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, ferries, trains, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Port Alberni to Mayne Island.

For scale
As the crow flies116 km
Biking whole way199 km ยท 9 h 52 m
By car158 km ยท 3 h 04 m

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

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 · five legs
A transport smorgasbord: rental car, ferries, SkyTrain, and city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Port Alberni to Port Alberni, about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Alberni District United Cabs Association, United Cabs'S #5 might help.
๐Ÿš™BudgetOne-way rental: Port Alberni โ€“ NanaimoPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo64 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches โ€” bookable onlineBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
โ›ด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ€“ Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) โ†’CXH (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
๐ŸšฒTravel 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.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Bridgeport (Richmond)Roll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ŸšŽTransLink620 Bridgeport Station / Tsawwassen FerryBridgeport (Richmond) โ†’Tsawwassen (Delta)22 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
The 620 is year-round, roughly hourly, timed to sailings, with two bike-rack spots. On busy summer ferry days the seasonal 900 Bike Bus can carry an extra 10 bikes.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesTsawwassen โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsTsawwassen (Delta) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)32 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
Sailing times vary a lot by routing: some trips are about 50 minutes, others run 2 to 3 hours via Swartz Bay. Check the specific sailing before you book.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Option two · five legs
A one-way rental fills in the missing piece.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Port Alberni to Port Alberni, about 0.8 km.
๐Ÿš™BudgetOne-way rental: Port Alberni โ€“ NanaimoPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo64 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches โ€” bookable onlineBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 1 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch โ†’Duncan46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressDuncan โ†’Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria)54 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 Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) to Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria), about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / Downtownor the 72 Swartz Bay / Downtown (via Saanichton)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Option three · five legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
Same as Option one, but a carpool instead of the rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Ÿš—PoparideHwy 4 rideshare (Nanaimo - Port Alberni - Ucluelet - Tofino)Port Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange64 kmOnly some rides take bikes โ€” look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable โ€” check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1 km.
โ›ด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ€“ Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) โ†’CXH (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
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Bridgeport (Richmond)Roll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ŸšŽTransLink620 Bridgeport Station / Tsawwassen FerryBridgeport (Richmond) โ†’Tsawwassen (Delta)22 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
The 620 is year-round, roughly hourly, timed to sailings, with two bike-rack spots. On busy summer ferry days the seasonal 900 Bike Bus can carry an extra 10 bikes.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesTsawwassen โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsTsawwassen (Delta) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)32 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
Sailing times vary a lot by routing: some trips are about 50 minutes, others run 2 to 3 hours via Swartz Bay. Check the specific sailing before you book.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Option four · five legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
Same as Option two, but a carpool instead of the rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Ÿš—PoparideHwy 4 rideshare (Nanaimo - Port Alberni - Ucluelet - Tofino)Port Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange64 kmOnly some rides take bikes โ€” look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable โ€” check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch โ†’Duncan46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressDuncan โ†’Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria)54 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 Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) to Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria), about 1.3 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / Downtownor the 72 Swartz Bay / Downtown (via Saanichton)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
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Option five · five legs
The same idea as Option two, on different routes.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Port Alberni to Port Alberni, about 0.8 km.
๐Ÿš™BudgetOne-way rental: Port Alberni โ€“ NanaimoPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo64 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches โ€” bookable onlineBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 1 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch โ†’Duncan46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan-Victoria ExpressDuncan โ†’Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria)46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / Downtownor the 72 Swartz Bay / Downtown (via Saanichton)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Option six · five legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
Another way: same as Option two, but a carpool instead of the rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐Ÿš—PoparideHwy 4 rideshare (Nanaimo - Port Alberni - Ucluelet - Tofino)Port Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange64 kmOnly some rides take bikes โ€” look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable โ€” check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch โ†’Duncan46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan-Victoria ExpressDuncan โ†’Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria)46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / Downtownor the 72 Swartz Bay / Downtown (via Saanichton)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Not an option · four legs🚫 not possible with a bike
Two coach buses, a city bus, and a ferry.
🚫  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
๐ŸšŒIsland LinkTofino Express BusPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange64 kmDoes not carry bikes
๐ŸšŒIsland LinkVictoria Express BusDowntown Nanaimo Exchange โ†’Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria)92 kmDoes not carry bikes
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / Downtownor the 72 Swartz Bay / Downtown (via Saanichton)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Not an option · five legs🚫 not possible with a bike
A coach bus, two ferries, a SkyTrain, and a city bus.
🚫  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
๐ŸšŒIsland LinkTofino Express BusPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange64 kmDoes not carry bikes
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1 km.
โ›ด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ€“ Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) โ†’CXH (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
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Bridgeport (Richmond)Roll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ŸšŽTransLink620 Bridgeport Station / Tsawwassen FerryBridgeport (Richmond) โ†’Tsawwassen (Delta)22 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
The 620 is year-round, roughly hourly, timed to sailings, with two bike-rack spots. On busy summer ferry days the seasonal 900 Bike Bus can carry an extra 10 bikes.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesTsawwassen โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsTsawwassen (Delta) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)32 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
Sailing times vary a lot by routing: some trips are about 50 minutes, others run 2 to 3 hours via Swartz Bay. Check the specific sailing before you book.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Not an option · five legs🚫 not possible with a bike
A coach bus, three city buses, and a ferry.
🚫  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
๐ŸšŒIsland LinkTofino Express BusPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange64 kmDoes not carry bikes
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch โ†’Duncan46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressDuncan โ†’Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria)54 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 Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) to Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria), about 1.3 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / Downtownor the 72 Swartz Bay / Downtown (via Saanichton)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Not an option · five legs🚫 not possible with a bike
Another way: a coach bus, three city buses, and a ferry.
🚫  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
๐ŸšŒIsland LinkTofino Express BusPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange64 kmDoes not carry bikes
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch โ†’Duncan46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan-Victoria ExpressDuncan โ†’Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria)46 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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / DowntownDouglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne Island).
Option 11 · five legs✈ the splurge
The long way round, but it works.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Port Alberni to Port Alberni, about 0.8 km.
๐Ÿš™BudgetOne-way rental: Port Alberni โ€“ NanaimoPort Alberni โ†’Downtown Nanaimo64 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches โ€” bookable onlineBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Nanaimo Harbour, about 1.2 km.
๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ€“ Nanaimo HarbourNanaimo Harbour โ†’CXH (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
๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ€“ Victoria HarbourCXH (Vancouver) โ†’Victoria Belleville Terminal98 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
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Victoria Belleville Terminal to Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria), about 0.7 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 Swartz Bay / DowntownDouglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) โ†’Swartz Bay (North Saanich)29 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesSwartz Bay โ€“ Southern Gulf IslandsSwartz Bay (North Saanich) โ†’Village Bay (Mayne Island)19 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Village Bay (Mayne 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: Mayne Island to Port Alberni (best: ferry + bus + rental car)

Connections from Port Alberni: Hornby Island (best: rental car + carpool + bus) · Saturna Island (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain) · West Kelowna (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain)

Connections from Mayne Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Maple Ridge (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Enderby (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · New Hazelton (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Port Alberni and Mayne Island