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, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Vancouver to Port Hardy.

For scale
As the crow flies353 km
Biking whole way480 km ยท 27 h 38 m
By car504 km ยท 6 h 54 m

We found four ways to get you there.

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 · two legs
A one-way rental fills in the missing piece.
CarrierRideYour bike
โ›ด๏ธHulloHullo (Nanaimo โ€“ Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) โ†’Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)61 kmBook online ahead โ€” 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way โ€” $25 in personNo e-bikes โ€” no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
๐Ÿš™BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo โ†’YZT (Port Hardy)298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches โ€” bookable onlineBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒAt the far end, Central Port Hardy is about 10 km from YZT (Port Hardy). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.
Option two · three legs
Option one, plus a city bus at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽTransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressStadium-Chinatown (Vancouver) โ†’Horseshoe Bay17 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesHorseshoe Bay โ€“ Departure BayHorseshoe Bay โ†’Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km.
๐Ÿš™National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo โ†’YZT (Port Hardy)295 kmOne-way between Island branches โ€” no drop chargeBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒAt the far end, Central Port Hardy is about 10 km from YZT (Port Hardy). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.
Option three · three legs📅 seasonal
Option one, plus a coach bus at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
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€“ Departure BayHorseshoe Bay โ†’Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km.
๐Ÿš™National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo โ†’YZT (Port Hardy)295 kmOne-way between Island branches โ€” no drop chargeBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒAt the far end, Central Port Hardy is about 10 km from YZT (Port Hardy). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.
Option four · one leg✈ the splurge
The splurge: hop a flight.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšฒFirst, get from Vancouver to Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond), about 9 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Garden City Cabs, Kimber Cabs might help.
โœˆ๏ธPacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver โ€“ Port HardyVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) โ†’YZT (Port Hardy)343 kmRides in the hold โ€” small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
๐ŸšฒAt the far end, Central Port Hardy is about 10 km from YZT (Port Hardy). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.
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: Port Hardy to Vancouver (best: rental car + ferry)

Connections from Vancouver: Gibsons (best: bus + ferry) · Comox (best: bus + ferry) · Trail (best: bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: plane)

Connections from Port Hardy: Port McNeill (best: bus) · Richmond (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain) · Hope (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain) · Whitehorse, YT (best: rental car + ferry + SkyTrain)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Vancouver and Port Hardy