• This topic has 12 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by jhw.
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  • Eurostar help needed!
  • onecogwonder
    Free Member

    We’re looking at three of us Eurostar-ing it across to Bruxelles and taking bikes with us for SSEC2011, can anybody help me decipher the regs on bagging or not bagging bikes for the train trip, and if you do bag ’em, what do you do with the bags when you are riding across to the race? There doesn’t seem to be a specific rule here but we don’t want to book tickets and get caught out. Any help is appreciated!

    br
    Free Member

    Cardboard box them, and through it away?

    onecogwonder
    Free Member

    Yeah but I need to come back home with the bikes too! There’s some light bike bags out there but I’ve never owned one, the last one I borrowed weighed a ton!

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    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    On my last trip to Paris the other day, I saw a few people with bikes in those tartan laundry bag things, they seemed to get through security/check in OK.

    Not sure that really helps though! I’d give ’em a call and ask, just to be safe.

    souldrummer
    Free Member

    I regularly take a road bike to Brussels. I break it down and pack it into a bike bag, with plenty of pipe lagging to protect it, and carry it onto the train and just put it in the racks at the end of the carriage. NB do not book a seat in the carriages at either end of the train as the racks there are very limited in space. Also make sure you get to the front of the queue just prior to boarding to make sure you get first dibs on the luggage space and take a toe strap to secure your bag to the racking.

    Last time I was coming back a guy had just strapped the wheels of his bike to the frame and wrapped a couple of bin bags round it. He has no problems putting in on.

    When I first started doing this I was told if you can carry it to the train you can put it on there. When you see the size of some of the suitcases people lug onto the train a bike in a bag suddenly doesn’t seem too big a deal.

    schnullelieber
    Free Member

    Will there not be a left luggage office at the station where you could leave the bike bags until your journey home?

    souldrummer
    Free Member

    Re the bike bag and the need to find a home for it while you are away, it might be worth checking if there is left luggage facilities at Bxls Midi. I can’t remember off hand.

    olaf_hansen
    Free Member

    Like others, done it countless times with mtb and road bike on Eurostar and TGV. I live in London so I ride to St Pancras and head into that alcove adjacent to check-in. Then it’s wheels off, and pull out 4 bins bags and a bit of tape. One wheel in each bag, and a bag at either end of frame. Works fine – every time.

    The Eurostar web site says something along the lines of ‘if it can be dismantled to the size of a normal suitcase, we’ll try and accommodate’. On the few times, the E* staff have picked up on it, they’ve been very polite and helpful and directed me to the galley area. Really it’s no problem whatsoever …

    olaf_hansen
    Free Member

    one thing though – if there are 3 of you, probably best to split up

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    You mean to tell me, that on this modern sophisticated transport service, that there’s no bike provision??

    And the French are involved in this????

    Disgusting.

    onecogwonder
    Free Member

    The heavy duty bin bag and gaffer tape route sounds ideal, we’ll split up as well, nobody will know we are together! Cheers for the advice chaps!

    souldrummer
    Free Member

    One other thing to remember if you need to travel to another station in Belgium is that you get free travel to any other station in Belgium within 24 hours with your Eurostar ticket. However, be careful if that is what you need as they have changed the options on the booking site and you have to now specifically request this as your destination, as Bxls Midi seems to be the default now.

    If you do use this option and have unpacked your bike and put it on the train in Belgium you will need to buy a ticket for it, but the last time I was out there it was only a few Euros.

    jhw
    Free Member

    Is it not the case that you can just book it in, pay £30 and then not have to box it at all?

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

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