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 Shearwater to West Kelowna.
For scale
As the crow flies645 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car1,053 km · 17 h 39 m
We found four ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.
🎒 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📅 seasonal
Four ways to travel, one destination.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.
🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel 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.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel 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.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →West Kelowna319 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at West Kelowna.
Option two · six legs📅 seasonal
A one-way rental fills in the missing piece.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo295 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), about 1.3 km.
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Horseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverHorseshoe Bay →Vancouver Canada Place16 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack — otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →West Kelowna319 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at West Kelowna.
Option three · six legs📅 seasonal
Beautiful BC from a coach window.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo295 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), about 1.3 km.
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Horseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Surrey21 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaSurrey →West Kelowna299 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at West Kelowna.
Option four · four legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A ferry, two flights, and a city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesCentral Coast ConnectorShearwater (Denny Island) →McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
About one run a week: Wednesday out from Bella Coola, Thursday or Friday back from Shearwater.
🚲Travel the short hop from McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella) to ZEL (Bella Bella), about 0.9 km.
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Bella BellaZEL (Bella Bella) →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)480 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – PentictonVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →YYF (Penticton)262 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
🚲Travel the short hop from YYF (Penticton) to Duncan & Main (Plaza) (Penticton), about 2.6 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Klassic Taxi, Penticton Eco Taxi might help.
🚎BC Transit70 Kelowna / PentictonDuncan & Main (Plaza) (Penticton) →West Kelowna40 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
🚲You arrive at West Kelowna.
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: West Kelowna to Shearwater (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry)
Connections from Shearwater: Ocean Falls (best: ferry) · Ucluelet (best: ferry + rental car + carpool) · Surrey (best: ferry + rental car + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + bus)
Connections from West Kelowna: Penticton (best: bus) · Whistler (best: bus + SkyTrain) · Nanaimo (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)
Check out BC Bike Stops in West Kelowna