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 and trains can carry you and your bike from Salmon Arm to Bowen Island.

For scale
As the crow flies325 km
Biking whole way515 km ยท 33 h 59 m
By car488 km ยท 5 h 17 m

We found three 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 · three legs
Grab a window seat, the scenery's included.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒRider ExpressVancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1)Hudson Ave NE & 6 St NE (Salmon Arm) โ†’Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)391 kmRides in the hold โ€” bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike โ€” non-refundable
๐ŸšŽTransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) โ†’Horseshoe Bay19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ€“ Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay โ†’Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option two · four legs📅 seasonal
SkyTrain helps connect the dots.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒEbusVancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver โ€“ Calgary)Hudson Ave NE & 6 St NE (Salmon Arm) โ†’Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)393 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.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) โ†’Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ŸšŒSquamish ConnectorSquamish โ€“ VancouverVancouver Canada Place โ†’Horseshoe Bay16 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.
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ€“ Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay โ†’Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen Island).
Option three · six legs
The coach takes care of the long stretch.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒEbusVancouver โ€“ Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver โ€“ Calgary)Hudson Ave NE & 6 St NE (Salmon Arm) โ†’Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)393 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.
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkPacific Central Station (Vancouver) โ†’Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
โ›ด๏ธSeaBusTransLinkVancouver Canada Place โ†’Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver)3.5 kmRoll on, free โ€” bikes ride inside the cabin6 bikes per sailing at rush hour โ€” weekdays 7โ€“9:30 am and 3โ€“6:30 pm; no limit other timesE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on boardNo trailers โ€” 185 cm max bike length
Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.
๐ŸšŽTransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) โ†’Park Royal (West Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
๐ŸšŽTransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) โ†’Horseshoe Bay11 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ€“ Snug Cove (Bowen)Horseshoe Bay โ†’Snug Cove (Bowen Island)3.7 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Snug Cove (Bowen 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: Bowen Island to Salmon Arm (best: ferry + bus)

Connections from Salmon Arm: Chase (best: bus) · Squamish (best: bus + SkyTrain) · Powell River (best: bus + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)

Connections from Bowen Island: Sechelt (best: ferry + bus) · Victoria (best: ferry + bus) · Enderby (best: ferry + bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: ferry + rental car)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Salmon Arm and Bowen Island