How do I get to St Malo from US?

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mjr
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by mjr »

iviehoff wrote:Since it is now illegal to cycle on the A120 in the immediate vicinity of Stansted, you have to use Dunmow Rd to Takeley and then Parsonage Road to the airport[...]But unfortunately the major M11 junction is not avoidable by any practical route.

Why is the route via Birchanger and NCR16 over the M11, then the cycleway alongside Long Border Road not practical?

Back to the original question: I'd fly direct into Paris CDG and then take trains to St Malo. If determined to do LHR-Plymouth-ferry, then I'd take one of the Paddington services (Connect if not in enough of a hurry to pay the stonking Express fair), and book a bike ticket for a Great Western Plymouth service.
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by Vorpal »

The approach road to Stansted is awful, but the airport can be accessed in any direction by bicycle.

The route from Takely is reasonable. I haven't used the route mjr mentions, but it is visible on Google maps.

I have taken an unpacked bicycle on the Stansted express. I asked, and they were quite nice about it (perhaps exercising discretion), but their policy states that bicycles must be packed in a bag or box and carried as luggage.
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PJ520
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by PJ520 »

Oh my. It does get complicated. On my own I'd go to LHR and take my chances with another airport or ferry BUT this is a once in a lifetime thing and it wouldn't be fair on the Mrs catching and potentially missing buses etc., especially after a transatlantic flight when you're feeling like mice have made a home between your ears so I think I'll bite the bullet, pay the AF charges and go to CDG. I was hoping AF would be a bit special (BA is excellent I've used them several times) so you've saved me that disappointment, perhaps I was remembering old Concorde ads. Thanks again guys.
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TonyR
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by TonyR »

I really would recommend going BA. Its no problem. Arrive Heathrow Terminal 5 and transfer to the Paris flight leaving from Terminal 5. The only hassle is clearing immigration, collecting your luggage, clearing customs and checking it back in at the transfer desk. But you're going to need to do that anyway in either Heathrow or Paris. Much better airline and save you $600 on bike charges.
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by Vorpal »

I add my recommendation to fly BA. I've flown them several times with my bike, and they've been absolutely brilliant. One time when I was packing up my bike, I even had a desk agent, completely unasked, go out of her way to bring me tape (tape gun!) and scissors, and ask if I needed any assistance.
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TonyR
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by TonyR »

Vorpal wrote:I add my recommendation to fly BA. I've flown them several times with my bike, and they've been absolutely brilliant. One time when I was packing up my bike, I even had a desk agent, completely unasked, go out of her way to bring me tape (tape gun!) and scissors, and ask if I needed any assistance.


They also don't require you to go through the pointless exercise of letting your tyres down with the associate faff of having to pump them back up again at the other end.
PJ520
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by PJ520 »

Can I get a flight to CDG from LHR? (For those who want to appear knowledgeable about airport codes etc here's a link https://www.world-airport-codes.com/) I'll have to talk to BA I suppose about booking through. I had that chore of getting my bags, including bike, going through customs and rechecking them when I went to SEA via SFO. A bit of a pain but not the end of the earth. I like the idea of saving $600, got much better uses for it. And thanks yet again.
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TonyR
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by TonyR »

Pete Jack wrote:Can I get a flight to CDG from LHR?


Yes, regular BA flights leave from the same terminal.
simonhill
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by simonhill »

I'm sure you can check your luggage all the way through. Just buy your ticket to France not UK.

Not sure about immigration. You may have to clear in UK or wait till France. As France is Schengen and UK not, there must be provision for in transit transfer. This sort of thing is nothing unusual. I fly through Dubai regularly and just stay in transit.

Also recently flew internationallly into Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur with connecting internal flights.. Cleared immi inside airport in transit and luggage was booked through. It was identified at my final (internal) airport where there was a Customs Officer to clear it.
nez
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by nez »

It's only 100k from Heathrow to Portsmouth. A night in an hotel in say Staines, a good sized bike ride to Portsmouth, then an overnight ferry...
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MrsHJ
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by MrsHJ »

+1 either for:

CDG (whichever airline works best) +TGV

Or Gatwick+train to Ports mouth and ferry.(although BA flies into Heathrow from Seattle- I've flown that route before but without bike). IF the Heathrow express takes bikes you could easily cycle from Paddington station to Waterloo station which is about 3 miles. of course you could cycle from Heathrow to Waterloo and no doubt someone else can advise on routes as it's very built up around there.

TGV trains vary so call the SNCF people (there's a number for Picadilly in London and I'm sure others). TGV does take full size bikes on some/many services but the numbers are limited. Eg I think sometimes it's only 2bikes per train so well worth booking properly in advance which you must do any way and it's 10 euros per bike.

I'm sure the Gatwick/Portsmouth trains have changed since I took them but theybalways had a guards van for the bikes when I travelled!

Bikes on Ferrys are very easy and Brittany Ferries Does the Portmouth St Malo route- don't know if anyone else does. St Malo is a nice place to get the ferry into, I've done it a few times each way with the bike.

http://www.heathrowairport.com/commuter ... -transport Ps South west trains which is mentioned runs into Portsmouth
Last edited by MrsHJ on 10 Apr 2015, 9:25am, edited 2 times in total.
TonyR
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by TonyR »

simonhill wrote:I'm sure you can check your luggage all the way through. Just buy your ticket to France not UK.


No, you'll have to collect at Heathrow as there is no way to separate inter-EU baggage from international baggage on the onward flight so it can be handled differently for customs purposes in Paris. And as the baggage hall is after immigration at Heathrow.......
iviehoff
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by iviehoff »

mjr wrote:
iviehoff wrote:Since it is now illegal to cycle on the A120 in the immediate vicinity of Stansted, you have to use Dunmow Rd to Takeley and then Parsonage Road to the airport[...]But unfortunately the major M11 junction is not avoidable by any practical route.

Why is the route via Birchanger and NCR16 over the M11, then the cycleway alongside Long Border Road not practical?

Only because I'm unaware of it, and because you can only see the cycle lane connection from the track over the motorway to Long Border Road on the satellite photo, not the map.
iviehoff
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Re: How do I get to St Malo from US?

Post by iviehoff »

Vorpal wrote:I have taken an unpacked bicycle on the Stansted express. I asked, and they were quite nice about it (perhaps exercising discretion), but their policy states that bicycles must be packed in a bag or box and carried as luggage.

This was true when National Express ran Stansted Express. But now it is run by Dutch cycle-friendly Abellio instead. "Abellio Greater Anglia has committed to a significant programme of investment in cycle facilities across its network, and champions the cause of cycling as a sustainable means to access the railway." Notice, carefully drafted to exclude mention of actually carrying bikes on trains.

The actual policy statements I can find are:
(1) On the Abellio Greater Anglia site:
"Only fully folded bikes that have been flat packed in preparation for air travel can be carried on Stansted Express services at any time."

(2) On the Stansted Express site:
"Please note, large non-folding bikes are not permitted."

Which suggests that they won't carry a full-size bicycle even flat-packed in a box. But your experience, no doubt on one of those utterly empty trains I usually find, is that they can be flexible about it.
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