Bikes on French TGV

malcolmfrost

Hi All
A mate and I are planning to do Irun (just over the border in Spain to St. Malo this summer. Originally my plan was Santander to St. Malo, but time constraints and ferry timetables have kicked that into touch. The new plan is Calais -Paris-Irun by train and cycle to St.Malo.
The problem is bikes and the TGV.
My research say that there is no way whether you can tell if you can get the bikes on the train or not. We obviously don't want to take an expensive bag and dump it.
Any ideas or experiences?
Thanks

cookiemonster

Hi

Ive used the TGV loads of times with the bike in a bag and never had a problem. Occasionally you'll be asked to stick the bag in the guard van, which is fine, but most of the time it just goes in the door area. You then just go stand by it at each stop to make sure everything's cool


jon

crankycrank

Here's a good site for info. Although I would trust someones first hand experience such as cookiemonster a little more than the official regulations. http://www.seat61.com/bike-by-train.htm#France

andymiller

malcolmfrost wrote:

My research say that there is no way whether you can tell if you can get the bikes on the train or not. We obviously don't want to take an expensive bag and dump it.

I don't know where you've been researching, but if you go to say tgv-europe.com and do a timetable search you can then click on the details tab and you should then, hopefully, see a bike logo. But for TGVs it can be more hit than miss (except on the newest TGV Est).

The Deutsche Bahn website has an advanced search option which allows you to search for trains that carry bikes.

An alternative you might want to consider is the sleeper from Paris Austerlitz to Irún. I'm actually doing this myself at teh end of April and IIRC the ticket cost 78 euros.

However, and it's a big however, by the time you add up the charges for carrying bikes, it starts to get a bit expensive. A bike bag could pay for itself in one trip. I'd recommend the Ground Effect Tardis - you can fold it up and send it to yourself at a hotel at your final destination (assuming you've booked one) or Lista de Correos (poste restante) at a post office. It's also small enough to fit into the luggage racks.

malcolmfrost

Andy

An alternative you might want to consider is the sleeper from Paris Austerlitz to Irún. I'm actually doing this myself at teh end of April and IIRC the ticket cost 78 euros.

Damn, too late!! We're nightstopping Paris.
edit: I've searched for the sleeper on Rail Europe and SNCF and it doesn't appear at all??
further edit! The sleeper only runs weekdays, phew... the website is http://www.coraillunea.fr/reservation/index.html
I think what we're going to try and do is make a big parcel out of bubble wrap and duct tape and bin it the other end.

What we're doing, just to encourage others is:
Wife drives us to Calais Frethun station via Eurotunnel £29 each way (£14 foot passenger on P&O) and she goes off to do brocantes (don't ask!)
Train Calais to Paris direct £16 each
Paris to Irun direct £45 each First Class!! in just over 5 hours.

I find this incredibly cheap, considering a "cheap" day return from Haslemere to London is £25.

andymiller

malcolmfrost wrote:

Damn, too late!! We're nightstopping Paris.
edit: I've searched for the sleeper on Rail Europe and SNCF and it doesn't appear at all??
further edit! The sleeper only runs weekdays, phew... the website is http://www.coraillunea.fr/reservation/index.html
I think what we're going to try and do is make a big parcel out of bubble wrap and duct tape and bin it the other end.

What we're doing, just to encourage others is:
Wife drives us to Calais Frethun station via Eurotunnel £29 each way (£14 foot passenger on P&O) and she goes off to do brocantes (don't ask!)
Train Calais to Paris direct £16 each
Paris to Irun direct £45 each First Class!! in just over 5 hours.

I find this incredibly cheap, considering a "cheap" day return from Haslemere to London is £25.

I checked two random dates (well, Saturday the 17 and Sunday 18 April) and there is a train. However according to this:

http://www.entrain.ch/nuit-paris-irun-10.pdf

The train doesn't run every night - there must be a system but I can't fathom what it is. And the timetable only goes up to June which may mean that the SNCF plan to withdraw the service entirely. (I repeat the word 'may').

The system for setting the prices of tickets for trains in France works in exactly the same way as the system over here: if you book early and for less popular times you can travel very cheaply but fully flexible fares - or semi-flexible off-peak fares are a lot more expensive. Train tickets become available about 3 months in advance (four months for Eurostar - don't ask me why)

malcolmfrost

Thanks Andy
We are going on the 22nd May and that seems to be a big gap for the sleeper.
Never mind, Saturday night in Paris.

CyclingBantam

How do you manage with Bikes on the sleepers? I have one booked for the end of June and I am planning to just bag the bike up? Will I need to do this or might they have a guard van?

Thanks

Ben

andymiller

BenBlyth wrote:

How do you manage with Bikes on the sleepers? I have one booked for the end of June and I am planning to just bag the bike up? Will I need to do this or might they have a guard van?

I'm debating this myself.

There is very limited space in a 6-berth couchette compartment. There is definitely no chance of getting an undismantled bike into the compartment. If you have dismantled and packed the bike very small you might just about be able to get it under the seats (but you're chancing it - there's no more than about 15 inches of space). There's also some space on a shelf above the door, but it's a bit iffy. Your best bet might be to book a space in the bike carriage, although I don't think you can do it online, you might have to either ring RailEurope or take a risk and wait until you get to the station.

malcolmfrost

TIC
Why not put the bike in the bunk and sleep in what space is left?

v718

Generally they have a place to park bikes on the TGV they have a specific carriage and places for bikes, they normally have to be booked on in peak times however most times there is usually enough space. You stand the bike on its back wheel and place the front into a holder it can then be locked for security.

The carriages are usually marked somewhere on the platform as to which carriage will take the bikes and your ticket will be marked that you are carrying a bike.

Alternatively pack them in a card board box you get new bikes in and they can be discarded when you get to your start point and if you can locate a bike shop for your return they usually are quite happy to let you have one for the journey home.

andymiller

v718 wrote:

Generally they have a place to park bikes on the TGV they have a specific carriage and places for bikes, they normally have to be booked on in peak times however most times there is usually enough space. You stand the bike on its back wheel and place the front into a holder it can then be locked for security.

The carriages are usually marked somewhere on the platform as to which carriage will take the bikes and your ticket will be marked that you are carrying a bike.

Unfortunately that's only true for some TGVs - in my experience it's definitely not the case for trains on the route south to Marseille and beyond, for example. Check what it say on the timetable - if there's a bike pictogram then you're OK (although you still have to reserve) if not you have to put it into a bag.

Hopefully the position will improve as the earlier generations of trains are refurbished and refitted.

dilemna

Of course if you have a Brompton there are no such worries about whether you can get your bike on the train with you 8) . I've taken the TGV to Biarritz several times with it. Only the first time in 2004 when the ticket collector on the platform in Paris saw it did I get a bit of grief - a sharply waved right forefinger and a "Non a velo!" No "Bonjour monsieur votre billet svp" before he walked off as I hadn't yet unloaded and folded it ready to get on. The next time he saw me I was ensconsed in my premier class seat and my Brompton in the luggage rack. He snatched my ticket composted it and sulleny moved on. He didn't have a shape suggesting he'd ever been on a bike which is strange for French people.

v718

Almost all of the west coast TGV's have bike spaces but as andym says look for the bike pictogram.

nicktheluddite

check very carefully if there is space for bikes - I only know about TGV-Est (Paris-Strasbourg-Basle) and Eurostar. They have bike space but you have to book it in advance (Eurostar is a fairly painful process) - check other threads if you want to know about this. I would always start at seat61 for train travel info.

Do not forget the occasional love of rules and pettiness which can be found from French authority figures (although probably no worse than a surly UK train guard could be to a french tourer over here).

kieronymous

We had two bikes and lightweight bags to put them in, plus a few bungee cords. We got both bikes and four panniers into a single compartment of the standard TGV 'doorside' luggage racks. Here's how:

Take the wheels off, take the bars off, turn the fork backwards. Strap the wheels either side of the frame with bungees, strap the bar to the top tube, put it all in the bag. The biggest bike (a 56cm Tricross) fit ver snugly, g/f's Dolce on top, panniers in the remaining space.

Our bags were 'halfsize' ones designed to fit around the bottom half of a fully assembled (muddy) bike, thus protecting the furniture. You will need bags. The guards don't like exposed drivetrains or dusty wheels.

The whole shooting match takes about 15 mins. Do it before you make an appearance on the platform. You'll get smiles all the way.

By the end of the holiday one wheel on g/f's bike was slightly out of true, possibly as a reuslt of train storage, but possibly not..

malcolmfrost

Well we made it!
Just got back today and as it's raining thought I would pass on a few thoughts.
Equipment:
Focus Cayo expert with a 28 cassette, Conti 4 Seasons tyres, Topeak beam rack with Topeak RX Trunk Bag DXP with Side Panniers.
Usual tools and innertube spares as if you were doing a regular ride. A charger for your phone and 705.
I got hold of some laminated bubble wrap (regular tears too easily)from Simply Store, about 3m is enough. Put the beam rack on the bike and dropped the saddle to the bottom. Put the gears into small chainring and big sprocket to protect the derailleurs.
Took the front wheel off, loosened the stem bolts and turned the bars 90 degrees and rotated them under the crossbar to protect the shifters. Also removed the pedals. Put them somewhere you won't forget them!!
Laid a piece of bubble wrap on the frame and laid the front wheel on it.
Then simply wrapped the whole lot in the rest of the bubble wrap and secured with loads of duct tape, I then made a long strip out of two pieces of tape adhesive sides together with about a foot free at each end. If you then kneel beside the package, a friend can loop it over your shoulder to make a carry strap. The saddle also makes a useful carrying handle, do the bolt up though!
A 56 in compact frame in this config will fit through the baggage rollers on the Paris Metro.
We went from Calais to Paris, crossed on the Metro and took the TGV to Irun. We had no problems with the bikes at all, there is a smokers area on the TGV which is ideal for 3 bikes and at the end of each Metro carriage there is a large space with no seats. If the bike won't fit through the baggage rollers on the Metro, then there is usually another way around like hand it over the top! Unwrapped the bikes when we got to Irun and just chucked the wrap away.
We stayed in budget hotels, usually about €50 per night (Premiere Classe, Campanile etc) and had no problems with taking the bike in the room. These hotels all seem to have free WiFi so if you've got a Blackberry or iPhone you can make a booking ahead.
We had planned on doing 100 miles a day, which was a bit much, 80 would be better, to do some chilling out and sightseeing. It felt a bit relentless.
I just took my normal shorts, short sleeved top, longsleeved light top and a Montane Featherlight shower top. Lightweight convertible trosers and a lightweight Rohan style shirt. MTB shoes and pedals and flip flops for the evening.
I washed the kit every night (hotel shampoo works well! and a top tip for drying is to lay it on a towel and roll it up and give it a wring. It'll be dry in the morning!)
I would also take some sachets of porridge, French breakfast only lasts 2 hours.
Got the ferry back from Caen to Portsmouth and they have a special area for bikes at the aft end of the car deck with loads of padding available.
Everyone couldn't have been nicer, turning up hot and sweaty in cycling kit just gets a smile...
Time to plan next year now.....