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 flights can carry you and your bike from Victoria to Nanaimo.
For scale
As the crow flies92 km
Biking whole way164 km · 6 h 42 m
By car111 km · 1 h 25 m
We found five ways to get you there.
🎒 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
Two city buses, changing in Duncan.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressLegislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) →Duncan54 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
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 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 Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch.
Option two · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Option one, plus a city bus at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit99 SVX Shawnigan Lake - Victoria ExpressDouglas & Finlayson - Mayfair (Victoria) →Deloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay)34 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
🚎BC Transit8 Mill Bay via Telegraph Rd/Duncan via Shawnigan Lkor the 9 Mill Bay via Shawnigan Lk/Duncan via Telegraph RdDeloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay) →Duncan17 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
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 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 Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch.
Option three · three legs
Option one, plus a ferry at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲First, get from Central Victoria to YYJ (Victoria), about 25 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.
🚲Travel the short hop from YYJ (Victoria) to Brentwood Bay, about 8.5 km.
⛴️BC FerriesBrentwood Bay – Mill BayBrentwood Bay →Deloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay)12 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Daily, with fewer sailings on Sundays.
🚎BC Transit8 Mill Bay via Telegraph Rd/Duncan via Shawnigan Lkor the 9 Mill Bay via Shawnigan Lk/Duncan via Telegraph RdDeloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay) →Duncan17 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
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 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 Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch.
Option four · four legs
Option three, plus a city bus at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit75 Saanichton / Royal Oak / DowntownLegislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) →Brentwood Bay20 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
⛴️BC FerriesBrentwood Bay – Mill BayBrentwood Bay →Deloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay)12 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Daily, with fewer sailings on Sundays.
🚎BC Transit8 Mill Bay via Telegraph Rd/Duncan via Shawnigan Lkor the 9 Mill Bay via Shawnigan Lk/Duncan via Telegraph RdDeloume Park & Ride (Mill Bay) →Duncan17 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
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 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 Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch.
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Option five · two legs✈ the splurge
A splurge, but an unforgettable ride.
CarrierRideYour bike
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Victoria HarbourVictoria Belleville Terminal →CXH (Vancouver)98 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
🛩️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
🚲You arrive at Nanaimo Harbour.
Not an option · one leg🚫 not possible with a bike
One coach bus.
🚫 This chain exists, but Island Link does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌Island LinkVictoria Express Busor West Coast Trail Express (Juan de Fuca Trail route) (seasonal)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange92 kmDoes not carry bikes
Runs May 1 to September 30.
🚲You arrive at Downtown Nanaimo Exchange.
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: Nanaimo to Victoria (best: bus)
Connections from Victoria: Salt Spring Island (best: bus + ferry) · Hope (best: bus) · Williams Lake (best: bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: bus + SkyTrain + plane)
Connections from Nanaimo: Chemainus (best: bus) · Lund (best: ferry + bus) · Sicamous (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Whitehorse, YT (best: ferry + SkyTrain + plane)