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, trains and flights can carry you and your bike from Parksville to Golden.
For scale
As the crow flies568 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car936 km ยท 11 h 14 m
We found three ways to get you there.
๐ 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 · five legs
The coach takes care of the long stretch.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐BC Transit9 IntercityIsland Hwy W at Wembley Centre (Parksville) โBay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo)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
๐BC Transit1 Nanaimo Rapid LineBay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo) โDowntown Nanaimo Exchange12 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
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
โด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) โCXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead โ 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ $25 in personNo e-bikes โ no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
๐SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โPacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐EbusVancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1))Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) โGolden568 kmRides in the hold โ bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
๐ฒYou arrive at Golden.
Option two · seven legs
Beautiful BC from a coach window.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐BC Transit9 IntercityIsland Hwy W at Wembley Centre (Parksville) โBay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo)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
๐BC Transit1 Nanaimo Rapid LineBay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo) โDowntown Nanaimo Exchange12 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
๐BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / Doveror the 25 Ferry ShuttleDowntown Nanaimo Exchange โDeparture Bay (Nanaimo)3.3 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
โด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) โHorseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free โ no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ no charging on board
๐TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay โStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver)17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ first come, first servedE-bikes OK
๐SkyTrainTransLinkStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) โPacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐EbusVancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1))Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) โGolden568 kmRides in the hold โ bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
๐ฒYou arrive at Golden.
Option three · six legs✈ the splurge
Fly most of the way, then let transit finish the trip.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐BC Transit9 IntercityIsland Hwy W at Wembley Centre (Parksville) โBay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo)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
๐BC Transit1 Nanaimo Rapid LineBay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo) โDowntown Nanaimo Exchange12 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
๐ฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.6 km.
๐ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ Nanaimo HarbourNanaimo Harbour โCXH (Vancouver)60 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee โ bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter โ other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
๐ฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
๐SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)Roll on, free โ 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
โ๏ธFlair AirlinesVancouver (YVR) โ Calgary (YYC)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) โCalgary AB683 kmRides in the hold โ boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes
๐EbusVancouver โ Calgary (Hwy 1)Calgary AB โGolden215 kmRides in the hold โ bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
๐ฒYou arrive at Golden.
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: Golden to Parksville (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry)
Connections from Parksville: Nanaimo (best: bus) · Burnaby (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Port Hardy (best: bus + rental car) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain)
Connections from Golden: Field (best: bus) · Princeton (best: bus) · Nanaimo (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + plane)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Parksville and Golden