Getting Bike To Europe

[ElyDave]

My experience on this so far is hiring a bike in Salzburg and taking my own to Majorca.

Hiring cost more than taking my own, even taking into account the cost of hire of a bike box, which I didn't have to do as I borrowed one. The easyjet fee is pretty low all told. I've also brought a frameset home from the USA in its delivery box with no issues.

Salzburg, I rang around ahead of time, found a place, when I got there they were set up all for MTB hire, not road bikes. I ended up with a specialised which fit well enough but was not well cared for, was poorer spec than my bike and had very poorly adjusted gears which was the last thing I needed in the mountains. 

Majorca, I would have hired, but I was going in the summer and everywhere had said that the busy cycling season ends in May and they are then into maintenance mode.   Looking at their ads though, they are well geared up for it. I borrowed the bike box, biggest issue was getting it in the car.

Half an hour reassembly at the other end in thr comfort of the hotel room, and a quick test ride. Then the joy of riding my own bike.

I've not tried with a recumbent yet, but will be taking my Cruzbike on CalMac ferries this summer. They take bikes , but no booking ahead as far as I know.

[Ivo]

When I flew my bike to Sofia I used the small airport of Eindhoven. It cost me € 30,- out and € 30,- back to transport my bike with Wizzair. Transporting the bike in the busses between home and the railway station plus Eindhoven railway station and the airport terminal was no issue at all, no extra charge.
When I fly with my bike I usually check the prices for bike transport first and then the rest.

[bhoot]

I've not tried with a recumbent yet, but will be taking my Cruzbike on CalMac ferries this summer. They take bikes , but no booking ahead as far as I know.

Correct - bikes on Calmac is very easy, we've done it loads of times. The helpful staff will normally tell you where to wait, just be sure you don't upset them by trying to cycle on board instead of walking. We have never booked, and in fact as a foot passenger with bike, you can't actually make bookings on all services.

[ElyDave]

Sorry for thread hijack, but in your experience, have hey ever run out of spaces?

I've got a pretty tight schedule of three ferries from Ardrossan to Islay

[yoav]

The early morning Ardrossan to Brodick ferry can get very busy on a weekend with cyclists doing the '5 ferry challenge'. It is not unheard of to have 100 cyclists making the crossing. I never heard of anyone being turned away but Calmac have a notice that bikes are taken subject to capacity.

[ElyDave]

Thanks, I'm planning Friday morning out to Islay, following Monday back. The Monday is the tightest schedule, needing to catch the 0700, hopefully the hotel can do an early breakfast or pack me something

[quixoticgeek]

The Airlines and Train companies do not want your bike! It is a nuisance to them. So they are not interested in making your life easier if you insist on travelling with it. You can't fight them, as it's their plane or train. I now avoid travelling with my bike as much as possible. My life is so much more pleasant without it. I can stroll through the airport or station with just my hand luggage.
I now wonder why anybody would bother using their own bike, if bike hire is available, it is so much easier. This is a very pleasant low mileage trip and the touring unisex bike they describe would be more than fit for purpose. I would not entertain taking my own bike on this. Personally I could not be bothered.

This very much assumes that you're going both ways by plane/train. My next Big Trip™, will involve 1500km to a station, to get a train, ferry, train, train, train, back... I very much doubt 1 way bike hire exists...Not to mention it wouldn't fit me right, it wouldn't have the setup I have tuned on my bike, and getting a frame bag to fit it would be hit and miss...

J

[adenough]

Fair enough. But my reply was to the OP, who was describing an entirely different situation to the one you are planning.

[Nick H.]

Been studying the Ryanair baggage charges. If you buy the cheapest ticket with no baggage extras you can take 2 bags. Your 'Small Personal Bag',  up to 35cm x 20cm x 20cm, goes in the cabin. Your 'Larger Bag', not exceeding 10kg and dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, goes in the hold.

Then you can add a 20 kg bag to go in the hold, for £25 each way. There's no stated limit on the size of this bag, except for a clause saying that for H&S reasons they won't carry anything bigger than 119 x 119 x 81 cm. So I reckon you could put your bike in a plain box, and not tell them there's a bike in it. The usual fee for a bike is £60 each way. Ker-ching! Nowhere does it say in the Ts and Cs that you can't do this.

[Jakob W]

Is there a 'sporting equipment' clause somewhere? The odds that *Ryanair* have left a loophole in their T&C's seems... slim.

[Nick H.]

There are bicycle clauses and sporting equipment clauses.  This dodge relies on them not knowing you have a bicycle. I've read and reread the Ts and Cs umpteen times.  It's very odd that there's no size limit for the 20 kg checked bag.
https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/terms-and-conditions/termsandconditionsar_368204930#section-article-termsandconditionsse_912765800

[Jakob W]

I wouldn't want to rely on this; my reading of the T&Cs is that bicycles must be boxed and shipped as such. Trying to ship it as generic oversize baggage works until the check-in person says 'and what's in the box?', at which point you either lie (which in the context of airport security seems unwise, to say the least), or they charge you the non-prebooked bicycle fee. I mean yes, it's ridiculous that boxed bikes are treated differently from random oversize baggage, but it's Ryanair - as the joke goes, they'd charge you for emotional baggage if they could.

[quixoticgeek]

I wonder how that would work for a S&S coupled bike in a case, or a Brompton in a case...

J

[Nick H.]

When I'm asked what's in my luggage I say 'bicycle parts'.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I always seem to fly with a 'mobility aid'. Luckily I walk with a limp, so generally no further questions.

[Ivo]

I had the same question once in a Polish train. Luckily in the bike bag were also my tent, mat and sleeping bag. The guard didn't speak English so I used a broken Russian expression 'touristic material' which can mean anything from indeed a tent to a bike .

[quixoticgeek]

This reminds me of uni where I wasn't allowed to keep a bike in my room, but was allowed a unicycle. So I used to store a unicycle and a spare wheel in my room... yet I turn my unicycle into a means to help transport that spare wheel at the door...

J