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sounds like a plan, thanks for that, but as I mentioned the thought for the weekend away was to ride up to station shove bike on board, ride bike from destination station to apartment.
Yours is a bit of a workaround, and the best way probably, but it still feels like a lot of work for something that should be so much simpler, and seeing as there feels like there's more cycling provision on the continent it would behoove them to make it easier to take bikes along.
cornelius_blackfoot-
Bikes on trains in France isn't always great. I'm hoping to post an overview of routes for bikes on here eventually but haven't finished it yet.
London to Paris/Lille/Brussels on Eurostar you can take them unbagged.
From Paris to Lyon TGV you can't, got to be bagged up. It's the busy intercity commuter line, so bagged up only. Same with Paris to Brussels. Which also means anywhere further on down south you can't either, ie. TGV Paris to Lyon, Grenoble, Avignon, Montpellier, Marseille, Nice, etc.
From Lyon and further south you can take them unbagged on slow trains (TER, not TGV) between towns, but it's like in the UK, you just get on and stay with your bike.
West from Paris you can book bikes unbagged on TGV to Brittany, and southwest from Paris to Bordeaux, and I've been on as far as Lourdes with it. They have to be pre-booked though, and it is actually a bit of a pain as it's not a bike/luggage carriage, you just get to put your bike in the end carriage where there are a few flip down seats. If it's a busy time this makes you unpopular with non-reserved seat ticket holders who wanted to sit in those seats. Haven't checked east from Paris yet...
Basically, TGV network in general is not great for unbagged bikes, but the non-TGV trains are ok. Paris to Lille, for example, nice and easy, with dedicated bike rack in the luggage carriage.
Philbythesea
If you live/work in London it's not difficult.
Just book your ticket as you would if you weren't taking a bike. When you've booked it, just take your bike to the baggage drop-off counter the day before your train journey. Show them your ticket, pay £25, get a receipt, go home by public transport. They'll put it on the next train with space. You get your train the next day, walk round to the baggage counter at Gare du Nord, show them your receipt, cycle your bike away.
Unless you arrive at Gare du Nord baggage and they've all buggered off for lunch. Then you'll have to wait til they get back.
The more trains between when you take the bike and your train, the more chance it'll already be there when you get there.
For coming back from Paris you can either do the same, or drop your bike off just before boarding your train, public transport your way home from London, and collect your bike from there another day.