Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
paieye
Posts: 81
Joined: 29 Jun 2012, 7:48pm

Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by paieye »

I am 1 of a group of 70+- year-olds that enjoy cycling on the Continent. For several years, we have been taking our own bicycles. The tours have been immensely enjoyable, apart from the ordeal of getting airlines to carry the bicycles from Britain to the Continent. We have had outright refusals to carry them, or we have found when they did carry them that the bicycles had been damaged in transit, and of course, when we accepted that we must pack the bicycles in specialist holdalls, we have been discouraged by the cost and chore of storing the holdalls, &c.

This year, we tried the formula of getting a tour-operator to choose the route, provide the bicycles, book the hotels, carry one's luggage from hotel to hotel, &c. Result: good hotels and luggage-transport, but dismal routes and even more dismal bicycles. None of us will do that again....

What is the recommended way around this ? Send one's bicycles over by freight ? Take them on Eurostar ? Hire a bicycle at one's destination ? If the latter, can one return it to a depot other than the one from which one hired it ?
JJF
Posts: 324
Joined: 17 Feb 2007, 9:14pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by JJF »

I too am one of a group of two 70+- year-olds that enjoy cycling on the Continent.

We go by train to various ferry ports then ride our own bikes onto the ferry. We have crossed Dover-Dunkirk, Harwich-Hook of H, Newhaven -Dieppe(solo), Portsmouth-St Malo, Portsmouth-Ouistreham.

On one occasion we returned by Eurostar using the procedure of checking the bikes in at Gare du Nord and collecting them at St P.

In France/Holland we have sometimes cycled from the port and sometimes continued by train.

It must be said that our tours have been in a limited area from the coast....as far as the Loire, but it's up to you how far you go.
I regard train and ferry travel very much more amenable than flying with or without a bike.
paieye
Posts: 81
Joined: 29 Jun 2012, 7:48pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by paieye »

We have been wondering about this. Do the bicycles need any packing, for example on Eurostar ?
User avatar
chris_suffolk
Posts: 738
Joined: 18 Oct 2012, 10:01pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by chris_suffolk »

When I looked, the Eurostar restrictions are quite hard to comply with (max of 85cm bike box if I recall), or book ahead and place in goods part of train, but may not arrive on same train as you. I gave up with Eurostar, and decided, if I went abroad, I would use the ferry option.
robing
Posts: 1359
Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by robing »

Have you not heard of Bike Express? Long established coach travel with trailer for bikes. Pick ups in UK and then a few routes mainly through France. Many different drop off points. All you need to do to the bike is turn handlebars 90 degrees to left.
www.bike-express.co.uk
annido
Posts: 7
Joined: 28 Jan 2015, 8:51am

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by annido »

The thing about Bike Express and the Bike Bus is that they are so incredibly expensive. Some of us are on budgets!!
FarOeuf
Posts: 441
Joined: 14 Jan 2014, 9:31pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by FarOeuf »

chris_suffolk wrote:When I looked, the Eurostar restrictions are quite hard to comply with (max of 85cm bike box if I recall), or book ahead and place in goods part of train, but may not arrive on same train as you. I gave up with Eurostar, and decided, if I went abroad, I would use the ferry option.


Eurostar is very easy. You only need to box the bike if you want to carry it onto the passenger train (the one you ride on) with you. Otherwise you take the bike to the freight depot (in the Eurostar stations) and all you need to do is take off any loose bits like water bottles and bags. That's it. Pick it up at the other end (from the freight depot) and ride away.

Booking the bike space is required, especially so in summer. There's no online booking for bikes, so you need to call the EuroDispatch number and reserve a bike space (they'll tell you when it'll arrive at the destination) and then/simultaneously book your own seat. The bike goes on a freight service, so not really important that it's a different train. Normally you drop the bike off a couple of hours before it/you leave, but you can drop it off the day before (handy if you have to overnight in a hotel before your train).

cheers,
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by pwa »

I've booked Bike Express for me, my wife and my teenage daughter to get to Provence this summer, and it was not as expensive as I had feared. Yes, a cheap flight to Nice would have been cheaper, but I don't fly. I gave up flying when the damage done by aircraft emissions became apparent. And the Bike Express option seems simpler, with less hassle. You turn up at one of their collection points, turn your handlebars sideways and let someone load your bike carefully into a covered trailer. Then you get onto the comfortable bus with lots of leg room and semi-reclining seats and read your newspaper.
simonhill
Posts: 5226
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by simonhill »

You don't say how big your group is.

One option is hiring a van and driving your bikes. You could try to get a crew van that will carry about 5 people or just a basic panel van and the rest can go at their ease, leisure and preference. If 70 plus, you presumably have plenty of time so no need to rush.

Even in a decent sized car with roof and back racks you could carry 4 or 5 bikes. I know driving isn't ideal, but it could be the best option.

If you reckon that Easyjet charge £35 each way then using a van can be cheaper if there are a few bikes.

Nonetheless, I would also think that if you use an airline like Easyjet, book your bikes then tell them you have x bikes comiing you shouldn't have a problem. I would recommend boxing your bikes as they are easier to transport and also make sure you get to check in early.
robing
Posts: 1359
Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by robing »

annido wrote:The thing about Bike Express and the Bike Bus is that they are so incredibly expensive. Some of us are on budgets!!


Really? Depends how far you go, the longer it is the better value. I think £143 one way with a pick up near me in the Midlands all tho way to Roses in Spain including ferry crossing is pretty good. How much would it cost by train and think of all the hassle.
jake
Posts: 353
Joined: 9 Feb 2007, 7:08pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by jake »

Some friends and I recently used the Eurotunnel Bike Service for the 2nd time and would highly recommend it. It is the fastest and cheapest way to get to France with a bike (£18 each way). Pick up (by minibus + trailer) is in Folkestone for an 8am or 3.30pm departure. Travel time is about 75-90 minutes and you are dropped off by the Cite de Europe shopping centre near Coquelles. The driver may even drop you at Calais Ville or Frethun (if you ask him nicely) but this is "off the record".
The amazing thing about the service is....if you have to postpone your trip for any reason then as long as you give them a little notice...your ticket is valid for a whole year from date of travel. This sounds too good to be true but the van driver confirmed it to us.
paieye
Posts: 81
Joined: 29 Jun 2012, 7:48pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by paieye »

We are at present a group of only 3, but are hoping for a 4th later this year. Thank you all for your contributions -- I feel a good deal more hopeful now of taking our own bicycles with us and finding them intact on arrival, all at a reasonable cost.
jake
Posts: 353
Joined: 9 Feb 2007, 7:08pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by jake »

The Eurotunnel service can take up to 6 people + bikes per trip. The bikes are safely strapped into the trailer using (adapted) Thule roof rack mountings.
We travelled with 4 older ladies who were using trains to get to the West coast of France for a 2 week cycling holiday.
AlisonH
Posts: 5
Joined: 9 Mar 2012, 6:56pm

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by AlisonH »

My husband & I cycled the length of the Rhine last year, from source to sea - we caught the train to Hull, ferry to Rotterdam and then trains to Oberalppass in Switzerland. Prebooked all the trains and although not cheap, 1st night's accommodation was on ferry and 2nd was on the sleeper from Utrecht to Zurich. No problems on any of the trains we used with the bikes (once we'd left the UK!).
User avatar
robgul
Posts: 3088
Joined: 8 Jan 2007, 8:40pm
Contact:

Re: Bicycles from Britain to Continent

Post by robgul »

jake wrote:The Eurotunnel service can take up to 6 people + bikes per trip. The bikes are safely strapped into the trailer using (adapted) Thule roof rack mountings.
We travelled with 4 older ladies who were using trains to get to the West coast of France for a 2 week cycling holiday.


... it's 8 bikes .... but with some prior organising the contractor can take up to about 16 with a minibus for the people and van for the bikes (we did 15 last year as one trip)
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
Post Reply