Surrey to Gabriola Island with a bike

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 and flights can carry you and your bike from Surrey to Gabriola Island.

For scale

As the crow flies73 km

Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.

By car126 km · 3 h 16 m

We found three 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 · three legs

Mostly a boat trip, really.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkSurrey Central →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.

⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) →Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)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 Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.9 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.

⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).

Option two · three legs📅 seasonal

Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the SkyTrain.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚲First, get from Surrey to South Surrey Border (176 St & 8 Ave), about 21 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Aldergrove-Langley Taxi Ltd., Green Cab might help.

🚌Quick Shuttle (Quick Coach Lines / TRAXX)Vancouver – Seattle (SeaTac)South Surrey Border (176 St & 8 Ave) →Vancouver Canada Place46 kmBikes accepted — book as an add-on$42 USD each — about $57 CAD

Runs year-round; winter service drops to Friday–Monday only.

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🚲Travel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.9 km.

⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).

Option three · three legs✈ the splurge

Same as Option one, but a plane instead of the ferry.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚝SkyTrainTransLinkSurrey Central →Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK

🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.

🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Nanaimo HarbourCXH (Vancouver) →Nanaimo Harbour60 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee — bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter — other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking

⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola 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: Gabriola Island to Surrey (best: ferry + SkyTrain)

Connections from Surrey: Mission (best: SkyTrain + bus) · Port Alberni (best: SkyTrain + ferry + rental car) · Port McNeill (best: SkyTrain + ferry + bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: SkyTrain + train + ferry)

Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Saanich (best: ferry + bus) · Kelowna (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Surrey and Gabriola Island

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia