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 West Vancouver to Nanaimo.

For scale
As the crow flies61 km
Biking whole way61 km ยท 2 h 06 m
By car61 km ยท 1 h 59 m

We found three ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.

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 · one leg
Pedal the first stretch, then let the ferries take over.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšฒFirst, get from West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, about 11 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi.
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
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Departure Bay (Nanaimo).
Option two · three legs
Mostly a boat trip, really.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŽTransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusPark Royal (West Vancouver) โ†’Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes โ€” first come, first servedE-bikes OK
โ›ด๏ธSeaBusTransLinkLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) โ†’Vancouver Canada Place3.5 kmRoll on, free โ€” bikes ride inside the cabin6 bikes per sailing at rush hour โ€” weekdays 7โ€“9:30 am and 3โ€“6:30 pm; no limit other timesE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on boardNo trailers โ€” 185 cm max bike length
Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.
๐ŸšฒTravel 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.
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
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way).
Option three · two legs📅 seasonal
Option one, plus a coach bus at the start.
CarrierRideYour bike
๐ŸšŒSquamish ConnectorSquamish โ€“ VancouverPark Royal (West Vancouver) โ†’Vancouver Canada Place5 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.
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.
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
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way).
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: Nanaimo to West Vancouver (best: ferry)

Connections from West Vancouver: Maple Ridge (best: bus + SeaBus + SkyTrain) · Hope (best: bus) · Clearwater (best: bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: ferry + rental car)

Connections from Nanaimo: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: bus) · Comox (best: rental car) · Vernon (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in West Vancouver and Nanaimo