Im going cycling in Spain with some mates, and I'm gonna pack my bike into a bike box so I can stick it on the plane.
But what do I do with said box once I arrive at my destination airport? I don't want to carry it with me obviously, and easy jet don't hire them so....
I'm reluctant to use a padded bag 'cos we know what the handlers are like, and when I ask easy jet if they can guarantee that it wont get chucked around, they said 'it will be handled like the other baggage'.... hmm....
leave it left luggage so it's there for your return flight?
Flat pack it and lay it flat in the boot of the car/van?
bin it, only option really
Guessing though you need something to return back to. Since used to be able to travel without bike bags/boxes but now any more.
When I went to the US, I just cut the tape holding it together, flattened it and put it in the car - then just put it back together for the return trip.
FWIW, I use a soft bag nowadays - I reckon that while it doesn't offer as much protection, it looks less robust so there's a slightly better chance that the handlers won't treat it as being indestructible whereas I've seen them being pretty rough with boxed stuff...
i assumed he was riding away from the airport
if not then just fold it up. take plenty of strong tape with you.
if it is a mountain bike or a tough tourer then you could use a CTC plastic bike bag, the wife has used one on her bike to fly with flybe
hire a van instead of a car. problem solved.
No rental lockers? My mates managed to store all the kit in almost walk-in type lockers at Geneva train station for a night last year. Cost about 5 euros per night, but in terms of coming back (if youre coming back through the same airport and are riding away from the airport as opposed to driving) it might make sense.
~Bin the box and identify a bike shop for new box on return journey.
Not sure boxes help TBH - they still just throw them around, walk on the boxes side-on etc. At least if it's bike shaped they'd struggle to walk on it. But in the end this is why I bought an estate and drove to the alps the last time!
Er, doesn't the OP mean a hard case bike box, not a cardboard box uised to deliver new bikes to LBSs?
Would this not be more tricky to leave somewhere/a PITA if using a hire car?
It's a good quesiton, as I'm flying to Milan in early May with the road bike, and would like to ensure it arrives (at each end) in one piece.
i've checked this before flying with a hard box
general rule of thumb "business" airports usually have left luggage -"tourist" destination don't but google carefully and usually you can find answer on tourist guide sites
in spain according to this only Madrid and Barcelona
http://www.spanish-airport-guide.com/2007/02/left-luggage-only-at-barcelona-madrid.html
Bin it - done this many times in Europe. On the way back, get it wrapped in shrink wrap - sometimes it's free, sometimes some enterprising soul will have bought the machine and will charge a tenner for wrapping it. No protection, but easier than faffing about trying to find a bike shop with a spare box, in an unfamiliar city.