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, trains and flights can carry you and your bike from Whistler to Gabriola Island.
For scale
As the crow flies123 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car245 km · 4 h 51 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 · four legs📅 seasonal
The coach takes care of the long stretch.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌YVR SkylynxVancouver – Whistleror Whistler Shuttle (Vancouver – Whistler)Gateway Loop / Village (Whistler) →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)106 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxedFirst bike freeReserve ahead — Squamish is reservation-only
Summer service April 18 to November 21; Squamish is a reservation-only stop.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →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 · four legs📅 seasonal
Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the SkyTrain.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚌YVR SkylynxVancouver – WhistlerGateway Loop / Village (Whistler) →Adventure Centre (Squamish)48 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxedFirst bike freeReserve ahead — Squamish is reservation-only
Summer service April 18 to November 21; Squamish is a reservation-only stop.
🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverAdventure Centre (Squamish) →Vancouver Canada Place63 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack — otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km.
⛴️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.
⛴️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
The scenic splurge: a floatplane over the water.
CarrierRideYour bike
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – WhistlerGreen Lake (Whistler) →CXH (Vancouver)96 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
⛴️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 Whistler (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Connections from Whistler: Squamish (best: bus) · Saturna Island (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Armstrong (best: bus + SkyTrain) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + SkyTrain + train)
Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Langley (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Kelowna (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Whistler and Gabriola Island