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 Thetis Island to Duncan (Cowichan Valley).

For scale
As the crow flies23 km
Biking whole way28 km ยท 1 h 46 m
By car27 km ยท 53 m

We found two ways 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 · two legs
Ferry to Chemainus, then a city bus into Duncan.
CarrierRideYour bike
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesChemainus โ€“ Thetis โ€“ PenelakutPreedy Harbour (Thetis Island) โ†’Chemainus6.7 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšŽBC Transit6 Crofton-ChemainusChemainus โ†’Duncan20 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
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Duncan.
Option two · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Option one, plus a city bus at the finish.
CarrierRideYour bike
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesChemainus โ€“ Thetis โ€“ PenelakutPreedy Harbour (Thetis Island) โ†’Chemainus6.7 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Chemainus to Pine & Daniel (Chemainus), about 0.9 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit34 Ladysmith-ChemainusPine & Daniel (Chemainus) โ†’Coronation Mall (Ladysmith)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
๐ŸšŽBC Transit36 Ladysmith-Duncan ExpressCoronation Mall (Ladysmith) โ†’Duncan24 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
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Duncan.
Route facts last checked October 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 Something wrong or out of date?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: Duncan (Cowichan Valley) to Thetis Island (best: bus + ferry)

Connections from Thetis Island: Mayne Island (best: ferry + bus) · Langford (best: ferry + bus) · Coquitlam (best: ferry + bus + SkyTrain) · Port Hardy (best: ferry + bus + rental car)

Connections from Duncan (Cowichan Valley): Galiano Island (best: bus + ferry) · Courtenay (Comox Valley) (best: bus + carpool) · Sorrento (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Duncan (Cowichan Valley)