Etape logistics

popette

steerpike wrote:

Kléber wrote:

I think there's a bus between the TGV station and the town centre:
http://www.ladrome.fr/uploads/media/dro ... nceTGV.pdf

Don't take a Brompton, with a soft bag you will be fine on the trains. The route is spectacular and you will need a range of gears for the terrain, whether it's the fast descents, the gorges near Nyons or the infamous climb up Ventoux.

I've just had a look at Eurostar and they do a Registered Baggage service for £20 - but only between London and Paris (I change at Paris for a TGV to Valence). Would a soft bag be too large (I'm guessing yes!) to take on as 'hand' luggage?

Before I booked my tickets, I spoke to eurostar and they told me that each person can take 2 suitcases onto the train to be stored in the luggage area in the carriage. So you could take your bike bag and a further bag or suitcase.

Kléber

You can take a bike so long as its wrapped. A double wheel bag and some bubble wrap has worked in the past. The registered baggage service is to be avoided, they take your bike by freight and your bike can get damaged. At the Parisian end the depot suffers from pilfering with people opening up luggage to steal things, people have posted on this forum before to tell of missing bike parts, even wheels being taken. Avoid.

steerpike

thanks Guys - useful tips.

xio

We're doing the Eurostar/TGV thing to Avignon changing at Lille (as it's a much easier change than Paris even if it takes slightly longer) - worked out at £109 return each. I asked about bikes - they seem to want to charge, but if it's in a box then it's a suitcase and is allowable (I'm told). We (there's 3 of us) have ended up hiring 2 cars, one to leave at each end and are staying in Orange which is somewhere in the middle. At least we can set our own timetable that way, which we're hoping will be a lot better than the farce that was sports tours last year - it's also a lot cheaper.

jhop

Some of these tour operators 'add no value' charge quite a bit and often seem to get things wrong.

I have found that going with friends and arranging everything yourselves a fantastic experience and as xio points out it enables flexibility and independence.

steerpike

xio wrote:

We're doing the Eurostar/TGV thing to Avignon changing at Lille (as it's a much easier change than Paris even if it takes slightly longer) - worked out at £109 return each. I asked about bikes - they seem to want to charge, but if it's in a box then it's a suitcase and is allowable (I'm told). We (there's 3 of us) have ended up hiring 2 cars, one to leave at each end and are staying in Orange which is somewhere in the middle. At least we can set our own timetable that way, which we're hoping will be a lot better than the farce that was sports tours last year - it's also a lot cheaper.

I'm going to Valence and when checking through the Eurostar site, the cheapest option (£99 return), the change is in Paris:arriving Paris Nord and a 1hr 40 wait then departing from Paris gare de Lyon. So I assume this is a bit of a pain. Did you just book UK >>Lille through Eurostar and then book Lille >> Avignon separately? I don't really want an awkward transfer in Paris.

xio

I actually phoned Eurostar to book - it was an extra fiver but at least I spoke to someone who sounded like she knew what she was doing. They booked the whole journey and it was my choice to change at Lille (same price). They also did all the seat bookings (TGV and Eurostar) - they sat us next to the bar both ways. I promise to try and ignore it on the way out and empty it on the way home! It means we've got about a 90 min transfer in Lille in which we need to only walk across the platform, but I'd rather have that than try and drag a bike box across Paris on the metro. On the way back it also means we need to clear customs in Lille (as opposed to Paris). Hope this helps. Whatever you do it looks like a lot less hassle than flying (and cheaper).

popette

Bugger - we are changing in Paris. I booked online and that was what it put in by default. To change at Lille sounds much less stressful. I will call them today to see if I'm able to change. Thankfully, we go direct on the way there.

steerpike

cheers - phoning today and will be specifically requesting a seat as far from the bar as possible