North Vancouver to Cortes Island with a bike

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, water taxis, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from North Vancouver to Cortes Island.

For scale

As the crow flies160 km

Biking whole way279 km · 16 h 04 m

By car326 km · 6 h 24 m

We found six 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📅 seasonal

A ferry and a water taxi make a fun combination.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️SeaBusTransLinkLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) →Vancouver Canada Place3.5 kmRoll on, free — bikes ride inside the cabin6 bikes per sailing at rush hour — weekdays 7–9:30 am and 3–6:30 pm; no limit other timesE-bikes OK — no charging on boardNo trailers — 185 cm max bike length

Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.

🚲Travel 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.

⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) →Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max

🚲Travel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.

🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo →Campbell River134 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking

🚲Travel the short hop from Campbell River to Coast Marina (Island Hwy) (Campbell River), about 0.7 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bee-Line Taxi might help.

🛥️Qaya Way West TransportationCampbell River – Savary Islandor Discovery Launch Water Taxi (Campbell River – Cortes Island) (doesn't run every day)Coast Marina (Island Hwy) (Campbell River) →Manson's Landing (Cortes Island)19 kmPolicy not on file — check with the operator

Southern run daily June 26 to September 7, calling at Manson's Landing and Hernando; reservations required.

🚲You arrive at Manson's Landing (Cortes Island).

Option two · five legs📅 seasonal

Fill in the gap with a rental car.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚎TransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) →Park Royal (West Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay11 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲Travel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km.

🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Campbell River – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo →YBL (Campbell River)127 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking

🚲Travel the short hop from YBL (Campbell River) to Coast Marina (Island Hwy) (Campbell River), about 8.7 km.

Southern run daily June 26 to September 7, calling at Manson's Landing and Hernando; reservations required.

🚲You arrive at Manson's Landing (Cortes Island).

Option three · five legs

Island hopping: four ferries stitched together.

CarrierRideYour bike

Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🚲Travel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.5 km.

🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Campbell River – NanaimoDowntown Nanaimo →Campbell River134 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking

🚲Travel the short hop from Campbell River to Campbell River, about 0.3 km.

⛴️BC FerriesCampbell River – Quathiaski Cove (Quadra)Campbell River →Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island)2.9 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲Travel the short hop from Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island) to Heriot Bay (Quadra Island), about 6.8 km.

⛴️BC FerriesHeriot Bay (Quadra) – Whaletown (Cortes)Heriot Bay (Quadra Island) →Whaletown (Cortes Island)11 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲At the far end, Central Cortes Island is about 7.4 km from Whaletown (Cortes Island). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.

Option four · seven legs📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

A proper expedition.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚎TransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) →Park Royal (West Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay11 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – LangdaleHorseshoe Bay →Langdale (Gibsons)16 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚌Sunshine Coast ConnectorLangdale – Powell RiverLangdale (Gibsons) →Powell River106 kmReserve bike spot — rack space is limited$20 bike · $40 e-bikeNo box needed — rack on the bus

Includes the Earls Cove–Saltery Bay ferry leg.

🚲Travel the short hop from Powell River to Town Centre Mall Bay A (Powell River), about 1.1 km.

🚎BC Transit14 LundTown Centre Mall Bay A (Powell River) →Lund Harbour23 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

Runs Monday, Tuesday and Friday most of the year, six days a week from mid-May to Labour Day; some stretches are on-request. Front bike rack; e-bikes under 25 kg allowed.

🛥️Lund Water TaxiLund – Savary IslandLund Harbour →Savary Island Government Dock4.1 kmPolicy not on file — check with the operator

Year-round walk-on service, near-hourly in July and August; reservations required. E-bikes not carried (barge by arrangement).

🛥️Qaya Way West TransportationCampbell River – Savary IslandSavary Island Government Dock →Manson's Landing (Cortes Island)21 kmPolicy not on file — check with the operator

Southern run daily June 26 to September 7, calling at Manson's Landing and Hernando; reservations required.

🚲You arrive at Manson's Landing (Cortes Island).

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Option five · six legs

A long haul, but it all connects.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚎TransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) →Park Royal (West Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay11 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲Travel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km.

🚲Travel the short hop from YBL (Campbell River) to Campbell River, about 8.3 km.

⛴️BC FerriesCampbell River – Quathiaski Cove (Quadra)Campbell River →Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island)2.9 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲Travel the short hop from Quathiaski Cove (Quadra Island) to Heriot Bay (Quadra Island), about 6.8 km.

⛴️BC FerriesHeriot Bay (Quadra) – Whaletown (Cortes)Heriot Bay (Quadra Island) →Whaletown (Cortes Island)11 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲At the far end, Central Cortes Island is about 7.4 km from Whaletown (Cortes Island). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.

Not an option · four legs🚫 not possible with a bike📅 seasonal

A SeaBus, a ferry, a coach bus, and a water taxi.

🚫 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

Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🚲Travel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 1 km.

🚌Island LinkIsland Express BusDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Campbell River138 kmDoes not carry bikes

🚲Travel the short hop from Campbell River to Coast Marina (Island Hwy) (Campbell River), about 0.4 km.

Southern run daily June 26 to September 7, calling at Manson's Landing and Hernando; reservations required.

🚲You arrive at Manson's Landing (Cortes Island).

Not an option · five legs🚫 not possible with a bike

A SeaBus, three ferries, and a coach bus.