North Vancouver to Shearwater 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, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from North Vancouver to Shearwater.

For scale

As the crow flies473 km

Biking whole way662 km · 35 h 33 m

By car705 km · 15 h 18 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

Mostly sailing, a little rolling.

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: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo →YZT (Port Hardy)298 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 YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) →Shearwater (Denny Island)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.

🚲You arrive at Shearwater (Denny 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: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo →YZT (Port Hardy)295 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 YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km.

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) →Shearwater (Denny Island)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.

🚲You arrive at Shearwater (Denny Island).

Option three · five legs📅 seasonal

Same as Option two, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.

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

🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverPark Royal (West Vancouver) →Horseshoe Bay11 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 – 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 YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km.

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) →Shearwater (Denny Island)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.

🚲You arrive at Shearwater (Denny Island).

Option four · five legs📅 seasonal

Same as Option three, but a SeaBus instead of the city bus.

CarrierRideYour bike

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

🚌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 – 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 YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km.

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) →Shearwater (Denny Island)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.

🚲You arrive at Shearwater (Denny Island).

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Option five · five legs📅 seasonal

Another way: same as Option two, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.

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

🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverPark Royal (West Vancouver) →Vancouver Canada Place5 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.

🚲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.

🚲Travel the short hop from YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km.

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaBear Cove (Port Hardy) →Shearwater (Denny Island)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.

🚲You arrive at Shearwater (Denny Island).

Option six · four legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

One long leg does most of the travelling.

CarrierRideYour bike

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

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Bella BellaVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →ZEL (Bella Bella)480 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes

🚲Travel the short hop from ZEL (Bella Bella) to McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella), about 0.9 km.

⛴️BC FerriesCentral Coast ConnectorMcLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella) →Shearwater (Denny Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

About one run a week: Wednesday out from Bella Coola, Thursday or Friday back from Shearwater.

🚲You arrive at Shearwater (Denny 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: Shearwater to North Vancouver (best: ferry + rental car + bus)

Connections from North Vancouver: Gibsons (best: bus + ferry) · Powell River (best: bus + ferry) · Williams Lake (best: SeaBus + SkyTrain + bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: SeaBus + ferry + rental car)

Connections from Shearwater: Ocean Falls (best: ferry) · Ucluelet (best: ferry + rental car + carpool) · Port Coquitlam (best: ferry + rental car + train) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in North Vancouver

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia