Train à Grande Vitesse

term1te
term1te Posts: 1,462
edited February 2008 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Does any one have any experience of taking a bike on a TGV to one of the French sportives? I seem to remember you can't take bikes on them.

Thanks
The Master
The Moser
The VN

Comments

  • rjeffroy
    rjeffroy Posts: 638
    I took mine to the Ventoux (Beaumes de Venise) last year, Eurostar London - Lille then TGV Lille - Avignon. Boxed or bagged up it is just big luggage. I had no problems with it.
    My Bikes
  • ricadus
    ricadus Posts: 2,379
    I can be done, but it helps if you have a compact bike bag such as the one sold by Decathlon. Just one time I was asked to put the bike in the storage compartment behind the driver's cab, but mostly they turn a blind eye to the odd piece of over-sized luggage stored at the ends of a carriage.

    The exception would be if you are traveling during a peak holiday time, especially August, when TGVs are absolutely packed with people and such luggage would be more of an obstruction than otherwise.

    Trains with double-decker carriages are a bit easier as there is a bigger space by the doors.
    Tour de France
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    You can either travel with the bike assembled, 4 bikes per train, reserved, 10Euro, some services only.

    Or travel with it in a bike bag as luggage, maximum size (officially, as ricadus says...) of 120 x 90cm, so one of the smaller bike bags like the PlanetX/ProBikeKit/etc will be OK but a fullsize hard bike box is too big.

    See TGV/SNCF website
    http://www.tgv.com/EN/
    - site map (bottom of screen)
    - channel 'leisure travel' (icon at bottom)
    - 'luggage and vehicles', 'bicycle service' on the right
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,104
    As others have said it's generally not a problem if you have the bike bagged. I've taken my bike on both the Eurostar and TGV every year for the past 5 at least and have never had any problems. Just be mindful of other people and their luggage.

    rjeffroy's tip is a good one - if you can change at Lille it makes the whole experience that bit simpler as you avoid travelling across Paris with a bike bag and luggage.

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