Agro booking bikes on French trains.

[john xyz]

Suddenly its become impossible to book multiple connecting trains in France - with bikes. Cycling from Paris to Lyon next month, using the Eurotunnel bike service, and it now transpires that most TGV (90%) are Duplex (double decker) versions, which can't carry bikes.

There is no TGV out of Lyon for example to Paris that can carry a bike. Only option is the more local TER trains which take twice as long and cost twice the price. And there is only one of those a day!

Also no TGV that can get to Calais in time for the bike service pickup thru the tunnel.

Anyone else had problems this year?

john

 

[andym]

I know it's no comfort and no help, but this isn't something new: TGVs via Lyon for the south have been duplex trains for years.

 

[nomdeplume]

If you pack your bike in a bag with the wheels removed you should be able to take it on a TGV. I have done so though not recently. The snag is that the bag ( une housse in French) is somewhat bulky in fact a pain in the housse.

 

[john xyz]

Thanks guys. Will need to mull it all over. Will be 2 of us will full touring/camping kit also. TGV is preferred option as there are nice discounts at the moment. (80€ for two of us with bikes Lyon - Paris). But 2x bags cost cancels it out...

ta

 

[lpretro1]

Forget the train and use the European Bike express service for the return. You can book just one way and there are various pick-up points

 

[john xyz]

Nice idea - bit pricey though…. thanks

 

[CopperBrompton]

If you do the Bike Express thing, be prepared for a very long wait in the middle of the night, take your own entertainment and buy food at the service station stops. I've used it once, and would now describe it as a last resort.

 

[bikepacker]

I think using other train services in France can be a good option especially with fully loaded bikes. I have only ever done this travelling on my own but have not experienced any difficulties.

Regarding the Bike Express, I shall never use this service again. The only thing in it's favour is; if you live within easy reach of a pick up point it is convenient.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Assuming the driver knows where the pickup point is, of course ...

 

[lpretro1]

With Bike Express it all depends upon where you are being picked up as to what time of day/night it may be. To be fair, with a journey that comes all the way up from northern Spain though France - somebody is going to have to be collected late at night! From my experience the pickups are nearly always near a service station usually with one of the cheap (but very good) motel. The food on the bus whilst not cordon bleu is cheap and satisfactory.
The only thing I'd say is to take a light sleeping bag or fleece blanket if you are overnighting on the bus as it got a little chilly and they don't provide anything to cover you (one failing IMO). They do look after the bikes very well.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Scheduled pickup times in the middle of the night are of course understandable mid-route. However, my pickup was supposed to be 2.30am and they eventually arrived at 6.30am ...

 

[bikepacker]

Maybe someone should start a thread on the advantages and disadvantages of using the Bike Express. I complained both on their feedback form and by letter but both must have fell on deaf ears.

 

[vernon]

I've used the Bike Express frequently enough for Jason, the courier to lay on extra pie if he sees my name on the passenger list.

I've not had any bother with timings of pick ups or set downs apart from once when the coach was an hour late. The catering is basic, reasonable value and edible. To expect otherwise is asking too much.

It really is handy for me as the pick up in Leeds is a five mile bike ride away and by coincidence, my tours in France have started or finished near the Bike Express route. I don't think that it's particularly overpriced if you compare its charges with train and/or ferry fares. Air travel beats the lot when it comes to pricing but not when it comes to convenience.

 

[vernon]

Maybe someone should start a thread on the advantages and disadvantages of using the Bike Express. I complained both on their feedback form and by letter but both must have fell on deaf ears.

There's no need. Opinions are very subjective and one needs to know the character of the poster before evaluating their opinion.

 

[CopperBrompton]

The catering is basic, reasonable value and edible.

We-ell ... I ordered a bacon sandwich. What I got was two slices of plastic bread with two scrawny pieces of bacon inside. This is in France, FFS, where the hell do you even get plastic bread in France?!