Bikes on Eurostar?

what's it like collecting registered luggage (bikes) over at Paris?
got 1hr to catch connecting train at Gare de Lyon, fuckety fuck.

It should be fine GdL is only about 2 or 3 stops away on the Metro.

^^Kattiep and I came back the other way - Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord yesterday. We got a taxi across paris as our bikes were packed up and we didn't have time to unpack and ride, or the inclination to attempt the metro with bike bags.
G7 is the taxi company - like (shameface) addison lee. You can phone their english speaking number +33141276699. You will need to give them a pick up address (not just Gare du Nord) so head out onto the street and find a shop to stand outside and give them that address.
We arrived late into Gare de Lyon and had just over an hour to get to GDN. Phoned taxi as soon as we got out of the station. It arrived 3 mins later. 20 mins across town 25 euro. Made it onto the train but the bikes (going registered luggage on the eurostar) didn't make it and were put on the next train.
I think your main problem will be that there could be a delay with the handlers getting the bikes off the train and down to the collection depot (which is pretty far down one of the platforms at GDN).
At St Pancras it took about 20 mins for the bikes to appear, and I think the UK team is a bit quicker than the french side of things... Good luck!

If your bikes are arriving built up then you can definitely get across town in less than an hour but DO NOT use a garmin. Ours sent us the wrong way up numerous one way streets and we gave up on it in the end and pretty much just navigated by the sun!

http://road.cc/content/news/87197-eurostar-clarifies-its-bike-carriage-system

Article on Road.cc

All seems a bit of a shame, I was thinking of trying to nip over on the train with my bike but if I have to box it up for transit then flying makes more sense.

Used to be so good. Sad that they've changed it.

I just came back from Annecy with mine in a soft bag. TGV fine. Checked in for the Eurostar at Paris with no comment. One member of staff in the waiting room asked me if it was a bike, I said yes, and he wandered off never to be heard from again.

It was a very full train, but I popped the bag on the overhead rack and that was that.

Didn't take it out via Eurostar so they may be more strict at this end.

This country has to live from something.

Going to be pushing the limits a little on the luggage policy this weekend.

I'm taking the direct train to Avignon, and there is NO Euro-dispatch service on the train. I'm packing the bike as small as possible, and crossing my fingers - I have no other options!

I asked in Kings Cross last week and they said I should be able to argue my case due to the lack of the usual checking service, which I would have happily paid for.

The Ventoux Express. Good luck and keep us updated.

Anyone want a cheap weekend away next week i have 2 U25 tickets going spare. Make me an offer

http://www.lfgss.com/thread103860.html

I might be posting in the wrong thread but tips

If you are paying for a bike spot, this is only done after you have made your ticket booking. The telephone number is the 'euro dispatch' number.

Tip no1. If you taking a complete bike, try and sit as close to the centre of the train (coaches 9 and 10) to limit your luggage related schlep.

Tip no 2. If you returning via Lille, be prepared to remove your saddle and your front wheel for x-ray. Fine if you have standard bolts and an allen key.

Tip no 3. If you are winging it and trying to take your bike in a small bag, I have seen people successfully do this but the bike has to be within a bag and small enough to go through a airport style scanner so the wheels and seatpost need to be within the space of the frame.

Unless you are traveling on multiple trains in Europe, I would pay for the bike spot. It is quite nice to walk out of Lille/Paris/Brussels with your bike.

I booked Eurostar and now I've asked Eurodespatch about taking a bike but they reckon it's fully booked on my outward leg. Does this mean I'm going to have to bag the bike?

I presume by buying cheap tickets early I won't be able to change my journey time now to suit the bike booking?

"only bikes in bags up to 85cm in length can be carried on, which means it's impossible to take a non-folding bike as carry-on luggage."

Maybe. If you discombobulate and put your bike in an ikea bag, how big is it? Less than 85cm? It's possibly a goer.

But getting it through the airport style scanner in London will be a stress.

£37 that just cost me.

So, my suggestion would be - DO NOT book your Eurostar until you've checked bike space on a journey.

Eurostar, really progressive bike policy... well done, not.

Indeed. Even getting a folding bike like an Airnimal on is unpleasant to say the least.

Brompton was OK tho

I'm not doing PBP on a Brompton.

Well, I might, but someone would have to buy me one.

Twats

@hippy
I've heard they might have changed their bike policy recently, but as long as I've known it there are two choices for un-bagged bikes, either pre-book for your actual train, or just take it any time before you board and they'll put it on an 'available' train (usually the same day), but won't guarentee it'll be the train you are on. If you take it the night before (or in the morning if you have an afternoon or evening journey), chances are it'll be there before you. You have up to two weeks to collect it at the other end. It used to be explained on their website but seems not to be on there now. I did it again from Paris this weekend, took the bike to Gare du Nord on Friday afternoon, showed my ticket and paid 29€ (it's £25 from London), got my train Saturday morning, and the bike was there waiting for collection when I arrived at 9:30am.
Maybe they want to phase out this option, but for now it still works.

That's still the policy.

But you can no longer collect bikes off the platform. You have to go down to the luggage place. Tedious but understandable.

Eurostar is so convenient for bikes.

I need to get it to the PBP bike check when I arrive so I can't really afford to be sitting in a station wondering where my bike is.

In future though, I could probably use this method but it does mean if you starting a tour or whatever you risk being left behind if your bike doesn't turn up when required.

Eurostar was so convenient for bikes.

ftfy

Yeah. Not so convenient now. But still, every time I've been touring I've got it home. Just turn up, and a few hours later I'm home. It's brilliant for that.

Got the TGV from Toulouse > Paris then rode across Paris then Paris > St P and then rode home. No messing about with braking the bike down. Just check it in and then ride off into the sunset. Exactly what you want when tired at teh end of a trip.
No messing about with bike box searching.

Just remember you can't leave any luggage on the bike! I got caught out with that when I'd been fully loaded touring.....4 panniers and a bag on the rack to schlepp onto the train.....