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I think the slow trains in France are a bit better. They are in Germany, I've got around by train fairly easily there. You can even generally blag on to ICEs with no bike spaces left if you take wheels off and put your bike in a bin bag. I've seen people doing that on the platform in France too - just it's different rules for each TGV line.
But flying is 100x easier to plan. And forget trains if you want to go east of Slovenia.
frank9755-
Yeah, I've used trains in Germany too, way back when I was touring in '05. They were very cool, with lots of space like the NL double decker ones. But yeah, if you wanted to do the Lost Dot new gravel thing over east, you're in for a long ride or flying.
Having seen what Americans do, I feel like my few flights a year are fuck all, so I'm not feeling guilty about it. The planet is already fucked and I spent 40 years dodging cars commuting so I've done my bit, fuck you all, humans. :D
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Yeah I know a few people who travelled back through France with their bikes unboxed from TPR via the TER trains. I think it was 2-3 changes from St Jean La Luz up to one of the ferry ports, and only an hour or two more than the TGV would have been.
As well as trying to not fly short haul, the sheer reduction in stress by
a) not having to travel to Stansted with my bike in a box and;
b) not having to disassemble put my bike back in a box on very little sleep in a cramped hotel room with 4 hours until my flightwould have been priceless.
Would have of course meant 1-2 days extra annual leave doing it that way, but I'd forgotten about all that crap with liquids etc on flights as I'd not flown short haul in years, plus my set of Wera allen keys were nearly confiscated as dangerous weapons after a schoolboy hand luggage packing error.
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One person came to lesperit de Girona from London on the train, to Griona. Said it worked well. The just took their bike apart and boxed it.
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Who needs a train if it only takes couple of hours to ride to there? 😁
hippy
honk
skinny
Foreigner65
I've used the slow trains in NL and Spain before, in order to avoid bagging my bike. They are damn slow though and it adds complexity to actually booking and doing the journey. It's no wonder everyone just flies and drives.