Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

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aooleary
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Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by aooleary »

Hi, Eurostar's bike policy for their South of France trains is:
"Our Lyon-South of France route
We’re not able to accept non-folding bikes or those over 85cm long on Eurostar trains between London or Ashford and Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, but we can arrange for your bike to be picked up and delivered at your destination with our partner First Luggage. As a Eurostar traveller, you’ll get an exclusive discount."
(from: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-in ... gage/bikes)
I contacted First Luggage and received the following quote:
"For this service your bike will need to be in a bike box or in a bike bag
• From your home in the UK to Avignon address is £100.00 each way for a 3-5 day service
• From your home in the UK to Avignon address is £232.00 each way for a 2 day service"
(this was to Avignon, other South of France destinations may be different)
I also clarified with Eurostar that they will not accept a bike in a box on these trains. CTC have promised to raise this with eurostar in their next meeting (thanks CTC!) but I'm wondering if anyone has anything to add to this or perhaps has showed up to a South of France train with a really large suitcase (say the size of a bike box but that is not a bike box) and been allowed on/turned away?
Thanks!
millimole
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by millimole »

You might consider Eurostar to Lille and then SNCF from Lille to the South.
On the return journey you will be disembarking at Lille anyway with Eurostar
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robgul
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by robgul »

millimole wrote:You might consider Eurostar to Lille and then SNCF from Lille to the South.
On the return journey you will be disembarking at Lille anyway with Eurostar


That's the answer - and Capitaine Train will tell you which TGV trains take bikes and let you book them too ... BUT when I last looked the Lille to Avignon direct and Paris to Avignon/Marseille TGVs didn't take wheel on bikes.

As mentioned the journey TO the S of France from St Pancras is fantastic - stops a couple of times and direct to Marseille. BUT on the return Marseille etc to St Pancras you have to leave the train at Lille with all luggage, go through UK immigration and get back on the same train ... takes about 75 minutes. A real PITA.

We came back from Marseille this year, sans bikes, on the TGV to Lille and then got the almost immediate connection to a Eurostar that had come from Brussels. The direct S of France return is pretty late getting into St Pancras so much so that we wouldn't have been able to get home to Stratford-upon-Avon the same day.

Hint : It's also cheaper to get the TGV/Eurostar combo if you shop early for tickets - TGV ticket pricing is mad ... first class often costs less than second!

Rob

ADDENDUM : My post pre-supposes that the Eurostar wheel-on transport will continue .... that remains uncertain despite CTC's fatuous claims about "forcing a policy change" when Eurostar said it was going to only take boxed bikes.
My money is on a VERY limited capacity wheel-on service for the moment, diminishing as the new rolling stock (with no real storage facility) is phased in ... and then just boxed bikes.
Last edited by robgul on 26 Dec 2015, 11:59am, edited 1 time in total.
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Barrenfluffit
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by Barrenfluffit »

The First Luggage rates for 3-5 day service looks like courier rates are a viable alternative.
andymiller
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by andymiller »

robgul wrote:ADDENDUM : My post pre-supposes that the Eurostar wheel-on transport will continue .... that remains uncertain despite CTC's fatuous claims about "forcing a policy change" when Eurostar said it was going to only take boxed bikes.
My money is on a VERY limited capacity wheel-on service for the moment, diminishing as the new rolling stock (with no real storage facility) is phased in ... and then just boxed bikes.


I booked a place, yesterday, on eurostar London to Paris in April and I was given a choice of putting my bike in a box or taking it 'undismantled'. So I don't know whether eurostar have back-pedalled (if only a bit, and temporarily pending new rolling stock) or whether there was some miscommunication to start with.

If you are going to the South of France your choice really boils down to biting the bullet and putting your bike in a bag so you can take the service from Lille Europe, or taking the sleeper from Paris Austerlitz to Marseille (it continues on to Nice) and then taking a local train back from Marseille. SFAIK the sleeper train is the only bike-friendly long-distance service on that line.

I'm always a little nervous about recommending night trains as the number of services are being reduced year by year, but according to bahn.co.uk the service still exists. (Which reminds me of a quick point about Capitaine Train which is that it only shows services for which tickets are available - tickets for night trains are often released a few weeks after tickets for day trains so these may not appear on the Capitaine Train search results).
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robgul
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by robgul »

andymiller wrote:
robgul wrote:ADDENDUM : My post pre-supposes that the Eurostar wheel-on transport will continue .... that remains uncertain despite CTC's fatuous claims about "forcing a policy change" when Eurostar said it was going to only take boxed bikes.
My money is on a VERY limited capacity wheel-on service for the moment, diminishing as the new rolling stock (with no real storage facility) is phased in ... and then just boxed bikes.


I booked a place, yesterday, on eurostar London to Paris in April and I was given a choice of putting my bike in a box or taking it 'undismantled'. So I don't know whether eurostar have back-pedalled (if only a bit, and temporarily pending new rolling stock) or whether there was some miscommunication to start with.

If you are going to the South of France your choice really boils down to biting the bullet and putting your bike in a bag so you can take the service from Lille Europe, or taking the sleeper from Paris Austerlitz to Marseille (it continues on to Nice) and then taking a local train back from Marseille. SFAIK the sleeper train is the only bike-friendly long-distance service on that line.

I'm always a little nervous about recommending night trains as the number of services are being reduced year by year, but according to bahn.co.uk the service still exists. (Which reminds me of a quick point about Capitaine Train which is that it only shows services for which tickets are available - tickets for night trains are often released a few weeks after tickets for day trains so these may not appear on the Capitaine Train search results).


I understand from a friend who has a business refurbishing existing/original rolling stock - starting sometime this year - as it's taken out of service and replaced on a phased basis with new stuff. It then seems that a phased change to bike carriage would be possible as long as they know which rolling stock is used for which service/time.

Rob
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aooleary
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by aooleary »

Thanks all, I'll see what I can figure out. I don't mind putting my bike in a box so probably the eurostar to Lille and then TGV sounds like the way to go.
roubaixtuesday
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Much as I would far rather use the train, for me the inescapable conclusion is that it is *much* easier to fly. The possibility of being separated from bike is just too high.
andymiller
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by andymiller »

BrianFox wrote:Much as I would far rather use the train, for me the inescapable conclusion is that it is *much* easier to fly. The possibility of being separated from bike is just too high.


I could think of lots of reasons why you might not want to take the train, instead of flying, but the risk of being separated from your bike isn't obviously one of them. Yes there's a risk the eurodispatch guys might put your bike on the wrong train, but in comparison with the risk of your bike being lost or damaged by airport baggage handlers, the risks on eurostar — one company with three destinations — must be smaller. Ditto sending it with their euroluggage service (or whatever it's called). While taking it in a bag on the TGV isn't by any means guaranteed problem-free, the chances of you yourself putting it on the wrong train must be pretty slim.
Last edited by andymiller on 8 Jan 2016, 7:58pm, edited 2 times in total.
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mjr
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by mjr »

BrianFox wrote:Much as I would far rather use the train, for me the inescapable conclusion is that it is *much* easier to fly. The possibility of being separated from bike is just too high.

Really? Which airlines let you wheel your bike on?

My next international trip taking the bike will be by ferry - booked during the uncertainty a few months ago. And I hate boats. Damn you, Eurostar! ;-)
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roubaixtuesday
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Well, the last international journey I did with my bike was to Valence for the Ardechoise.

There's a mainline station 5 minutes from where I live.

To do it by train I needed to get to Euston, transfer to st Pancras, eurostar, then cross paris and TGV.

Three journeys, three different bike policies, all bar the first need bike in a bag to guarantee having it on the same train as you, TGV explicitly doesn't guarantee you getting your bike off with you. And of course you have to ticket with different companies so if you miss a connection you don't have a valid ticket.

Flying alternative: fly to Geneva, hire car, share costs with companions, cheaper and zero hassle.

I once flew with a bike to queenstown nz. Four flights, no problem. Train companies just don't care I'm afraid.

I'm not sure what companies still allow roll on bikes, I've seen someone do it with sas recently, but roll on bikes on international trains is a non starter as far as I can see.
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robgul
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by robgul »

BrianFox wrote:Well, the last international journey I did with my bike was to Valence for the Ardechoise.

There's a mainline station 5 minutes from where I live.

To do it by train I needed to get to Euston, transfer to st Pancras, eurostar, then cross paris and TGV.

Three journeys, three different bike policies, all bar the first need bike in a bag to guarantee having it on the same train as you, TGV explicitly doesn't guarantee you getting your bike off with you. And of course you have to ticket with different companies so if you miss a connection you don't have a valid ticket.

Flying alternative: fly to Geneva, hire car, share costs with companions, cheaper and zero hassle.

I once flew with a bike to queenstown nz. Four flights, no problem. Train companies just don't care I'm afraid.

I'm not sure what companies still allow roll on bikes, I've seen someone do it with sas recently, but roll on bikes on international trains is a non starter as far as I can see.


Wrong on so many counts - but then you seem to be adamant .....

Rob
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roubaixtuesday
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by roubaixtuesday »

robgul wrote:Wrong on so many counts - but then you seem to be adamant .....

Rob


Not adamant at all Rob. I spent hours researching this journey by train and gave up in frustration before spending all of about 30 minutes booking the whole thing by air and car.

So please, rather than assert that I'm wrong, help me. I'm 5 minutes from a mainline station (wilmslow) which gets me to Euston in 2 hours. I want to get to Valence, on a tgv line. Couldn't really be more convenient.

Tell me how to do this by train in a cheaper or more convenient way than flying to Geneva and driving a hire car. For 2-4 people.

Genuinely, I'd love to do our again by train.
andymiller
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by andymiller »

BrianFox wrote:Well, the last international journey I did with my bike was to Valence for the Ardechoise.

There's a mainline station 5 minutes from where I live.

To do it by train I needed to get to Euston, transfer to st Pancras, eurostar, then cross paris and TGV.

Three journeys, three different bike policies, all bar the first need bike in a bag to guarantee having it on the same train as you, TGV explicitly doesn't guarantee you getting your bike off with you. And of course you have to ticket with different companies so if you miss a connection you don't have a valid ticket.

Flying alternative: fly to Geneva, hire car, share costs with companions, cheaper and zero hassle.

I once flew with a bike to queenstown nz. Four flights, no problem. Train companies just don't care I'm afraid.

I'm not sure what companies still allow roll on bikes, I've seen someone do it with sas recently, but roll on bikes on international trains is a non starter as far as I can see.


I've made at least a couple of dozen international journeys by train, without anyone losing or damaging my bike.

On eurostar you can book a place on the same train as you. Provided you turn up in good time your bike will go on the same train. I did turn up late for one eurostar train and the bike turned up on the following train. But that was my fault.

Normally you would need to cross Paris, which admittedly can be a pain, even if it is only a couple of stops on the RER, but there is a TGV from Lille that goes direct to Marseille without going through Paris.

Travelling with your bike in a bag tends to be the only option if you are travelling by TGV to the south of France (although there is the option of going by night train). But on other TGV services (eg TGV Lyria to Switzerland or the TGV Sud-Ouest) you definitely can travel with an undismantled bike on the same train.

You have to take your bike in a bag to travel on the DeutscheBahn ICE services, but again the bag travels with you. You can travel with an undismantled bike on their night trains - including the international service from Amsterdam.

Airlines generally seem to be reasonably good at making sure your luggage arrives with you by I've seen plenty of posts from people complaining about lost or damaged bikes, and I think everyone must have met someone who has had their luggage lost by an airline. So to make out that it it risk-free isn't very credible. Whichever transport option you choose if you have to hand your luggage over to someone else and run the risk of them losing it, that risk is probably lower with eurostar than flying.

Yes the rail companies make travelling with a bike more complicated than it needs to be. And that might be a reason why you might choose to fly, but the risk of losing your bags really doesn't seem to be a valid reason for choosing to fly instead of going by train.
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Re: Eurostar South of France Trains Bike Policy

Post by nirakaro »

I’ve taken an undismantled bike on the TGV between Paris and Grenoble a couple of times (once in each direction). Both times the platform staff told me I couldn’t take it without dismantling it. Both times they were mistaken.
Anybody know if this option still exists?
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