Getting back from JOG ...Plane or train?

[GrumpyGregry]

never spent more than £80 to get from Inverness, or elsewhere in Highlands, to London, by train, sleeper or West/East Coast Mainline and I've done it five or six times in last two years. You just have to book 12 weeks in advance on the day the advance fares are released.

Love the @srw islands suggestion

 

[srw]

Love the @srw islands suggestion

I don't think it was mine originally - I can't remember where I found it. It appealed as a way of getting a tandem back from JoG without resort to "large luggage" (either in the shape of travel bags or the tardis flight case). The National Rail leaflet promises that East Coast - who run direct to Aberdeen - still take tandems ("subject to maximum length"), but East Coast's own website doesn't mention them these days.

 

[e-rider]

I travelled from Inverness to Norwich by train with bike for about £45 (3 changes) - perhaps you need to shop about for a cheaper train ticket, although it is probably more if you go right into London.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I asked about mailing a bicycle bag to Inverness and Wick airports. I had emails back from both Airport managers, both extremely helpful and happy to take delivery of a padded bike bag and store it at the Airport info desk and fire station respectively until needed. I probably wont need it this trip, but in case any body else may they are happy to look after a bike bag as long as you take responsibility for it etc. I thought that buying a new one and mailing it up there would be about the same price as mailing my existing one. I only need one so I could ebay afterwards.

 

[db7db7]

Best of luck. Be interested to know what you end up doing to start/back from finish and your overall experience. Hoping to do it this summer and currently at panning stage. Considering hire cars to L End then back from Inverness/anywhere close to JOG (awaiting quotes) as can't be doing with swapping trains etc with fully loaded, heavy and cumbersome bikes.
Anyway, best of luck.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Best of luck. Be interested to know what you end up doing to start/back from finish and your overall experience. Hoping to do it this summer and currently at panning stage. Considering hire cars to L End then back from Inverness/anywhere close to JOG (awaiting quotes) as can't be doing with swapping trains etc with fully loaded, heavy and cumbersome bikes.
Anyway, best of luck.

if you pm me i'll fill you in mate

 

[Stu99]

When I did LEJoG in 2005 I booked an EasyJet flight back to London from Inverness. All went well until the check-in staff decided that the plastic bike bag I'd carried all the way was not acceptable and insisted that the bike was boxed or it wasn't going. Luckily I'd given myself a two hour check in and had just enough time to take a taxi to the nearest Halfords, salvage a cardboard bike box, disassemble/pack it at speed and get back up to the check-in for the flight home.

Frustrating that the bike bag had been perfectly acceptable on all airlines (including international carriers) until that point. Doubly frustrating that the £20 taxi fare to and from Halfords was more than the flight home (booked well in advance for £12.99) - those were the days of cheap airline travel....

 

[Ticktockmy]

Its a pity that the Airlines don't get together and thrash out a worldwide Standard as to how Bikes should be packed. Easy Jet seem to have different standards at each airport they fly too.
Was a time when you just turned up at the airport, took off the pedals, turned the Handle bar round, let some air out of the tyres, and checked it in. The mistake was that some cyclist started to wrap the bikes up in foam to protect the gears etc. Then bingo the check-in staff, somehow picked up on it and come to the conclusion it was what was required as company policy. Thus we end up with this mish mash of rules.

 

[snorri]

as can't be doing with swapping trains etc with fully loaded, heavy and cumbersome bikes.

It's a lot less painful than having to sit for hours with the steering wheel of a hire car in your hands!

 

[theloafer]

the 2 times we had to get back from north scotland lejogs 2005 and a trip up the west coast and cape wrath 2007 we got the train back to inverness then as my cycle buddy lives near to gatwick used these guys http://www.europcar.co.uk/ on a one way hire pick is just across the the road from the station or 7 miles at the airport very handy ...

 

[Jimbob312]

Interesting to read this thread as I am doing LEJOG next may.
To me it's a no brainier. Eastern from wick to Aberdeen ( mate of mine works for them and reckons flight for 50quid)
Just booked BA to heathrow for 61quid and believe the company at jog will pack and send a bike home for 50quid.
So about 160 for the convenience of being able to leave jog at about 4pm and be back at work the following morning.
Not the cheapest but the most convenient from what I can see.

 

[db7db7]

swap inverness for aberdeen and that's exactly what i did.

 

[CafGriff]

Are there any suggestion for getting from JOG's to the South West?
I'm aiming for either any of the airports / train stations in Devon .. Exeter or ( ideally my home town of Plymouth - or Newquay in Cornwall.
How much in advance did you guys organise the journeys back?
I've yet to set my KO day to venture 'up north from the south' .... and I'm seeking advise from Sustrans as to the state of the Western routes so far after these horrific storms.

 

[Jimbob312]

You have a short trip to the start then.
Probably not very cheap but eastern airways would get you to
Southampton and then sky bus to Newquay or do as I'm doing in may......
Eastern from wick to Aberdeen then British airways to heathrow, you could then take the overnight sleeper train back to Plymouth. So on your last day you can cycle most of the day and be home for breakfast the following day.
Shame air southwest and Plymouth airport are gone.
BA flight from Aberdeen to LHR only cost me 60quid, right bargain.

 

[CafGriff]

You have a short trip to the start then.
Probably not very cheap but eastern airways would get you to
Southampton and then sky bus to Newquay or do as I'm doing in may......
Eastern from wick to Aberdeen then British airways to heathrow, you could then take the overnight sleeper train back to Plymouth. So on your last day you can cycle most of the day and be home for breakfast the following day.
Shame air southwest and Plymouth airport are gone.
BA flight from Aberdeen to LHR only cost me 60quid, right bargain.