I want to do a return train journey with my bike. For the final leg of the return journey only, I need a bike reservation both because the rules say so, and because it often gets busy. The problem is that you can’t collect tickets from my starting station so I can’t book online. What I want to do is buy a ticket from my starting station, and then add the bike reservation to it either by phone, or in person at a station.

Has anyone ever done this? The journey in question is on FGW out of Paddington. I’d ask FGW but as they’re advertising only a 5% chance of responding to an email within 5 days, I thought I’d try the STW hive mind first…

I am pretty sure that you can get a bike reservation in person at a station without any bother.

Yeah, I do it quite a bit. The only issue might be that the bike reservation is specific to one train, so if you’re late or early you won’t have a space reserved if you want to travel at a different time.

Yeah should be fine in person.

Go to any staffed station and you can book a bike reservation on any train service (assuming that the service allows them that is). You’ll get a couple of extra tickets, one to attach to your bike and one to keep with you

Yeah you can do it by phone or at a station

As above, do it at any station, doesn’t have to be the one you leave from or arrive at.