Caution - Verona Airport

[ubert767]

A word of caution if using Verona Airport as an exit point from Italy.
We recently completed an excellent trip along the Via Claudia Augusta and flew home from Verona with our bikes (Thorn Nomads) using the CTC plastic bag method. All went well at check-in, with the bike protection method being readily accepted.
Trouble arose because they couldn't pass the bikes through the oversized baggage X-ray scanner due to the dimension of front wheel to the top of steerer tube height ( in my case being 95 cms). They wanted us to remove the front wheels from their forks to reduce the overall height but I was reluctant and also my Pitlock skewer keys had already passed through check-in with other our baggage. We flew with Monarch and had prepared the bikes to their requirements (tyres deflated, pedals off, etc) but also removed the handlebars from the Ahead set for their added protection. We saw other bikes which were in padded travel bags and retail cardboard boxes pass through the scanner OK.
After much Italian animated phone-calling by the check-in supervisor and worry on our part, the bikes were eventually ushered through a side door bypass and safely arrived with us at Gatwick.
If using a CTC bag at Verona it may be advisable to remove the front wheel and use a fork brace.

[bikes4two]

An interesting experience - I think it is good advice to remove the front wheel in most cases for all airports as advised by the CTC in their website article.