Ocean Falls to Thetis 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, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Ocean Falls to Thetis Island.

For scale

As the crow flies470 km

Biking whole way680 km · 37 h 07 m

By car668 km · 15 h 11 m

We found four ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.

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 · six legs📅 seasonal

Fill in the gap with a rental car.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaOcean Falls →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)204 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.

🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.

🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo295 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 Downtown Nanaimo to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.

🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 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

🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.

🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch →Duncan46 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 Transit6 Crofton-ChemainusDuncan →Chemainus20 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 FerriesChemainus – Thetis – PenelakutChemainus →Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island)6.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island).

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

A proper expedition.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaOcean Falls →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)204 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.

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

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

🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.

🚎BC Transit36 Ladysmith-Duncan ExpressDuncan →Coronation Mall (Ladysmith)24 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 Transit34 Ladysmith-ChemainusCoronation Mall (Ladysmith) →Pine & Daniel (Chemainus)8.1 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 Pine & Daniel (Chemainus) to Chemainus, about 0.9 km.

⛴️BC FerriesChemainus – Thetis – PenelakutChemainus →Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island)6.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island).

Option three · six legs📅 seasonal📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app

Same as Option one, but a carpool instead of the city bus.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaOcean Falls →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)204 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.

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

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

🚗PoparideHwy 1 rideshare (Victoria - Duncan - Nanaimo)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange →Duncan47 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 FerriesChemainus – Thetis – PenelakutChemainus →Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island)6.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island).

Option four · seven legs✈ the splurge📅 seasonal

One long leg does most of the travelling.

CarrierRideYour bike

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaOcean Falls →McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella)39 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.

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

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

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

🚲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.

🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Victoria HarbourCXH (Vancouver) →Victoria Belleville Terminal98 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 Victoria Belleville Terminal to Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria), about 0.7 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.

🚎BC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressLegislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) →Duncan54 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 FerriesChemainus – Thetis – PenelakutChemainus →Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island)6.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Preedy Harbour (Thetis 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: Thetis Island to Ocean Falls (best: ferry + bus + rental car)

Connections from Ocean Falls: Shearwater (best: ferry) · Sechelt (best: ferry + rental car + bus) · Clearwater (best: ferry + train + bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + rental car + SkyTrain)

Connections from Thetis Island: Mayne Island (best: ferry + bus) · Langford (best: ferry + bus) · Coquitlam (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Port Hardy (best: ferry + bus + rental car)

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia