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 can carry you and your bike from Salmo to Merritt.
For scale
As the crow flies272 km
Biking whole way496 km · 33 h 36 m
By car462 km · 5 h 11 m
We found two ways to get you there.
🎒 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 · two legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
The long way round, but it works.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Cranbrook – Calgary (weekly)Salmo →Calgary AB482 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
The only ground service between Cranbrook and Calgary; weekly, eastbound Monday and westbound Tuesday.
🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Calgary AB →Merritt551 kmRides in the hold — 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.
🚲You arrive at Merritt.
Option two · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Option one, plus a city bus at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit72 Salmo-Nelson via YmirSalmo →1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)33 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
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Vancouver1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) →Hope374 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week; hop-on hop-off along the way.
🚌EbusVancouver – Kelownaor Ebus (Vancouver – Kamloops) or Ebus (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Hope →Merritt94 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at Merritt.
Not an option · three legs🚫 not possible with a bike⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
City bus to 1680 Hwy 3A/6, coach bus to Kelowna, then a coach bus into Merritt.
🚫 This chain exists, but Silver City Stagelines does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit72 Salmo-Nelson via YmirSalmo →1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)33 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
🚌Silver City StagelinesTrail – Kelowna (Hwy 3/33)1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) →Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall)244 kmDoes not carry bikes
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaKelowna (Orchard Park Mall) →Merritt100 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at Merritt.
Not an option · three legs🚫 not possible with a bike⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A coach-bus relay: three buses, two changes.
🚫 This chain exists, but Silver City Stagelines does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌Mountain Man Mike'sKaslo – Calgaryor Mountain Man Mike's (Kaslo – Cranbrook – Calgary (weekly)) (doesn't run every day)Salmo →1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson)33 kmBikes acceptedCall for a quote — fee and packaging arranged with the booking agent
Runs once a week, continuing east into Alberta.
🚌Silver City StagelinesTrail – Kelowna (Hwy 3/33)1680 Hwy 3A/6 (Nelson) →Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall)244 kmDoes not carry bikes
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaKelowna (Orchard Park Mall) →Merritt100 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at Merritt.
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: Merritt to Salmo (best: bus)
Connections from Salmo: Castlegar (best: bus) · Calgary, AB (best: bus) · Pender Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)
Connections from Merritt: Kamloops (best: bus) · West Vancouver (best: bus) · Cortes Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)