Hello
Does anyone have experience of taking bike and touring kit on the train from London to Paris and/or from Paris to Ljubljana in Slovenia?
My wife and I are hoping to take this journey down in the summer. Any advice or comments from experience greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Steve
very difficulet if the bike is not completly disasembled
https://help.eurostar.com/faq/uk-en/question/Can-I-take-my-bike-on-Eurostar
in france http://www.sncf.com/en/services/travelling-with-your-bike
in summer time the train along the rhone valley will be "full" and it will be difficult to put bike + pannier inside !!
to see trains with bike in europe use https://www.bahn.de/p/view/index.shtml
maybe consider plane ?
In France there are fast trains TGV and regional train TER
in TER you can put your bike without a special ticket and you dont need fo take it appart. You can make long trips in TER you need to change train though. TER are cheap
in TGV you need a bike ticket that cannot be bough online, only at the desk maybe you need a bike bag too.. . If you take your bike apart so it fits luggage size limits than your are fine. TGV are expensive are prices vary a lot!
In italy the only company that takes bike is a national company and i think it is Regionale trains, if you dismantle your bike i guess you can take every train.
For long train rides website The Man in Seat Sixty-One has great info.
It might be easier to go through germany than through italy starting from france...
Depends where you want to start in Slovenia. I started in Villach and followed the Alpe Adria Radweg then the Soča river Valley.
you can buy bike ticket for french train on https://www.trainline.fr/search
To bring your bicycle aboard a TGV without folding or disassembling it, book a space for it when you order your ticket. The cost is just €10. If you fold or disassemble your bicycle and pack it in a bike bag no larger than 120 cm x 90 cm (that is very small !!! need to take off wheel and lugage rack )
you have to make the puzzle before as you don 't know in advance with platform is your train
you must be able to move with your bike bag and all your luggage in the train stations and their stairs
I think take bike in trains is much difficult than biking :)
very few TGV accepte "whole "bike ex toulouse paris 8h59
https://www.trainline.fr/search/toulouse/paris/2017-04-16-06:00
local TER are very slow (but cheap )
ex
paris nice in tgv ( no bike ou disassembled one) 5h 42 direct
paris nice TER ( with whole bike ) 15h33 2 changes
Hi
I know a fair bit but am short of time right nnow - state yr actual/absolute requirement and I'll follow up..
Once i took my bike in TGV without a bike ticket or a bike bag.
I took the wheels off and put stem+handle bar in the center of the frame with a wheel on each side, wrapped it in plastic trash bag and put it with the other luggage.
If it fits in the luggage area next to the doors, it is fine, no one mesures luggage in a train.
2 bikes are harder to fit and they will not be visible from where you sit...
in the middle of october why not but not in august
during summer time on this rhone valley line
I think it isn't a good idea
train will be full with holidays makers
you will be lucky to avoid fines :)
Thank you all so much for your comments they have been really helpful.
Based on these and a little research we are now looking to fly and hire bikes when we arrive but having trouble getting mountain bikes which we can fit front panniers. If anyone know where we might be able to hire a bike trailer please let me know.
Thanks again
Steve