Taking bikes on trains in France

[3spd]

I'm considering on getting to France by the Chunnel and then travelling on by train and then cycling back to the Chunnel, due to limited time.
Is It a simple task taking bikes on trains in France?

[al_yrpal]

Only certain trains take bikes. My advice is book your journeys on the internet before you go on a site like this. http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/?PREX=T_L ... &ectrans=1

Al

[robgul]

In my experience as a crude rule of thumb is that :

- MOST local (TER etc) trains will take bikes - just wheel it on.

- MOST TGV trains will only take bikes as luggage in a bag - called a housse (with size restrictions that mean some bike dismantling)

- SOME TGV trains (an increasing number) will take bikes - WITH A BOOKING - wheel it into the special compartment

If you book tickets through www.capitainetrain.com (rather than Rail Europe, or now it's called SNCF something) you can book bikes on TGVs that take them, and other trains.

If you're using the tunnel I assume you know about Eurotunnel's Bike Service ... mini-bus and trailer that takes you from Folkestone to Calais on le Shuttle (runs twice a day, very good - we've used it several times)

AND if you want to go from London to Paris or v-v the Eurostar service from St Pancras works well - again with a booking - no dismantling required.

Rob

[nirakaro]

I read somewhere that it's better to ride the twenty-odd miles to Boulogne, where it'e easier to get a regional train.

[slowpeddler]

In reality, you can book a TGV up to an hour before the train departs.(Their IT systems are so good) I usualy book the night before at the station. I might be lucky but I've always wheeled the bike straight onto a TGV. You pay about 10 euro a trip on the TGV for the bike but it might be more now.

If you have the white hair and a certain age, the magic words "je suis senior" always gets you the 30% discount. No one has ever asked my age or for my passport.

When you book, also try asking for a "tarif bleu" and get the extra off peak discount. If you can't get it,well its one of those things but the definition of off peak in France is much more user friendly than the UK. I've got the senior discount and the off peak on an 8.30 morning train as it was considered off peak, OK, it wasn't TGV but it was a regional express and went pretty damm quick.(no bike fee on these trains and they go up to 140mph)

I just get the ferry to France and buy the ticket at the station, I don't consider there is a need to use the internet thingy, I preload a euro card before I go and pay at the station as and when I need to.

They don't call the bike "the little princess" for nothing in France, the whole procedure is just so relaxing.
John

[jamesgilbert]

In reality, you can book a TGV up to an hour before the train departs.(Their IT systems are so good) I usualy book the night before at the station. I might be lucky but I've always wheeled the bike straight onto a TGV. You pay about 10 euro a trip on the TGV for the bike but it might be more now.

That could be quite an expensive way of doing things, TGV tickets are substantially cheaper if booked well in advance. Also, as mentioned above, some TGVs do not have any room for bikes. On TGVs that do accept bikes, there are usually only 6 spaces which can get booked up early on busy routes. I'd recommend the Capitaine Train website, the prices are the same as the SNCF website and it's very easy to use.

The "tarif bleu" reductions only apply to the slower trains (called TER and Intercités), here are the current off-peak times: http://aide.voyages-sncf.com/files/aide ... y_2015.pdf For these trains I agree that it's easiest to just turn up at the station and buy the ticket on the day, although there are also slower trains that don't accept bikes!

[bg]

I would add that you may find it easier to put your bike in the car go through the tunnel and drive to the area you want to tour. Find a campsite or somewhere safe to leave your car. I have done this numerous times.

[ANTONISH]

There is a cycle shuttle through the tunnel - only two each way per day. I think it goes from the "Chunnel" offices in Ashford. The times don't really allow for a decent day trip. TER services from Calais have free bike spaces - no need to book- six per train. I don't see the need to ride to Boulogne.
I've travelled on TGV using a bike bag - light home made using foam padding and bubblewrap etc. You need to get it down to the maximum dimensions (I think 120 x 90).
I carried the bag on tour and bought some padding from a "bricolage" on the return. It's a bit of a pain to have to partially dismantle and reassemble the bike but time is generally not of the essence and this method gives flexibility.
Eurostar have prevented this by reducing the dimensions.
Last year I travelled on the Night service (I hear this is being discontinued) and TGV with my touring bike on pre booked bike space.
I've not tried Capitainetrain yet but it seems a good system - could have saved me a trek to the SNCF office in London as I couldn't book bike space on line.

[Ned Ludd]

It might be worth noting that Calais has two stations and they're not that close to each other. could be the difference between catching the ferry or eurostar or missing it.....
I mention this because when we booked a ticket to strasbourg over the phone last year they didnt tell us the station we needed wasn't the obvious one near the ferry port and it took us a while to realise we weren't at the right station. luckily we'd factored in lots of time for this sort of problem, but we could easily have missed our train!

[ANTONISH]

You can get a train from Calais ville (nearest the ferry) to Calais Frethun - Frethun is the station for most long distance TGV etc.
Some of us remember the old Maritime stations where one could get on a train at the port.