Island), about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyGravelly Bay (Denman Island) →Shingle Spit (Hornby Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Shingle Spit (Hornby Island).
Not an option · four legs🚫 not possible with a bike
A coach bus, a city bus, and two ferries.
🚫 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
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayCourtenay →Buckley Bay20 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
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestBuckley Bay →Denman Island West2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Denman Island West to Gravelly Bay (Denman Island), about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyGravelly Bay (Denman Island) →Shingle Spit (Hornby Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Shingle Spit (Hornby Island).
Option four · six legs✈ the splurge
The scenic splurge: a floatplane over the water.
CarrierRideYour bike
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Nanaimo HarbourNanaimo Harbour →CXH (Vancouver)60 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee — bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter — other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – ComoxCXH (Vancouver) →Comox Harbour138 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee — bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter — other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Comox Harbour to Comox Mall Bay B, about 0.4 km.
🚎BC Transit1 Comox Mall / Anfield Centre via N.I.C.Comox Mall Bay B →Anfield Centre (Courtenay)4 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 Anfield Centre (Courtenay) to Courtenay, about 2.9 km.
🚎BC Transit10 Fanny Bay / Deep Bay / Downtown CourtenayCourtenay →Buckley Bay20 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
⛴️BC FerriesBuckley Bay – Denman WestBuckley Bay →Denman Island West2.5 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Denman Island West to Gravelly Bay (Denman Island), about 9.4 km.
⛴️BC FerriesGravelly Bay (Denman E) – HornbyGravelly Bay (Denman Island) →Shingle Spit (Hornby Island)2 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Shingle Spit (Hornby 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: Hornby Island to Nanaimo (best: ferry + bus + carpool)
Connections from Nanaimo: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: bus) · Comox (best: rental car) · Vernon (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Connections from Hornby Island: Port Alberni (best: ferry + bus + carpool) · Gabriola Island (best: ferry + bus + carpool) · Port Renfrew (best: ferry + bus) · Port Hardy (best: ferry + bus + rental car)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Nanaimo and Hornby Island