Bikes on Virgin Trains.

[theloafer]

At some point in the future I hope to use the train to take some of the strain and move me and my bike from Brum to Glasgow.

I intend to use the trainline.com to get the best price but I'm a bit confused about reserving a space for my bike.

If I get the best priced tickets I understand I then have to ring a number to reserve a bike space. But what happens if there are no bike spaces left, because there's no point going if I can't take my bike !

Does anyone have any experience of Virgin Trains and bikes to help with this question, or any more general experiences ?

Thank you in anticipation.

hi alan
as bikepacker says to book bike space on line its very easy on http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/ use them all the time no probs and ticket for bike space arrives with your train tickets and you will be asked to show it before your bike is allowed on the train ..... did a mock booking to show what you should see at the end of online booking .. hope this helps

 

[Alan Frame]

Thank you all for the extremely useful info and for the mock booking loafer which has encouraged me to have a go at doing a few myself...if I'd had to pay for those I've done I'd be bankrupt by now !

So, thanks to all your input, I think eastcoast will be getting my business, carriage A will be awash with panniers and other cycling paraphernalia and a two ton Kona Sutra will be danging off a hook up front.

I'll probably have a trial run out somewhere beforehand, but intend in the nearish future to do a ride out from Glasgow up the entire west coast of Scotland.
Her indoors has given her permission and has even offered to pay for the train ticket. I don't know whether to be pleased or worried by that.

 

[theloafer]

Thank you all for the extremely useful info and for the mock booking loafer which has encouraged me to have a go at doing a few myself...if I'd had to pay for those I've done I'd be bankrupt by now !

So, thanks to all your input, I think eastcoast will be getting my business, carriage A will be awash with panniers and other cycling paraphernalia and a two ton Kona Sutra will be danging off a hook up front.

I'll probably have a trial run out somewhere beforehand, but intend in the nearish future to do a ride out from Glasgow up the entire west coast of Scotland.
Her indoors has given her permission and has even offered to pay for the train ticket. I don't know whether to be pleased or worried by that.

no probs at all alan just remember to book 10-12 weeks b4 you go to get the cheapest price the west coast of scotland is great done that 2006 did arron 2days then up to OBAN over to mull then on to the ARDNAMURCHAN point (most westly point) then up to MALLAIG over to SKYE 3 days on skye then up over the BEALACH`N BA a must do if in the area then up to UALLAPOOL then on to DURNESS to do the CAPE WRATH

 

[Gravity Aided]

Shocking... I'm obviously going to have to keep up more on British Railways news. I just thought everything was still run by British Rail.

 

[polyksena]

Hello guys! Thank you for the thread - very useful information! Me and my partner need to transport via Virgin Trains our two bikes packed in boxes (as they need to be ready for the airplane). Can someone advise me do I need to book bike space if the bike is in a box? And where can I put the box on the train - in the bike area or the normal luggage area? I guess the boxes will quite large...How much does it cost to reserve bike space?

I just called Virgin Trains Customer Service - told them that I will be travelling with my bike in a box. Firstly, they told me "if it's in a box, you don't need to reserve a bike space". Then I mentioned I am worried because the box will be quite large similar to the size of the bike as it's not a folded one. Then they told me "in that case you need to make a bike reservation". So, I am confused now - in less than 2 minutes they told me two different things. I will be very grateful if someone with experience advise me...

Thank you for your help!

 

[Alun]

Hello guys! Thank you for the thread - very useful information! Me and my partner need to transport via Virgin Trains our two bikes packed in boxes (as they need to be ready for the airplane). Can someone advise me do I need to book bike space if the bike is in a box? And where can I put the box on the train - in the bike area or the normal luggage area? I guess the boxes will quite large...How much does it cost to reserve bike space?

I just called Virgin Trains Customer Service - told them that I will be travelling with my bike in a box. Firstly, they told me "if it's in a box, you don't need to reserve a bike space". Then I mentioned I am worried because the box will be quite large similar to the size of the bike as it's not a folded one. Then they told me "in that case you need to make a bike reservation". So, I am confused now - in less than 2 minutes they told me two different things. I will be very grateful if someone with experience advise me...

Thank you for your help!

"Quite large" is not very specific, perhaps you should have given Customer Service a better idea as to the size, they may then have been able to give you a more definitive answer! Here's something that might help http://www.buytickets.virgintrains.co.uk/nationalcarriage.aspx#section2 , paras 47,48, and 49.

 

[polyksena]

Alun, thank you for the reply. The link is indeed helpful! The link says the normal luggage shouldn't exceed 30 x 70 x 90 cm in size. So, the box with one bike will definitely be larger than that and therefore needs a bike reservation. The thing is that I am wondering will they allow boxes in the bike space as I guess the bike space requires putting the bike tyre into the hole instead of putting a box there...Any ideas? Thank you!

 

[jags]

i'm thinking of heading tothe uk in august for the grampion rally using virgin train after reading this thread i think i'll fly.don't like the idea much of smelly fish or other bikes been loaded onto my pristine bike is there not a seperate carrage for bikes or is every thing just loaded into a small space.

 

[mcshroom]

Really depends on the train makeup, but the London - Glasgow trains do not carry fish (I think that's a weirdness reserved for some of the HIghland Scotland trains) and are almost all Pendolinos, which means the bike is stored on a carriage at the front (North bound) with a bit of train luggage (wheelchair ramps, useful ladders etc.).

I travel on them with a bike quite frequently between Cumbria and London and they are usually fine.

 

[jags]

i'm always a bit worried about loading my bike on a train .last time i travelled to the UK the carrage for bikes was tiny enough for 2 bikes max but a lot of people used it to store there bikes from one station to another bit of a sqeeze to say the least.

 

[mcshroom]

There's a big difference between local/regional trains and Main line trains. Virgin trains require booking a cycle space before travelling and have dedicated space for the bikes. The local carriers tend to be more relaxed which can mean it gets a bit chaotic. I've been in 2-carriage trains with over 10 bikes housed on my local line before.

 

[mcshroom]

Actually if you are coming by ferry, would you be on a VT all the way? I'd guess at Arriva Trains Wales to Crewe then joining the West Coast Main Line.

With respect to flying, I'm really not sure I'd prefer letting a baggage handler chuck my bike around over taking it on the train myself.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I wouldn't want to try to get two boxed up bikes the size I ride in the bike space on a pendolino.

 

[polyksena]

I just chatted live with Virgin Trains asking them about travelling with boxes with the bikes inside, approximate size 152 cm long, 80 cm high and 30 cm wide. Here's what I've been advised: "you shouldn't have a problem on this journey, as it is a Pendolino, the bicycle space is pretty open, so as long as you have the reservations confirmed and you label up the bicycles, you should be fine."

 

[jags]

so am i gonna be safe enough travelling from holyhead milton keynes..