Bikes on Eurostar

lee_d_m

hi,

Having booked onto La Marmotte, now looking at options for getting to Boug D'Oisans.

Last year we drove, which was painless but tiring.
Flying is a possibility but I don't have a bike box and they are expensive.
Looking into the Eurostar, can get a train via Paris to Grenoble for just over £100 return, but not sure on the policy with bikes.

Has anyone got any experience of taking bikes on Eurostar/SNCF down to the Alps and could advise ?

Thanks

Lee

bobo696

Look on the eurostar website regarding bike policy. Basically you either transport in a bike bag for a tenner or you book a travel for your bike unfold for 25pounds one way ...

For the sncf network it depends on the line you are taking, some accept a bike but you have to book a place for the bike and pay 10 pounds. On other lines no bike are allowed.

I tried these during the summer and though expensive it's really convenient!

DHA987S

I think bikes on Eurostar has changed in the last few months. I recall you have to book it (and pay a fee) and it travels on the luggage carriage on your train, if you turn up without booking they can't guarantee it will travel on the luggage carriage on your train (given these events will have a lot of people with bikes I would guess booking was a good idea).

56mph

DHA987S wrote:

I think bikes on Eurostar has changed in the last few months. I recall you have to book it (and pay a fee) and it travels on the luggage carriage on your train, if you turn up without booking they can't guarantee it will travel on the luggage carriage on your train (given these events will have a lot of people with bikes I would guess booking was a good idea).

Yes you're absolutely right, it has changed earlier this year. We trained it from London to Annecy for the Etape in July, changing in Paris.
On the Eurostar you must now book the bike onto the train in advance and pay a fee and there are limited places in the guard's van (it used to be OK if you just turned up with the bike in a softbag and stuck it in the luggage rack at the end of your carriage, but no more). If there isn't room it goes on another train. If you're booked I think you can now bring your bike in one piece, it doesn't have to be dismantled and put in a bag, but do double-check that in advance though.
On the French trains, or at least our TGV we took in Paris, the bikes however had to be in soft (not hard) bags and went in the same carriage as us, but they didn't need to be booked in advance or paid for.
Apart from this minor hassle it's a recommended way to go versus driving or flying.

cyclingsheep

lee_d_m wrote:

hi,

Having booked onto La Marmotte, now looking at options for getting to Boug D'Oisans.

Last year we drove, which was painless but tiring.
Flying is a possibility but I don't have a bike box and they are expensive.
Looking into the Eurostar, can get a train via Paris to Grenoble for just over £100 return, but not sure on the policy with bikes.

Has anyone got any experience of taking bikes on Eurostar/SNCF down to the Alps and could advise ?

Thanks

Lee

I know question was primarily about Eurostar but in your OP you mentioned flying with a bike box but thought it was too expensive. Try your LBS, my local one hires them out for £40 per week which isn't massively expensive.

typekitty

cyclingsheep wrote:

I know question was primarily about Eurostar but in your OP you mentioned flying with a bike box but thought it was too expensive. Try your LBS, my local one hires them out for £40 per week which isn't massively expensive.

+1. There are also websites that rent them out quite reasonably, so worth checking out.