Getting bikes to starting point/ ferry port

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philjtoh
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Joined: 16 Jun 2015, 1:16pm

Getting bikes to starting point/ ferry port

Post by philjtoh »

Due to shortage of time I'd like to plan our upcoming French ride - Roscoff to St Malo - without lengthy riding in the UK (i.e. the UK leg would be Poole to Plymouth, which would be pleasant but unfortunately will have to be a different trip) How to get 4 blokes with bikes from Poole to Plymouth? The train is practically via London (or maybe Basingstoke) and involves three different train companies with different cycle policies (which in any case seem to be vague and uncertain about whether we can rely on getting on). Hire a van? Probably favourite option but the vans all seem to seat only 3. Large taxi with large bike rack? Not sure they exist. Any ideas gratefully received. It seems to me that the topic might be of general interest because of the confused state of train company cycle policies. (Another trip I'd like to plan is C2C, but I live on the south coast.)
ballibeg
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Joined: 7 Jan 2013, 6:25pm

Re: Getting bikes to starting point/ ferry port

Post by ballibeg »

Look to hire a crew cab van would be an option. 6 seats and plenty of space in rear.
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al_yrpal
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Re: Getting bikes to starting point/ ferry port

Post by al_yrpal »

Easy,… ride to Pompey, alternatively, take cars to Pompey with 2 bikes each. Leave the cars in the ferry car park for £10 a day. Take Ferry to st Malo overnight, alternatively Cherbourg or Oistreum. Ride in direction of Roscoff, probably to Morlaix which is nearby. Then get the train back to St Malo (it goes via Rennes) with your bikes, easy to book the ticket office at Morlaix will fix it for you. Ferry back to Pompey, cars then home. French trains have bike racks, not on every train but most trains. Much easier than faffing about on this side of the channel. Last year I rode from St Malo to well past Morlaix, then back to Guincamp, then train back to St Malo when the heavens opened in 5 days. Quite relaxed with 70 miles some days and 45 others.

Al

Edit, there are a few places fairly near the port in Portsmouth where you can park in peoples drives cheaper than the ferry car park.
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
philjtoh
Posts: 2
Joined: 16 Jun 2015, 1:16pm

Re: Getting bikes to starting point/ ferry port

Post by philjtoh »

Thanks to both of you. The crew van is probably the best idea - I obviously hadn't browsed far enough through the van hire firms. U-drive do one although they don't have a branch in Plymouth (only Exeter) and add on a big cost for returning the van (one-way hire), but that was expected. Still do-able.

Al - I hadn't thought of doing the transfer in France but that is clearly another attractive option. Easier than you said because there is a ferry (Condor) from Poole and we live in Poole. I'll look at that too and ask the other guys.
simonhill
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Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: Getting bikes to starting point/ ferry port

Post by simonhill »

I'm in Jersey at the moment, used Condor for going to and from Guernsey. They take bikes for free. Tick the box when booking.

As an aside, I live in Essex and wanted to go to Guernsey, in the end easiest was fly Southend to Jersey, then ferry to G. As said above, easier than using trains in UK to Gatwick or Portsmouth.
dave28
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Joined: 13 May 2015, 4:43pm

Re: Getting bikes to starting point/ ferry port

Post by dave28 »

If you do finish up taking train from Morlaix to St Malo, turn up well early for your train and look for the station master or his deputy (wear white peaked hats and their office, "Chef de Gare", is down the platform to the left of the platform entrance). Ask to be escorted across the line to the island platform - the subway stairs are impossibly steep with a loaded bike. Don't just ask anyone in a uniform - train staff may well suggest that crossing the line is impossible.
If you're coming all the way back from Roscoff by train then you only have to cross the island platform when you change trains at Morlais.
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