Need to get 4 guys, 4 bikes and kit to the alps in August. Usually we take two cars but looking to cut down on costs.

Last time I looked into trying to find a double cab van it was a nightmare. Would a decent sized people carrier do it?

Anyone recommended me a company Southampton based ideal

Most companies wont let you take a hire van etc out of the country without special permission plus the number of days it’d be prohibitive?

Better would be to drive a large estate with a multiple (borrowed) roof rack down IMO.

Need to get 4 guys, 4 bikes and kit to the alps in August. Usually we take two cars but looking to cut down on costs.

The cars you weren’t taking would have to VERY thirsty indeed for it to be cheaper to hire something that would carry you all and do it that way.

Better to look at cheaper channel crossing routes, off peak fares etc as a way of reducing costs I would reckon.

Where are you travelling from/to ?

Thinking out loud- would it be possible to ‘mail’ some kit on ahead to the chalet? Anyone going out at the sametime who is going in a van?

Too many variables for the above not to work – but maybe a leftfield thought if someone else has had similar?

Southampton – Morzine. Usually via chunnel

It’s not just fuel though it is also 2 x insurance, euro breakdown, chunnel, tolls….

(and last time the cars were a 330 and an impressa….this year probably a focus and mondeo tdi..)

Hi mate, we (as a family) drove to Morillion near Samoens, last year
We hire a VW touran from enterprise, cost about £350 for 12 days including the extra cost for European cover. Took 4 plus loads of room. If you go on carhire 3000 they have some good offers we use them all the time.

Steve

Thanks for the tip, just checked, it seems to be around £500 🙁
http://www.carhire3000.com/SearchResults.do;jsessionid=19028F15476FBFF9BE0EF4CB9EAD2DF2.node179a?dropCity=Southampton&doMinute=30&location=-1&driversAge=25&doHour=9&locationName=Southampton+%28All+areas%29&searchType=allareasgeosearch&doFiltering=true&puSameAsDo=on&city=Southampton&puHour=9&dropCountry=UK&puDay=11&filterTo=20&dropLocation=-1&doDay=18&countryCode=&dropLocationName=Southampton+%28All+areas%29&country=UK&filterFrom=0&puMonth=8&puMinute=30&doMonth=8&doYear=2013&puYear=2013&fromLocChoose=true&filterOnOffAirport=&filterAdditionalInfo=&filterFuel=&filterAircon=&filterTransmission=&advSearch=%3APEO&exSuppliers=

We have done it twice with large estates. What about buying a big car and sell it when you get back? If you find one cheap you can sell it for more than you paid for it.

some thing like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-PEUGEOT-406-LX-HDI-110-SILVER-DIESEL-ESTATE-CAR-/300910446392?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item460fa90738#ht_569wt_959

We have done it for the last nine years with four of us and four bikes on a bike rack. Last six years have been in a Grand Picasso. Had loads of room for spares and kit.

Check http://www.deliveriestothealps.co.uk/ out, will collect all your stuff, and deliver to resort, i’ve got 3 bikes, 2 suitcases going for £160 return!

We took a hire van out a few years back, all rather last minute as the van we were supposed to be borrowing broke down! Cost us a small fortune in both hire and fuel, but it was either that or not go on holiday.

Took 2 cars last year instead, still quite a spendy way of getting there.

This year I have come across a chap called Andy Hillman who runs a delivery company that delivers all sorts of items from the UK to the Alps and back.. he’s taking our bikes out both ways for £55 each, standard cost for one bike is £65, but you get discounts on multiple bookings.
Saves us having to worry about squeezing them into a car or leaving them on a rack when we stop, and we get to take a ‘normal’ car with just our luggage.

http://www.deliveriestothealps.co.uk/page3.htm

Damn, beaten to it!

Check http://www.deliveriestothealps.co.uk/ out, will collect all your stuff, and deliver to resort, i’ve got 3 bikes, 2 suitcases going for £160 return!

That looks good. Might come in handy one day.

We hired a 9 seater Transporter Shuttle bus last year to go to Morzine. We took the back row of seats out and that gave us plenty of room for 4 bikes and as much beer, food and clothes as we wanted. The van was great, we sat at 85mph most the way and with air-con it was doing about 34MPG I think.

Think we paid around £500, but i know that was a very good deal.

Weird rule, On my license I couldn’t drive a 9 seater van, but take a row of seats out to make it under 8 and I was fine.

hi poonprice – which company did you use for the shuttle? I’ve seen a ford torneou for around £550, putting europe on it seems to make it jump massively.

And thanks for the ‘deliveries’ link, I’ll have a think – did everything turn up okay?

DT78,

Think it was Blink – http://www.blinkreservations.com

We got a good deal I think because a mate uses them for commercial rental a lot. But they were happy for it to go to Europe.

putting europe on it seems to make it jump massively.

due AFAIK to repatriation cost/time if you’d a problem/accident

cheaper and quicker to fly.

We have done it twice with large estates. What about buying a big car and sell it when you get back? If you find one cheap you can sell it for more than you paid for it.

I suppose if £500 is your Van rental price that sort of sets your budget for buying an alternative vehicle for the trip?

Scout about for an older MPV or big estate perhaps? High mileage W reg Zaffira, Galaxy or E class, with a few months Tax & MOT should be do-able.

It’s got to be something still classed as a car for ferry/chunnel purposes with enough volume for the bodies/luggage and bikes you need to cram in, you can whip half the seats out of it and and maybe consider a used roof box from fleabay to increase luggage volume (if your cross channel route allows this)?

Re-sell it ASAP once you’re back in the UK (ideally with a bit of Tax/MOT left on it), to recoup as much of the cost as possible…

But you want a Big Car, not a Van to make it a worthwhile exercise due to Ferry/Chunnel costs – IMO…

The Mail to the alps thing looks like a good idea also.

Karen, This deliveriestothealps.. Is that £65-£55 each way?

This year I have come across a chap called Andy Hillman who runs a delivery company that delivers all sorts of items from the UK to the Alps and back.. he’s taking our bikes out both ways for £55 each, standard cost for one bike is £65, but you get discounts on multiple bookings.
Saves us having to worry about squeezing them into a car or leaving them on a rack when we stop, and we get to take a ‘normal’ car with just our luggage.

http://www.deliveriestothealps.co.uk/page3.htm

That sounds like a really good idea, will keep for future reference 😀

freeridenick – Member
cheaper and quicker to fly.

Flying is not as quick/convenient as you think though is it…
People seldom factor the peripheral faffing; drive to tthe airport, parking, transfer, check-in, security, passport control, waiting in departures, boarding, any flight delays, baggage claim at the other end, transfers, etc, etc…
All told that “Less than 2 hours” flight probably takes 8-10 hours, most of it pretty dull or frustrating…

If you drive, you get there at a steady pace by driving in shifts, four people driving ~2 hours shifts each while the other sleep / rest you’ll get there in under a day…

The plane might seem quicker, but it’s actually about the same journey time “door to door” and you’ve got a vehicle should you need it for the remainder of your stay…

Either way, driving or flying is pretty much a wasted day. We prefer to drive because you can take as much crap as you want, like a big toolbox etc..

At least driving is a bit of an adventure and you get to see some stuff on the way, instead of sitting in the airport/on plane.

I hate sitting in a airport with the good and the bad, watching people drinking pints of ale at 9am, horrible overpriced food places, the tedium of waiting for your turn.

I love road trips, love the ferry – yes there is still waiting but boats are fun! 😀

You can also vary where you go/take a different route etc etc so even though its driving its not set in stone.

Tracey – Member
We have done it for the last nine years with four of us and four bikes on a bike rack. Last six years have been in a Grand Picasso. Had loads of room for spares and kit.

What engine/age etc is? I want a bloody big car now. So I can do family road trips etc and use as a tip van etc.

I have to disagree..

I can leave Dorking on the first flight from Gatwick be riding by midday in Chamonix. flying home can ride all day then fly home at 8pm from Geneva

the drive across France is dull as. its not really an adventure and hammers your car.

just hire a car from GVA and jobs a goodun.

@freeride – you must be awesome at packing the bike up quickly for the return trip then ! Flying you have to buy a special bag and take much more time packing the bike, I made a rooky error the one time I flew and have a scratched rear shock (frame was brand new 😥 ) as a lesson.

For me driving is best and makes sense financially shared between 3-4

We have been out in a Honda Accord Est with four bikes, riders spares and luggage. 1st time used a roof rack and 2nd a rear rack. The rear rack saved at least a tank of fuel. Yeah it is 7 – 8 hours in the car but rotate the drivers and all is cool.

Another tip is not to get fuel on the toll roads. Much like the UK motorway they are overpriced.

@jamba.

rear mech off
wheels off
plastic pucks in the brake calipers

chuck in the bike bag!
last September we finished riding in Vallorcine at 5 and still made it…well just!

gets far worse abuse on the trail….

Why is google so crap these days. Too many search engines of search engines….. trying to find out who flies into Geneva local to southampon in SUMMER….grrr…for a quote

Driving and using the chunnel takes 12 hours from leaving my door to arriving at chalet. Flying maybe a little quicker but not by much.

Not flown with the bike before before but I have with snowboards many times and had lots of fun and games with them getting damaged and in one case turning up 3 days late. I’d rather not if I could avoid it.

This is the second one we have had. First one for 4 years from new and this one for 2, was a couple of months old with 2000 miles on it. Both are 2.0 diesel. Both have self levelling suspension. They are like a Tardis inside. Last years trip was Barnsley to Les Arcs then to Verbier and back to Barnsley on three tanks of fuel.

Pic of old one with four bikes.

Don’t forget that an estate or people carrier might also save you money at the tolls compared to a large van…

One idea I’ve mooted is for two people totake a carload of bikes and gear out – drop everything off at the destination, then nip back to Geneva and pick up their mates who have flown over without the hassle of luggage. you could swap roles for the return trip. Taking two grown men out of the luggage equation can make a big difference.

People seem very unhappy about the idea of a bike rack for all that distance. So that rules out most smaller vehicles. I quite like the idea of buying a banger, but if we do that I’ll have to sort it all, and if anything goes wrong it will be my fault.

Been doing some costings. It looks like it is about £100 more to hire a 9 seater toreno / shuttle than to take 2 seperate cars on the 1200 mile journey.

All in around £1400, which is more than I thought. I really thought it would be significantly cheaper hiring and going in one car…I suppose the only thing I’ve missed is wear and tear on our own cars.

If you can make it three per car you reduce cost significantly, so find two more mates!