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 and ferries can carry you and your bike from Qualicum Beach to Thetis Island.

For scale
As the crow flies69 km
Biking whole way99 km ยท 6 h 06 m
By car92 km ยท 1 h 36 m

We found one way 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⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A proper expedition.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽBC Transit9 IntercityRavensong Exch (Qualicum Beach) โ†’Bay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo)32 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 Transit1 Nanaimo Rapid LineBay B at Woodgrove Exch (Nanaimo) โ†’Downtown 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
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
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 Transit36 Ladysmith-Duncan ExpressDuncan โ†’Coronation Mall (Ladysmith)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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit34 Ladysmith-ChemainusCoronation Mall (Ladysmith) โ†’Pine & Daniel (North Cowichan)8.1 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 Pine & Daniel (North Cowichan) to Chemainus, about 1.3 km.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesChemainus โ€“ Thetis โ€“ PenelakutChemainus โ†’Preedy Harbour (Thetis Island)7.7 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Preedy Harbour (Thetis 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: Thetis Island to Qualicum Beach (best: ferry + bus)

Connections from Qualicum Beach: Denman Island (best: bus + carpool + ferry) · Squamish (best: bus + ferry) · Port Hardy (best: bus + rental car) · Calgary, AB (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain)

Connections from Thetis Island: Lake Cowichan (best: ferry + bus) · Langford (best: ferry + bus) · Port Alberni (best: ferry + bus + rental car) · Seattle, WA (best: ferry + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Qualicum Beach