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 can carry you and your bike from Nelson to Trail.

For scale
As the crow flies53 km
Biking whole way82 km ยท 4 h 55 m
By car78 km ยท 1 h

We found two 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 · two legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Two city buses, changing in Brilliant.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit99 Kootenay Connector1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) โ†’Hwy 3A at Ootischenia Rd (Brilliant)31 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 Hwy 3A at Ootischenia Rd (Brilliant) to Castlegar Airport, about 6.2 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit98 Columbia ConnectorCastlegar Airport โ†’Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail)24 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
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail).
Option two · two legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒMountain Man Mike'sKaslo โ€“ Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) โ†’Castlegar33 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.
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Castlegar to Castlegar Airport, about 3.4 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit98 Columbia ConnectorCastlegar Airport โ†’Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail)24 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
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Cedar Ave at Spokane St (Trail).
Not an option · one leg🚫 not possible with a bike
One coach bus.
🚫  This chain exists, but Silver City Stagelines does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒSilver City StagelinesTrail โ€“ Kelowna (Hwy 3/33)1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) โ†’Trail (A&W 1136 Bay Ave)53 kmDoes not carry bikes
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Trail (A&W 1136 Bay Ave).
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: Trail to Nelson (best: bus)

Connections from Nelson: Castlegar (best: bus) · Mission (best: bus) · Gabriola Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)

Connections from Trail: Salmo (best: bus) · Chilliwack (best: bus) · Pender Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + SkyTrain + train)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Nelson and Trail