Eurostar Trip - bike bag

I am going away for a weekend in January by Eurostar and would like to take my bicycle with me, but you are only allowed to take your bicycle if they are in bike bags.

I am wondering if anyone have and would be kind enough to lend me one? I promise to look after it very well.

Thanks a lot.

I appreciate in advance.

R

it goes in a special luggage van, i saw a few folk without a bag on a busy tour de france week.

Unless anyone here can directly say they been turned away at the gate for lack of a bag - id say risk it and take a bin liner with you as a reserve.

Cheers tommy
i dont know if I should risk it, I rang them and they said I need a bike bag or a box!

If you want to take in the carriage you'll have to take the wheels off etc and pack it very small (I think this generally only works with Bromptons/tiny bikes).

If you want it to go in the luggage van you need to book a space (costs extra). I took my bike to belgium and back on the eurostar last year, rode it the luggage depot at St P, checked it in, they put it straight into a metal cage out the back, then as the train was boarding it was put on a vertical bike hook in luggage van on the train. No damage on either journey.

I took mine to Paris a couple of years ago in a bike box, but it won't be any different with a bag. As long as it looks like a big bag, and not like a bike, you just take it on and put it in the luggage rack. Best to get there early though so that the rack isn't full of businessman's briefcases and overnight bags.

there's a thread on this : https://www.londonfgss.com/thread23429.html

Just take off you wheels and put it in a bag (doesn't have to be a bike bag, just something that will cover everything), and take it on with you... simple.

I am going away for a weekend in January by Eurostar and would like to take my bicycle with me, but you are only allowed to take your bicycle if they are in bike bags.

I am wondering if anyone have and would be kind enough to lend me one? I promise to look after it very well.

Thanks a lot.

I appreciate in advance.

R

Are you just going on a Eurostar to Paris/Lille or are you getting a TGV elsewhere after ?

If Eurostar only you don't need a bag, it's €20 each way to put in luggage coach, if going on TGV you need a bag.

If you want it to go in the luggage van you need to book a space (costs extra). I took my bike to belgium and back on the eurostar

Wrong.. You don't need to book the luggage van to use it.

You only need to book it, if you want a reserved space.

and there was pleantly of that even on a tour de france week, so offseason there is absolutely no need to book and pay extra.

i've taken my bike on eurostar in a bike bag several times, it's no hassle. I just put it on the luggage racks.

R_dy I have an On-One bike bag you can borrow (or you can buy it for £20 if you want to keep it) - it's padded, has wheels, includes wheel bags and works fine, but the attachments where the straps meet the bag itself are broken - you'd need to tie them up or restitch them.

Wrong.. You don't need to book the luggage van to use it.

You only need to book it, if you want a reserved space.

and there was pleantly of that even on a tour de france week, so offseason there is absolutely no need to book and pay extra.

Easy tiger, your choice, but I'd rather ride there, pay the £20, leave my bike with them overnight, come back the next day with a million heavy suitcases, and know that a nice man was going to put my bike on the same train as me.

For anyone that can't operate Google this is the info you need.

I can probably sort you out with a cheap bag, Rudy... Give me 'til Tuesday...

Easy tiger, your choice, but I'd rather ride there, pay the £20, leave my bike with them overnight, come back the next day with a million heavy suitcases, and know that a nice man was going to put my bike on the same train as me.

A good attempt at birfurcation, unfortunately the alternative option infered above is not a vaild one

The true situation is given below, make your choice.

Don't pay £20 = get to paris with your bike in luggage van
Pay £20 = get to paris with your bike in luggage van

What, how do you get your bike in the luggage van for free?

By luggage van, I assume you mean a dedicated luggage carriage which you do not need to dismantle your bike for?

A good attempt at birfurcation, unfortunately the alternative option infered above is not a vaild one

The true situation is given below, make your choice.

Don't pay £20 = get to paris with your bike in luggage van
Pay £20 = get to paris with your bike in luggage van

when I read this I imagine:

except a bit older and more uptight.

By luggage van, I assume you mean a dedicated luggage carriage which you do not need to dismantle your bike for?

I mean the little carriage with the bike hooks, where the bike is stored vertically by the front wheel in little bays separated by some foam padding, so no need to dismantle or put it in a bag. From what I remember some over-size luggage also goes in that carriage. Tommy might be referring to a different kind.

A good attempt at birfurcation, unfortunately the alternative option infered above is not a vaild one

The true situation is given below, make your choice.

Don't pay £20 = get to paris with your bike in luggage van
Pay £20 = get to paris with your bike in luggage van

A good attempt at birfurcation [I assume Tommy actually means bifurcation, but that still makes no sense in the context in which its used] unfortunately one of the options above risks your bike not making it on to the train if you end up with arsey passengers or a jobsworth member of staff.

The true situation is given below, make your choice.

• "Option 1: In a 'bike bag' as carry-on luggage, semi-dismantled, free of charge: You can officially take your bicycle with you on Eurostar as carry-on luggage, free of charge, if you put it in a special zip-up 'bike bag' with the wheels, pedals & saddle removed and handlebars turned to reduce bulk, so that the dimensions do not exceed those of a normal suitcase. 120cm x 90cm is a good size to aim for. This allows it to pass through the X-ray machines at the Eurostar terminal, and it can be stowed in the normal luggage racks the end of each coach. If you have any queries, call Eurostar on** 0870 5 186 186 **(+870 5 186 186 from outside the UK).
  
• Option 2: Take it with you for £20 using one of the special bike spaces on board Eurostar: To avoid having to buy a bike bag and dismantle your bike, you can pre-book one of the bike spaces on the same Eurostar as you for £20 each way - assuming other cyclists haven't already booked up all the available bike spaces, of course. First buy your Eurostar ticket, then call Eurostar's baggage line on ** 0870 5 850 850 ** to book a bike space on the same train (call +870 5 850 850 from outside the UK). You will need to quote your Eurostar booking reference."
  

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread23429.html

Basically if you stick it in a bag/box then you don't need to pay the extra.

and if you don't stick it in a bag, you dont need to pay extra either.

No bike bag = £20, I was clearly told, as was my traveling companion.

First buy your Eurostar ticket, then call Eurostar's baggage line on ** 0870 5 850 850 ** to book a bike space on the same train"
[/LIST]

Just a heads up (to whoever is travelling), be careful with this. A few weeks ago I arrived in Brussels for them to tell me that my bike was not there and was going to arrive 3 hours later, despite the fact I had booked in advance, had handed it over on time and there didn't seem to be any other bikes on my train or the one it eventually came on. I'm sure it doesn't happen a lot, but I'd just make sure that you make a big deal about it arriving at the same time as you when you give it to the handlers in London if you do end up paying the 20 squids.

I would take my bike on the eurostar too, but the next train I'm taking doesn't have a space for bicycles..

but good luck!

Thanks a lot for everyones reply and help so far!

i'd go get a condor bag for 40 quids. no padding, but it's the lightest and cheapest i've come across. i love mine to bits. i'd lend it to you but i need it because i'm off to a fair few places in jan.