Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

B77

Senior Retro Guru
Planning to visit the family sometime soon and instead of bringing the car I'm going to be biking it, is it still possible to take bikes on british trains ? Also anyone know if Eurostar takes bikes ?

Ta
 
Thanks, so I can just arrive at any station and get on a train with the bike with no hassles ?
 
pretty much*, unless its the London Underground

*you might find a jobsworth who asks it be booked on, but they are rarer than an NOS Activator :LOL:



G
 
Also check the individual rail providers website as there are restrictions on what times bikes can be on trains. Failing that, take the wheels off and try claiming that they are just bike parts.
 
B77":2sea0lyi said:
Thanks, so I can just arrive at any station and get on a train with the bike with no hassles ?

Depends. Watch out for restrictions in the morning & evening commuter peaks when some companies don't allow bikes at all. Additionally, some operators require advance reservations if you want to take a bike. From memory the main ones are East Coast, long-distance First Great Western services, Virgin, CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains main line services (St. Pancras-Leicester/Derby/Nottingham/Sheffield), Greater Anglia main line services (London-Norwich) and South West Trains on the Waterloo-Salisbury-Exeter/Bristol route.

This might also be handy:

http://nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/cyclists/

Bikes are allowed on any bits of the London Underground not defined as "deep level tube" (i.e. bits of the Central, Northern, etc. are fine where they operate above ground, plus all of the H&C, Circle, District and Met) outside of the rush hours.

David
 
Easier to take it on Eurostar if the bike is bagged* (no need to book it, as in a bag it is luggage). Book your seat as a high number on coach 3 (Seats 85 to 88 are good) and board the train at the coach 3 end of coach 2. That puts you onto the train by the largest luggage rack on the train, and with the shortest walk to your seat.

*The Cinelli bike bag clicky, linky thingy that Chain Reaction and others sell is perfect for this job, but I wouldn't use it for flying without some serious padding.
 
unkleGsif":2onsz9ax said:
pretty much*, unless its the London Underground

*you might find a jobsworth who asks it be booked on

With Virgin Pendolino tilting trains*, all East Coast trains, London-Norwich main line services, any company that runs IC125s and some Chiltern** services, you will need train or station staff to sort out the relevant doors for the designated bike compartment.

David

*Every time I've taken a bike on a Pendolino service this has however gone pear-shaped - even at a busy terminus like Euston with loads of staff about - and I've had to wheel the bike through the passenger area instead. :roll:
**Although Chiltern are a "turn up & go" operator, no bike booking needed.
 
I remember once ('01 if I recall) I was on my way back to Uni in Liverpool from London, via Peterborough to pick my prospective girlfriend at the time.

Told Guard where I was getting off, loaded my beloved Marin onto the guards van/storage van, found my seat and sat back with a few tins and MBUK

When I got off at Peterborough, I walked down the platform to get my bike, only to realise the train was pulling out of the station! :shock:
NOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOO-------OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!


Anyway, the shortened version is that I had to miss the (last) train back to Liverpool whilst waiting for the bike to be sent back the other way... so I had to book into a B&B for the night, the girl stayed over and we got married 10 weeks ago



G
 
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