Eurostar to Brussels

[david1701]

Right I have a friend out in Holland and I was thinking to combine a mini tour with a Holiday and ride out to see her.

I was thinking to ride down to Exe then train up to London, get on the Eurostar to Brussels then ride over with an overnight stop in London (or tbf I could maybe wing it by getting the sleeper up and snoozing on the platform or something).

Whats the score on Bikes on the Eurostar they say on their site that you need to book the ticket then the bike (which seems dumb as what if theres no space?). £30 each way is a bit steep (my return ticket is £69 ffs) but I spose can't be avoided.

Anyone done it with a little stealable local knowledge ?

Oh also has anyone ridden the big long bridges in the Netherlands, I did google streetview on the one I was thinking to maybe take and there was a cyclist next to the car on a path so I'm assuming they're rideable

 

[Haitch]

Don't know about the train but most (not all) of the bridges in Holland are bikable. Which one were you thinking of doing?

 

[Alan Whicker]

I hope i'm wrong - but don't Eurostar have some daft rule about the bikes having travel separately... that is, they won't guarantee that your bike will be on the same train as you

 

[willem]

I would take the ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland. And I would not worry about bridges etc.
Willem

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Oh also has anyone ridden the big long bridges in the Netherlands, I did google streetview on the one I was thinking to maybe take and there was a cyclist next to the car on a path so I'm assuming they're rideable

Not done it myself but I have read a cycling blog where someone did try it (along the 'that'll be fun' lines); except the scenery got boring pretty fast and there was a solid headwind the whole way! (If you're talking the really long seabridges, anyway - kilometers long?)

I have pottered around on my Brompton (via ferry) to go see tulips earlier this year; and discovered there was indeed a reason that the Netherlands have so many windmills... (doh!)

 

[SavageHoutkop]

getting the sleeper up and snoozing on the platform or something).

Sleeper that starts in Penzance? Allegedly, you get to use the 1st class facilities at Paddington on arrival; but we did it on a long weekend when said lounge wasn't available. Worth a look; even though I think the showers no longer exist (although there are pay showers at Paddington, although again never used them).

The ferry is a very civilised way to travel (we did Stena Lines from Harwich to Hoek van Holland; and it includes the train fare from London to Harwich and from Hoek van Holland to any Dutch station if you book a 'Dutch Flyer' ticket.

 

[rich p]

I cycled over the Markemeer dike which was quite fun but I did have the wind behind me! 30km from memory.

 

[TheDoctor]

There's a few ways of taking a bike on Eurostar.
Put it in a bag - wheels off, bars turned.
As long as it's 120cm by 90 cm or so, it'll go on for nothing and you can stash it in a luggage rack in your carriage.

Book a bike space.
£30 each way, check the bike in an hour beforehand and it should be on the same train, allegedly.

You could always get the overnight ferry from Harwich to the Hook. Just to chuck a spanner in the works, like...

 

[david1701]

Sleeper that starts in Penzance? Allegedly, you get to use the 1st class facilities at Paddington on arrival; but we did it on a long weekend when said lounge wasn't available. Worth a look; even though I think the showers no longer exist (although there are pay showers at Paddington, although again never used them).

The ferry is a very civilised way to travel (we did Stena Lines from Harwich to Hoek van Holland; and it includes the train fare from London to Harwich and from Hoek van Holland to any Dutch station if you book a 'Dutch Flyer' ticket.

thats the fella, hopefully should be quite nice, then check in, board and go to sleep on the eurostar, hopefully waking up the other side of the tunnel to gawp at France and Belgium.

hmmm never been on a boat that didn't have sails and I'm not sure that travelling solo by bike is the best time to find out if I add seasickness to my list of foibles :s

The idea is more Holiday than tour, hence riding out at breakneck pace, spending a week with friends and then riding back in more stages to look into some of the sights on the way to Brussels. I need to rationalise what I'd want to take with me also as a normal weeks holiday set of stuff is unfeasable on a bike Also needs to have at least 2.5kg of camera kit + hopefully I can afford my shiny new 2kg (not 8) tripod by then too.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

hmmm never been on a boat that didn't have sails and I'm not sure that travelling solo by bike is the best time to find out if I add seasickness to my list of foibles :s

I think you'd be hardpressed to get seasick on the Stena Line ferries; they're just too big to wobble much.
I have felt quesy on the catamaran to Jersey; but the slow heavy ferries are much smoother....