Is it actually possible* to book ScotRail online, or do I just ring them up and book the ticket & bike together?

Every single train I’ve looked at over a 2 day period Edinburgh-Inverness in a couple of months doesn’t offer an option to book for a bike. So I tried our local Borders line for today, and that doesn’t work either.

What am I missing?

Historically I’ve always gone into Waverley to book my bike, as it’s been the least (but not little) hassle. However, I have recently had success using Twitter to the train company who are running that train. This may, or may not, be a useful strategy.

Borders line? It’s a moot point at best, the train will be cancelled🤷‍♂️

Boarders line I do not think can be booked.  Its turn up and go like many other local trains

For inverness go to the scotrail website, chose your ticket then it opens up options to book your bike on.  If no spaces available on that train then cancell the booking and try again on another train.  You can only book ticket for you then book the bike on once you have picked a train.  Its clunky but it can be done

Perhaps all the bike spaces are already booked?

For inverness go to the scotrail website, chose your ticket then it opens up options to book your bike on.

OP I’ve just looked as we also need bike spaces and I can’t see the option TJ mentions on my phone. I just get which train and then pay with no bike options at all. Wondering if has to be done on a laptop?

Perhaps all the bike spaces are already booked?

For every train for 2 mid-week days in May – doesn’t feel right.

I guess I’ll be calling.

I looked at this recently and I don’t think the normal online process is working (no spaces being offered on any train). It will require a phone call or in-person booking at a station.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNKvfCOsP6I&t=82s

I just tried one train – no bike spaces available as once the seat booking was done the bike option remains greyed out

there is only two per train bookable

Edit – see scotroutes post

I tried to book 4 bikes onto Glasgow QS to Inverness in April. Called them up, and apparently every single train in April is fully booked up and there are only 2 bike spaces per train on this route even though it is highlighted on their site as a popular cyclist route that must be booked in advance…

Now renting a van in Glasgow and dropping at Inverness to do the Badger Divide.

Remember, LNER also run Edinburgh to Inverness and have 4 bike spaces.

Now renting a van in Glasgow and dropping at Inverness to do the Badger Divide.

Which is why I’m looking as well – and I did also look into this option, £140 for an Enterprise hirecar on a one-way.

Damn. We want to do it in May. Might have to rethink our plans, which were leave our van at Glasgow.

I’m also looking, for the same reason. Just seems to be the highland main line that is permanently full / can’t be booked.

Every single train bike spaces booked? Hard to believe. I just tried a booking on Scotrail, Glasgow – Inverness 14th April 14:39. Bike space available as far as the payment stage. Unless it rejects an attempted booking at the payment point.

That 1439 seems to be the only train you can get a space on, I guess because it’s the stopper and takes nearly 2 hours longer than the fastest train. I’ve just nabbed two bike spaces for the day we want in May, on that same train (we have all day, so whatever). Everything else didn’t offer a space.

Oh and the bike booking option doesn’t come up on the mobile phone version of their booking page. Had to do it on my iPad.

We’ve ended up keeping our train tickets (£12 each, booked well in advance before Scotrail had moved off emergency timetable which didn’t allow bike bookings at all) and booking a medium van with Enterprise which is £200 one way. Two on the train to make use of the tickets and two in the rental van with all the bikes and kit. Both leave Glasgow at 10:10 with a Top Gear Style race to Inverness, losers buy the first pints.

Thinking on the number of cyclists doing the NC500 and the number I saw doing the BD on my trips to Corrour I’d say it’s possible that all the train spaces are actually full.

Every single train bike spaces booked? Hard to believe. I just tried a booking on Scotrail, Glasgow – Inverness 14th April 14:39. Bike space available as far as the payment stage. Unless it rejects an attempted booking at the payment point.

Yes, that’s not the main highland line so takes 5 hours going via aberdeen. The main highland line takes 3 hours and has no spaces showing.

Needs must. I went Glasgow – Penzance a couple of years back. Even booking 12 weeks out I had to go via Edinburgh to get a bike space.

Edit The cheap tickets go on sale around 12 weeks out. Thatis the time to book. I think one of the websites possibly Trainline lets you search a journey then arrange an email reminder when the cheap seats are released without needing to book. I got the email around 4am. Didn’t check my email until 10.00 and the bike spaceswere already booked on the direct Glasgow Penzance train.

FYI

Note TJs point. As I understand it you have to book a seat before it will show bike places

Been a while since I did this but the mobile site doesn’t offer bike spaces.

Success.

After trying loads of trains (and days) I not only managed to get a bike space but in First Class for all of £34 🙂

Is criminal just how much opportunity exists for adventures by bike and train, yet how (increasingly, it seems) difficult Scotrail wish to make it!

I’ve got 4 days planned in September that could be done entirely by train, but given the small amount of flexibility my plans require, and the reasonably short notice I need to book, I think I’ll just take the car 🙄

And yet ScotRail are way ahead of the curve with their new “bike” carriages on some lines. Hopefully that’ll roll out further.

At the end of the day the franchise owners are there to.make money and bid/operate according to the contract laud out by ScotGov so the impetus for change needs to start there.

The cheap tickets go on sale around 12 weeks out. Thatis the time to book. I think one of the websites possibly Trainline lets you search a journey then arrange an email reminder when the cheap seats are released without needing to book.

Whilst usually true, the whole industry is struggling with achieving these timescales at the moment (I admit Scotrail may be different, but I doubt it). The fallout from COVID and the length of time it’s going to take some operators to get their resources straight again means that the !2-week rule may not be in operation for many months yet.

I agree, it’s already an issue and is growing as more people cycle tour / ride / bikepack / trails in Scotland by train.

Time for a letter to MSP again on the issue…

The new carriages on the west highland line are great – its not every train but there is space for loads of bikes in them

I often travel Stirling to Gleneagles with my bike if I can’t be bothered cycling, or I’m late home from work.
I’ve found that LNER bike spaces can only be booked on the LNER website, not the Scotrail site.

Can you remove the wheels and wrap an old sheet round the bike so that it’s just an odd shaped piece of luggage? That seems to be the best bet on the TGV here in France.

At the end of the day the franchise owners are there to.make money and bid/operate according to the contract laud out by ScotGov so the impetus for change needs to start there

The problem isn’t Abellio, the problem is Scotrail. It’s institutionalised. Nothing will change, mark my words.

apart from the west highland line now has special bike carriages that hold a dozen bikes?  New rolling stock on the north berwick line now takes a dozen bikes

It’s incredible how much of a ballache all rail companies still make reserving a definite bike spot for journeys.

I had a specific issue once trying to go from Edinburgh Waverley and unable to book online. Went into the station to book and they said the platform can be too short depending where the bike carriage is, so if there’s any potential blocker like that it won’t allow online bookings.

Made sense at the time. It does seem random as to when and where you can book bikes on trains.

Weren’t the HSTs meant to take bikes in the cargo areas as well? What ever happened to that?

We also did a 1 way hire for the Badger. Arnold Clark worked for us as there was a handy dealer for collection and then the Inverness dealer was pretty near the start too (they were also cheapest at the time)

apart from the west highland line now has special bike carriages that hold a dozen bikes? New rolling stock on the north berwick line now takes a dozen bikes

Rolling stock has always changed and yes, it has changed for the better. I meant more along the lines of the actual service.

A bit more progress and we might get back to the 1970s when there was a guards van that could hold about 20 bikes. Used it Glasgow to Spean Bridge on my first bike tour circa 1976.

The new carriages on the west highland line are great – its not every train but there is space for loads of bikes in them

The big bike carriages are on the Glasgow – Oban run. Takes 20 bikes. Costs an extra £10 if you want to sit in the same carriage as your bike.

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/scotrail-highland-explorer