Bikes on Eurostar?

That quote is very old, I would suggest reading the new bastard eurostar luggage allowance guidelines. 85cm longest edge

In-fairness even the old policy when I started this thread back in 2009 seemed was just as born out of wedlock. The point was and still is.. are these policies actually enforced by the boots on the ground?

No one seems to have experienced being denied entry to a train.. seems no harm try your luck anyway.. at worst you'll be asked to pay for the service on the day.

Yes, all good, unless you're on the London to Avignon direct service, where there is no back-up service to send your bike as baggage. Shits.

You can now prebook buy tickets for July on the eurostar
Looking at going out Grenoble to Catch the Alp d'huez stage but £89 each-way, with the additional charge for bikes - flying makes much more sense unfortunately.

Unless anyone has any clever routing ideas?

I wouldn't bother. Eurostar are cunts.

Very useful thread, thanks.

A gang of us are heading to Germany in July and just found out about the new restrictions yesterday. Has anyone here had any recent experience of bike bags/boxes being let on rather than being forced to pre book? Previous responses here would indicate it's discretionary. I'd rather sink the extra £60 into food & drink frankly.

Cheers

Kattiep and I are heading to France in June and we have opted not to pay, partly 'cause of the cost and partly because you have to book the train ticket first, then phone the eurodespatch place to book and pay for the bike spaces.

When booking the train they can't tell you if there is space for bikes left on that particular train and if you book a non-refundable ticket (which we did) and then find out there isn't space for the bikes you cant have a refund.

Golf clap, Eurostar...sterling work.

We are planning on dismantling bikes and putting them in those giant plastic laudry bags. Fun will be had, I'm sure.

You'll be able to hang them in the bike bit without issue. Just smile nicely and be all girly

Travelled this weekend and despite a couple of staff grumbling about needing to pay went through as hand luggage fine....

I took a bike frameset on its own, no wrapping last weekend and it went through, no problem.

London-Paris journey and 5.40AM train

books train to paris
Useful thread thanks!

I'm currently reporting live from St Pancras station, I'm just on the 8.31 to Paris with my bike dismantled into a box 90cm long. I'm told the trains is 'extremity busy' yet so far the new regulations have made little appreciable difference to task of getting a bike to the Alps.

Good luck!

Just read this.
This shit stinks.
Fuck you, Eurostar.

The return trip:

29 Euros to send the bike box back as 'registered luggage', the cost was a pain, but there never seemed to be any issue with there being enough space for it on the train I was on. There was about 10 fully assembled bikes being collected when I picked the box up, I'm sure from the same train as well...

My conclusion on the new regulations.... fuck knows.

I could have done with not having spent 29 Euros on nothing, but there was no issue with getting there and back.

After seeing an article about recent changes to the bike policy I went to St Pancras to discuss it with them at the weekend.

The policy now appears to be:

Hand luggage - only folding bikes
Any other bikes must go as registered luggage (£25 on train within 24hrs, or booked on - £30 on same train).

There now appears to be no way to take a full sized bike, dismantled or not, on the train without paying.

Edit: have just seen this on the website, which I'm sure wasn't an option before:

If you can fold or dismantle your bike and place it in a bike bag between 85cm and 120cm at its longest, then you can use our turn-up-and-go registered luggage service for just £10 from London and 15€ from Paris or Brussels.

Which is annoying, since I've just paid for the full registered service. Might go and have words...

If you can get your bike in a box less than 85cm (or that appears less than 85cm) then you can take that for free on the train, that's how I left London. There was no mention of the *15€ turn up and go service when I was in Paris being charged 29€ *for taking the bike.

I don't actually think they have any policy on bikes, amended or otherwise, it seems to just come down to what they feel like doing on the day.

Looking into this for the return leg of a trip...

Eurostar have a clear page about this:
http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-information/travel-preparation/baggage/bikes-on-trains
including a table with the options (that depend on your destination....)

Looks like we're going to have to try packing the bikes up and measure!

^That is new and useful, but annoying!

Sorry because I can't open a new post yet (I'm new in this forum).

I'm looking to travel to Scotland (from Newcastle) with my bike from Brussels to mid-July.

I've looked Eurostar, or cycling to Calais to cross over Dover (but it's far south).

The fact is that I like to start in Newcastel, and traveling with my bike in some way cheap and convenient transportation. I could catch a plane to Edinburgh, but I hate the plane too.

I'm looking Megabus, but Can't I travel with my bike?
I don't know if it's a "real" prohibition? could I packaged in a box my bike?
I wouldn't like to spend a lot of money in transport.

Thank you.

Carlos - if you're getting the Eurostar to London St Pancras, the easiest way to get to Newcastle is to walk over the road to Kings Cross and get the train to Newcastle. You will need to book a bike space which is free with a ticket for you.

You can do this on the East Coast website (http://www.eastcoast.co.uk)

If you're getting the ferry to Dover, you are probably still best with the train. You will have to change in London - just ride from the arrival point to Kings Cross.

Or, if you have the time, train to Amsterdam and overnight ferry to Newcastle.

http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/holland/newcastle-to-amsterdam/#

Thanks, but for that I prefer take the ferry in Brugges to Edinburgh. It costs 120 pounds. But it's expensive for me.

I'd find some cheapest. :)

Thanks, but for that I prefer take the ferry in Brugges to Edinburgh. It costs 120 pounds. But it's expensive for me.

I'd find some cheapest. :)

Yeah, I suppose. Although it does save a night's accommodation cost.