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

For scale
As the crow flies147 km
Biking whole way200 km ยท 10 h 30 m
By car315 km ยท 5 h 08 m

We found three ways to get you there.

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 · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Commute like a local on the West Coast Express.
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†West Coast ExpressTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Port Coquitlam Station28 kmRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carWeekdays only โ€” peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
Option two · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule📱 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†West Coast ExpressTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Port Coquitlam Station28 kmRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carWeekdays only โ€” peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
Not an option · three legs🚫 not possible with a bike⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Coach bus to Nanaimo, ferry to Vancouver, then a train into Port Coquitlam.
🚫  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†West Coast ExpressTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Port Coquitlam Station28 kmRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carWeekdays only โ€” peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
Not an option · five legs🚫 not possible with a bike📅 seasonal⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Two coach buses, a city bus, a ferry, and a train.
🚫  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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / Doveror the 25 Ferry ShuttleDowntown Nanaimo Exchange โ†’Departure 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
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ€“ Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) โ†’Horseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšŒSquamish ConnectorSquamish โ€“ VancouverHorseshoe Bay โ†’Vancouver Canada Place16 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack โ€” otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
๐Ÿš†West Coast ExpressTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Port Coquitlam Station28 kmRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carWeekdays only โ€” peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
Option five · three legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Same as Option one, but a plane instead of the ferry.
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
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
๐Ÿš†West Coast ExpressTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Port Coquitlam Station28 kmRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carWeekdays only โ€” peak direction only
Weekdays only, peak direction only: five trains toward Vancouver in the morning, five back in the evening.
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Port Coquitlam Station.
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: Port Coquitlam to Port Alberni (best: train + ferry + rental car)

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

Connections from Port Coquitlam: Mission (best: train) · Texada Island (best: train + bus + ferry) · Port McNeill (best: train + ferry + bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: train + ferry + rental car)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Port Alberni and Port Coquitlam