Flying bikes back from Tirana Airport

[Andy61]

Hi,
At the beginning of September I'll ride with a group of friends (6 of us) along the Adriatic coast from Venice to Tirana. It looks a lovely route and will add the next stage in a long term plan we've had for many years to cycle all the way from the UK to Istanbul (the gateway to the east). We'll be flying back from Tirana airport so we'll need to pack up our bikes for flying them home. We've done similar one way trips in the past and have always found it fairly easy to arrange boxes or packing materials near to our return airport. This time it doesn't seem to be so easy to source what we need.
If anyone has flown a bike back from Tirana and found boxes or other packing materials locally it would be great to draw from your experiences. Thanks.

[Vorpal]

I haven't flown back from there, but there are *lots* of bike shops there.

I would just call some & ask them.

[simonhill]

First - are you all on the same plane? If so worth notifying airline (I know you have a booking for bike but they often like to be notified if a number of bikes).

Secondly which airline and what are their packing rules.

Thirdly what searching have you done. No point in me merely reiterating what you have done.

[Andy61]

Thanks for your replies.
We've found a few bike shops in central Tirana and one of our group has made contact. One place has said they can supply boxes, but is asking 20 euros per box. In many years of travelling with a bike I've never known a bike shop ask for payment for used bike boxes, but if that's what we have to do then so be it.
The ironic thing is that I don't actually need a box, my demountable frame bike will pack into a bag that I'll carry with me. The rest of the group are the ones needing boxes.
Thanks again for your replies.

[simonhill]

Certainly in Asia, you pay for bike boxes because they have scrap value and because they see them as a sellable commodity.

In UK, bike shops pay to have them taken away as rubbish so are happy to give them away. Probably the same in most of Europe.

I just bought one in Vietnam, my most expensive ever at £7 (US$9). In Thailand I normally pay about £2.

€20 (£17) in Tirana is pretty steep for what is just 'free' packaging.
.

[rareposter]

€20 (£17) in Tirana is pretty steep for what is just 'free' packaging.

The shop has to build up several bikes that may not be entirely necessary for building right that moment and then store the boxes prior to collection rather than just break them down and send them straight off to recycling.

One box - meh, not too much of an issue. Five boxes - yep, faced with the prospect of 5 people walking in, taking boxes and making zero money out of it or 5 people walking in and paying €100, I know which option I'd be putting on the table!

[Vorpal]

Thanks for your replies.
We've found a few bike shops in central Tirana and one of our group has made contact. One place has said they can supply boxes, but is asking 20 euros per box. In many years of travelling with a bike I've never known a bike shop ask for payment for used bike boxes, but if that's what we have to do then so be it.
The ironic thing is that I don't actually need a box, my demountable frame bike will pack into a bag that I'll carry with me. The rest of the group are the ones needing boxes.
Thanks again for your replies.

The alternative is likely to ask multiple shops for 1 box each, but then you have the trouble of going around collecting them.

[simonhill]

€20 (£17) in Tirana is pretty steep for what is just 'free' packaging.

The shop has to build up several bikes that may not be entirely necessary for building right that moment and then store the boxes prior to collection rather than just break them down and send them straight off to recycling.

One box - meh, not too much of an issue. Five boxes - yep, faced with the prospect of 5 people walking in, taking boxes and making zero money out of it or 5 people walking in and paying €100, I know which option I'd be putting on the table!

The trip is 6 months away so a decent bike shop will presumably sell more than 5 bikes in that time.

Often the boxes are broken down and flattened so they take up very little space.

This guy has seen an opportunity and is taking it. €100 is very steep for something he may well be paying to have taken away. Certainly expect to pay something, but that is the price for a new box at an airport.

Maybe this is the sort of shop that would charge €50 to replace a spoke because they know you are on tour and have a deadline. Personally I'd try to avoid that shop if possible.

[Andy61]

Thanks for your further replies.
Yes, we are continuing to look around at our options. At the very least we'll negotiate on the 20 euros per box.
This is why I like my demountable frame, but I'm the only one in the group with one.

[simonhill]

Don't forget that some airlines accept a large polythene bag.

Personally I prefer a cardboard bike box, but plenty on here fly using the poly bag.

[ChrisF]

I think €20 for a box is OK. I have been charged €25 in the Canaries and €30 at Nice airport.
I did fly back from Tirana a few years ago, but that was part of a CTC tour (sadly now defunct). The tour organisers arranged boxes for us.

[simonhill]

Boxes in airports are new and bought explicitly to sell to people flying by airlines or baggage services.

The bike shop boxes:

Bike box is used;
Shop has already profited on the box, it was the packaging for a bike that they sold at profit to a customer;
Certainly in UK shop has to pay for recycling collection.

I think €20 is taking the p.. Maybe €5 would be acceptable.

A bit like a supermarket charging you for an old cardboard box.

[coendejong]

Hope you don't mind me chipping in to the discussion.
We are planning something similar with a group of cyclists, end of Sep.

Was wondering what the best way to get from city center to airport would be when the bike is packed in such a box? Do taxis take you with bike and all?

And these polyester bags, what brand is good? Any recommendations? Is it always allowed or can airports / airlines refuse these?

[WEBH]

Just a thought, but instead of buying a specific actual bike box, you could get a bundle of cardboard from virtually anywhere, some tape and just wrap the bike up securely in that.
At least, that's what I did last year, found a load of cardboard left out for the bin men and used that. I've found bike boxes can often be sized for quite specific/small bikes...

[mattsccm]

Do these boxes actually have a value where you are going? May justify the cost. Here they are rubbish, else where maybe not.