Forum menu
I've booked myself a dream holiday-Tour of Mt Blanc Enduro with Ben Jones MTB - but have never flown with my bike before. Packing etc isn't an issue but has anyone got any advice on airlines etc, who's good, excess baggage for the bike etc?
Any tips appreciated
Flying to Geneva btw
Cheers
Dave
Firstly packing - you say you are ok but you really should double check.
Second - I prefer to fly BA with sports gear as luggage allowance and service quality are better. That being said easy-jet are pretty decent all round.
EasyJet are good and have sports bag
Look at the door to door duration considering transfer times, hours before flight you have to be there, flight time, waiting in baggage the other end, delays, lost luggage. Then cost of a bike bag, cost of carriage as excess, parking and/or taxi cost, transfer or hire car at the other end.
Then consider driving 😉
This does assume you are somewhere in the south east however! 😀
Door to door to the alps flying can take me 7ish hours for a 1.5hr flight. Driving - 10. Depending on how much stopping time you do. Shared drive and that can be minimised.
Can take whatever you like, with no weight limits, just about. No restrictions on stuff like CO2 carts, and no need to disassemble the bike and have tools to put it back together again and the hassle involved doing that when you're tired after a long journey so the bike is ready for the morning or whatever.
Deal breaker on flying with bike for me is if it's a short trip or I need to be riding on the first day or two and the risk of the bike ending up on the wrong flight or not having made it on the flight. I've had it happen to me skiing. Thankfully a long trip so didn't ruin the trip as the stuff turned up after a few days and could rent in the meantime.
Always gone easyjet, clear policy on bikes and charges.
Personally, go for a bike bag, not a cardboard box unless you know your bike will be inside a van.
Chamonix -Geneva is a fair shuttle and cardboard, in the rail is very messy at check in...
I know, I saw it all soak away and disintegrate through the back window of the van.
Cheers guys
Dave
BA club Europe can be excellent value as it includes 2 X 32kg bags. So if you and a mate are going you can take 2 bikes on the club allowance plus another bag on his economy allowance. Plus you only need one leg to be club to get 32kg both ways, so just book economy home.
Most airlines don't count your bike as part of normal baggage allowance, but as sports equipment charging 60 quid / 100 euros each way. I've had rigid bike boxes broken in transit and prefer to use a well-padded bike bag.
Can take whatever you like, with no weight limits, just about. No restrictions on stuff like CO2 carts, and no need to disassemble the bike and have tools to put it back together again and the hassle involved doing that when you're tired after a long journey so the bike is ready for the morning or whatever.
With easyJet doing the sports deal and the ba deal gee linked that's plenty for a week or 2. 64kg is a lot of luggage I've got a bike evoc, 2 camel backs lots of clothes and the right tools in for less than that. Used to be in the alps need spare everything category but now I have decent newish well looked after kit. I also accept that breaking a wheel etc won't be cheap but much more pleasant than 10hrs of driving.
I fly with bikes a lot and have an evoc, if I'm with it I can pack it or unpack/build the bike in 15mins.i need 1x8mm Allen Key for the pedals, 1x3mm for the bars and a t25 for the rotors.
It's easy to haul, easy to carry and packs well and safe in the hold.
Flying is as easy as getting on the bus so long as you know what your doing and simple things like not trying to ram everything in the bike bag and carry on make it smooth going.
Gva to cham isn't a bad transfer nice little build up by road as you get closer. The train goes the other way via Switzerland and is also quite nice and chilled.
I have a feeling Swiss count a bike as an extra piece of allowed baggage too. So you get a bag and a bike. Need to check though.