European Bike Express -- all ok?

[e-rider]

I think your (Trikeman) expectations were too high. Yes, it is very expensive (which stops me using it) and this is perhaps what gives the impression that it will be luxury travel. I've been on many 20-30 hour coach trips - never any food (it's always bring your own), no TV and bog standard seats with almost no leg room (for my long legs) - often the toilet is out of order too, so you can only go every 3-4 hours when the coach stops.

 

[Penfold]

Ah, I stand corrected...(This is like living with the wife !!)
Well I'll still use em...but will take own scoff/book and cushion.

 

[CopperBrompton]

You may be right. I wasn't expecting luxury, but I was expecting a pickup within an hour of the advertised time, a seat at least on a par with an economy airline one, a non-broken seat and something a little better than two unbuttered slices of plastic bread with a single rasher of alleged bacon in it!

I was also imagining that as they seemed familiar with recumbent trikes (having specific pricing for them), they would have some loading system a bit better than three blokes manhandling it to 10 feet off the ground.

The TV thing didn't bother me as I had my iPad, but someone taking it from Spain to Scotland and sat towards the back would be rather annoyed, I would think.

 

[Penfold]

Butter on a bacon sarnie !!? Yak
U from up North dude? Ha ha

 

[CopperBrompton]

Up north? My dear chap, one has scarcely heard of the place!

 

[Penfold]

 

[doog]

So long as you have a decent bike box and are willing to gamble on your kit arriving in one piece at the same airport and at the same time as you do!

The coach is considerably cheaper (for one person at least) than traveling down and back by car, and hopefully more relaxing and less hassle.

I find a free cardboard box from a cycle shop does the job. As long as my bike keeps arriving intact, I will forgo 20 hours on a coach for a 2 hour plane ride to the sun. (I do live very close to a small airport that does cheap flights )

 

[mmmmartin]

I found the bike express excellent last summer. arrived at dover on time to pick us up, i had a reasonable five hours goodish sleep overnight on the bus, there was plenty of leg room, cheapish baked spud with beans, dropped us exactly where we wanted to be, would recommend to anyone, and would happily use again. Certainly much better than getting to an airport at a ridiculously early time, dismantling the bike, worrying about it being damaged on the flight, and then arriving at an airport in the middle of nowhere to then have to rebuild the bike amd ride it to where I wanted to start the tour. And before you start saying the flight would be cheaper, work out the cost door to door, including the cost of the bike and a bag or two in the hold of the aircraft, and remember to include the price of accommodation for the night you spend on the bus. There is a good reason the EBE is booked up well in advance.

 

[CopperBrompton]

In my case I had to book a night's accommodation for the night I was supposed to spend on the bus ...

 

[Brains]

I've used EBE
I've used planes
I've used trains
I've used cars
for transporting people and bikes for continental holidays, they all have advantages and disadvantages.

The most hassle is the plane
The least hassle is the EBE

The cheapest is usually the plane
The most expensive is usually the car

The most pleasurable is the train
The least pleasurable is the plane

The most versatile is the car
The least versatile is the plane

The fastest (door to door including bike 2 x rebuild and knockdown) may be the plane
The slowest (door to door without the need to build) may be the EBE

Overall it a personal case of giving weight to each of the criteria and deciding comfort over speed over cost over hassle and make your own mind up.

My experience of the EBE is whilst not perfect it is way better than any budget airline and given the choice of flying or EBEing to a destination I'd take the EBE every time (and if given the choice of EBE or a train, I'd take the train)

 

[bigjim]

Take the Budget airline anytime. 2 hours sitting in a plane while sipping a coffee and munching a mars bar or 14 or 15+ hours on a bus driving through the night whilst trying to sleep and worrying that the driver will stay awake. No thanks. Been there done that.
I f you are at the wrong side of the UK you have to also wait for a feeder bus to pick you up and deliver you to the main pickup so the journey is even longer. Last time I worked it out it was far more expensive than flying and a damn site more uncomfortable.