please help i’m pulling my hair out!

all the guides say book online. but how & where?

All i can see is a seat booking option – maybe i can put the bike in the seat and stand? 😈

are you on the GWR site or trainline? you can’t from trainline but GWR’s site may be different otherwise phone

0345 7000 125 and book that way.

Last time I did this (was Transpennine rather than GWR), I booked at my local station who not only got me a better deal, but sorted the full end-to-end bike bookings too. I got hundreds of tickets and a nice printed itinerary too. My station wasn’t a TP one either (it was Northern) so I don’t think you need to find a GWR station to do this.

Perhaps time to leave the computer and go for a walk (or a bike ride!)?

Perhaps time to leave the computer and go for a walk (or a bike ride!)?

i’m too socially awkward to use the phone – i’m not about to go outside!! 😆

Cheers Guys.

Go to gwr.com and book. When you get to the page that asks you for seat reservation preferences, reserve a seat, then there’s a link for bicycle space. Click on that then select 1 from the drop down.

Then when you collect your ticket, you’ll get bike reservation tickets. It works end-to-end too. But do check – when it shows you your reservation details (seats etc) then you’ll see where the bike is booked.

Go to gwr.com and book. When you get to the page that asks you for seat reservation preferences, reserve a seat, then there’s a link for bicycle space. Click on that then select 1 from the drop down.

This. I do it loads and it’s always been fine. Note that reservations are now mandatory for all GWR high speed services.

I’ve found they never check the reservation so I get one anyway but use it on non-reserved trains if I’m early/late

Just be aware that on GWR a reservation doesn’t guarantee you a spot on the train with a bike- if the very few spots provided are already full they will not let you on. Don’t ask too many questions and wedge yourself in regardless 🙂 But at the same time definitely get a reservation as even if there are 500 bike spaces they will often still not let you on without one. Depends a lot on the individual train manager and folk at the station much like any train provider but my experiences of taking bikes on a train is by far the worst with GWR. Bit of a lottery with them unfortunately.

They do sometimes check. I’ve been denied access. But it’s bullshit really – the guard reserves the right to refuse access even if you DO have a reservation, which is clearly bollocks. Although it’s been pretty easy mostly – done it many hundreds of times.

I am saving up for a folder though, cos having to book is a ball-ache.

my experiences of taking bikes on a train is by far the worst with GWR

Which line? GWR have given me the best experiences over the years, mostly on the Swansea line.

OP, be aware that many GWR services (mostly in/out of Paddington @ rush hour) don’t allow bikes at all. Trying to book a bike on these services, the bike option just doesn’t appear, so can be confusing.