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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
Hi
I am posting on here about bicycle travel to France on American airlines to see if anyone recently has does this. I searched this group but all the postings I can find are from 2003 or earlier. I want to plan a trip to see the later stages of the Tour de France. I already have a plane ticket to Orly airport and a Rail Europe anywhere/anytime France ticket. I know American airlines charges $100 for bicycles. I still have a few questions. 1. Does Rail Europe thru France allow bikes on the train without a case or box? 2. Where do you store the case if it is a large plastic one? (I was thinking about getting a nylon one so it is easier to store in a locker at the airport or at the trail station where I arrive,) 3. Does the train going to London under the chunnel (eurostar) allow bikes? (I'm planning on going to England after the Tour) 4. Does anyone have any experience spectating the Tour de France with their bicycle as the main means of getting around? Then leaving by train and air? Thanks for any help . Jeff ) |
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
On May 28, 4:05*pm, "
wrote: Hi I am posting on here about bicycle travel to France on American airlines to see if anyone recently has does this. *I searched this group but all the postings I can find are from 2003 or earlier. I want to plan a trip to see the later stages of the Tour de France. I already have a plane ticket to Orly airport and a Rail Europe anywhere/anytime France ticket. I know American airlines charges $100 for bicycles. I still have a few questions. The rates have been going up. If you plan on frequent airline trips with a bicycle, the savings on just a few (3?) round trips will pay for an SandS coupling to be installed. 1. Does Rail Europe thru France allow bikes on the train without a case or box? Most European trains allow standard bicycles during non-peak hours. There are route by route variations. 2. Where do you store the case if it is a large plastic one? (I was thinking about getting a nylon one so it is easier to store in a locker at the airport or at the trail station where I arrive,) Usually at your arriving hotel luggage room for a small or no fee. 3. Does the train going to London under the chunnel (eurostar) allow bikes? (I'm planning on going to England after the Tour) See above. 4. Does anyone have any experience spectating the Tour de France with their bicycle as the main means of getting around? Then leaving by train and air? Besides the 100+ miles of the race, there are often gaps between the ending city and the next days starting city. With train / bus / auto support, you may not have time to sleep. I do know a couple of people that were working paid bicycle touring groups doing this. Busy, exhilerating, and tiring. Did you make you hotel reservations as soon as the route was announced, or are you camping out? Thanks for any help . Jeff ) |
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
On May 29, 12:14*am, wrote:
On May 28, 4:05*pm, " wrote: Hi I am posting on here about bicycle travel to France on American airlines to see if anyone recently has does this. *I searched this group but all the postings I can find are from 2003 or earlier. I want to plan a trip to see the later stages of the Tour de France. I already have a plane ticket to Orly airport and a Rail Europe anywhere/anytime France ticket. I know American airlines charges $100 for bicycles. I still have a few questions. The rates have been going up. *If you plan on frequent airline trips with a bicycle, the savings on just a few (3?) round trips will pay for an SandS coupling to be installed. 1. Does Rail Europe thru France allow bikes on the train without a case or box? Most European trains allow standard bicycles during non-peak hours. There are route by route variations. 2. Where do you store the case if it is a large plastic one? (I was thinking about getting a nylon one so it is easier to store in a locker at the airport or at the trail station where I arrive,) Usually at your arriving hotel luggage room for a small or no fee. 3. Does the train going to London under the chunnel (eurostar) allow bikes? (I'm planning on going to England after the Tour) See above. 4. Does anyone have any experience spectating the Tour de France with their bicycle as the main means of getting around? Then leaving by train and air? Besides the 100+ miles of the race, there are often gaps between the ending city and the next days starting city. *With train / bus / auto support, you may not have time to sleep. *I do know a couple of people that were working paid bicycle touring groups doing this. *Busy, exhilerating, and tiring. *Did you make you hotel reservations as soon as the route was announced, or are you camping out? Thanks for any help . Jeff ) Thanks for your responses I have only a flight into Paris and a flight out of London. I plan on taking the chunnel by rail over to london after the tour de france's last stage in paris. I have not made any hotel reservations as of yet. I may camp out but I am not sure it takes alot of extra stuff to camp which I found out on my first bike tour this spring... I was going to camp then had to send some camping stuff back home via UPS b/c my bike was way too heavy. Do you know about the Rail Europe train and bikes? I have purchased a Anywhere anytime France rail pass. Is this train go by the same name as TGV? |
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
" wrote in message ... Do you know about the Rail Europe train and bikes? I have purchased a Anywhere anytime France rail pass. Is this train go by the same name as TGV? 1) Rail Europe is a travel agency that sells tickets and passes, not a rail company. Bicycle policy for trains is set by the respective rail company. In France, for insintance, this is SNCF. By the way, to promote its passes, Rail Europe charges a huge markup for tickets (to make the passes look like a good deal by comparision). So don't buy tickets from them! They are OK for passes, but point-to-point tickets t the regular price might actually be a better deal. In France, you can take your bike on every train if it is a bag. Many local trains allow your bike without a bag. I'd expect the bag to be OK on the Chunnel train, but wouldn't swear to it. If you've bouth a pass or ticket from RailEurope ask them, as you've paid them a nice commission. The best source of information about trains in France (and elsewhere in Europe) is, oddly enough, the German rail web site (google "bahn rail"). There you can search routes and specify trains that allow bikes w/o a bag. 2) Your rail pass is a rail pass, not a train. It will let you onto any SNCF train in France. However, some trains, including the TGVs, charge a supplement and require a reservation. The TGV supplement comes to about 5 or 10 dollars per trip, though Rail Europe will charge more. You can reserve for yourself at any train station or SNCF boutique. Most trains do not require reservations. By the way, have a great time! |
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
"OughtFour" wrote in message ... " wrote in message ... Do you know about the Rail Europe train and bikes? I have purchased a Anywhere anytime France rail pass. Is this train go by the same name as TGV? 1) Rail Europe is a travel agency that sells tickets and passes, not a rail company. Bicycle policy for trains is set by the respective rail company. In France, for insintance, this is SNCF. By the way, to promote its passes, Rail Europe charges a huge markup for tickets (to make the passes look like a good deal by comparision). So don't buy tickets from them! They are OK for passes, but point-to-point tickets t the regular price might actually be a better deal. Absolutely correct. I don't think I've found an instance where it's ever cheaper to buy a regular ticket on Rail Europe than from the railroad's own site. The primary "gotcha" for SNCF (France) is that, if you choose to pick up the ticket in France, you *must* have the credit card with you that was used to purchase the ticket, and if it's a US-type credit card, it won't work in their automated machines (you'll need to go to a ticket window, so add about 20 minutes to the amount of time you figured you'd need to catch the train). You can easily get around all this with the new option (on SNCF's website) that allows you to print your own ticket. In France, you can take your bike on every train if it is a bag. Many local trains allow your bike without a bag. I'd expect the bag to be OK on the Chunnel train, but wouldn't swear to it. If you've bouth a pass or ticket from RailEurope ask them, as you've paid them a nice commission. The Eurostar website specifically allows trains in bags, on any train. One thing I didn't bring up earlier is that, for my next trip, I'm booking into first class on SNCF because there are slightly fewer seats/car but the same overall luggage space, leaving a bit more room for bikes (in bags). The cost difference is sometimes insignificant. The best source of information about trains in France (and elsewhere in Europe) is, oddly enough, the German rail web site (google "bahn rail"). There you can search routes and specify trains that allow bikes w/o a bag. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en 2) Your rail pass is a rail pass, not a train. It will let you onto any SNCF train in France. However, some trains, including the TGVs, charge a supplement and require a reservation. The TGV supplement comes to about 5 or 10 dollars per trip, though Rail Europe will charge more. You can reserve for yourself at any train station or SNCF boutique. Most trains do not require reservations. By the way, have a great time! --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com |
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
On May 29, 2:14*am, wrote:
The rates have been going up. *If you plan on frequent airline trips with a bicycle, the savings on just a few (3?) round trips will pay for an SandS coupling to be installed. It's a great product, but remember, they only can be retrofitted onto steel frames. I think there is one aluminum tandem that is built at the factory with them. Also, they're for round tubes only. "http://www.sandsmachine.com/" Ironically, an S&S torque coupler equipped single bicycle will fit, tightly, into their 26" x 26" x 10" case, while most 20" folders cannot be fit into a strictly legal 62" case. The Bike Friday case slightly exceeds the 62" max, though Bike Friday says that they know of no one that's ever been charged. The Dahon case is 73.25 linear inches. It used to be unheard of for a U.S. airline to measure luggage, but I don't know if this is still the case. Also, for domestic flights, checking in on the curb usually avoided over-zealous check-in agents, but you can't do that for international flights. For $400 each round-trip it would take at least 3 flights to pay for the retrofit and the case. However it's not just the money, it's the convenience when using trains, taxis, even rental cars. There's also the expense of a steel bicycle, which now is more of a boutique item as most mass market bicycle manufacturers use less expensive aluminum frames for the low end, and carbon fiber for the high end, though even Trek has kept their 520 steel touring bike. |
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
On 2009-06-01, Steve wrote:
On May 29, 2:14?am, wrote: The rates have been going up. ?If you plan on frequent airline trips with a bicycle, the savings on just a few (3?) round trips will pay for an SandS coupling to be installed. It's a great product, but remember, they only can be retrofitted onto steel frames. I think there is one aluminum tandem that is built at the factory with them. Also, they're for round tubes only. Not only that, but installing the couplers in some round-tubed steel frames is scarier than others. In particular if you have a bike with light-weight butted tubes you'll be installing the couplers in the thin parts of the tubes, something which makes me a bit queasy. I have a Co-motion bicycle with the couplers factory-installed (Co-motion uses different tubing for coupled bikes than for the same models without the couplers) which cost a bit but which, over 5 years, has been on more than 50 one-way flights. At current baggage charges the bicycle would have paid for itself more than 3 times over. It isn't quite a perfect solution. My fork/steerer is too long for the hard case so I have to use the canvas bag, which bulges a bit to fit it. Sometimes one (or both) of the wheels gets bent out-of-true laterally in that case and needs to be trued when I get there. It seems to attract the attention of TSA baggage checkers, who don't always repack it as well as I might (contributing to the wheels getting bent). Some bicycle bits don't last long if they are frequently disassembled; I've had trouble with my front brake caliper, which needs to come off for things to fit (I'm really glad I can get by without pulling the cranks). On the other hand, I've never had any damage to the bicycle serious enough that I needed repairs I couldn't do myself to ride it, there is never any question about whether they'll let me take the bicycle on a plane without charge or not and, as you point out, it is also much easier to deal with on trains and taxis than a full-sized bicycle box. I enjoy that bicycle a lot. I can take it with me and ride it on trips where I'd never consider trying to manhandle a full sized bicycle box along with me. Dennis Ferguson |
#8
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
wrote in message
... Hi I am posting on here about bicycle travel to France on American airlines to see if anyone recently has does this. I searched this group but all the postings I can find are from 2003 or earlier. I want to plan a trip to see the later stages of the Tour de France. I already have a plane ticket to Orly airport and a Rail Europe anywhere/anytime France ticket. I know American airlines charges $100 for bicycles. I still have a few questions. 1. Does Rail Europe thru France allow bikes on the train without a case or box? 2. Where do you store the case if it is a large plastic one? (I was thinking about getting a nylon one so it is easier to store in a locker at the airport or at the trail station where I arrive,) 3. Does the train going to London under the chunnel (eurostar) allow bikes? (I'm planning on going to England after the Tour) 4. Does anyone have any experience spectating the Tour de France with their bicycle as the main means of getting around? Then leaving by train and air? Thanks for any help . Jeff ) OK, a bunch of things to deal with here. First of all, there's no such train as "RailEurope." RailEurope is the US ticketing agency for many European trains, including Eurostar, the French TGV, Belgian Thalys, German ICE etc. About the only reason to buy from RailEurope is a RailPass, which you generally have to buy outside the country you're traveling (that may not be the case anymore, haven't tried lately). Both French TGV and the Eurostar have rather draconian restrictions for carrying bicycles. There are a small number of TGV trains that will carry bicycles that have not been taken apart, and there is a service offered by Eurostar that may, but does not guarantee, getting your complete bicycle to you at your destination at the time you arrive (you have to drop it off earlier, don't remember if it's a full day or what). The absolute best website for planning train trips is here- http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en In general, if you wish relatively unrestricted travel on trains, you're going to have to pack your bike in a bicycle "bag" no greater than 120cm x 90cm. This is what I've done and trust me, it's not fun. It's a terribly difficult way to haul a bike around, and there's no special place on the train for the bike, you just stuff it in the luggage area at the end of the car, which will be crammed full so your bike is going to end up being stuffed in the vestibule itself, in front of one of the doors. Which means at each stop, you're going to have to go to where your bike is stored and make sure it's not blocking the side people will be entering/exiting from (which varies from station to station) and that nobody is carrying your bike off the train. Thankfully, the fast trains make very few stops. Another interesting thing about French TGV trains. When you buy a RailPass of any sort, that does not include a reservation for a given train. That's purchased separately. Reservations aren't very expensive, it's just a bit of a hassle figuring out how to do it. Local trains don't generally require reservations or, when they do, it's only during peak travel hours. You can use this same bag to transport the bike on the plane in. It won't give you a very secure feeling, because you have no hard box or case around your bike, but somehow the bike (usually) survives the experience. By the way, the $100 fee American is charging is currently *low* compared to many other carriers. United, for example, is now $200 each way. Last year it was free (part of your baggage allowance). Oh right, one more thing. Make very sure your bike plus box does not exceed the weight allowance. Extra weight charges can be horrendous. On "local" trains, you'll typically have a baggage car and be allowed (or required) to load the bike into it. The conductor will tell you they'll take it off for you at your destination, but do not count on that. At the 2007 TdF we had our bikes in the baggage car on a "local" train that terminated in Angoulume. We exited the train and waited for a minute or two, but nothing was being unloaded from the baggage car. I finally just climbed up into the car (no conductor around) and got our bikes out. Within 30 seconds of getting the bikes off, the train just took off, without warning, to wherever trains that have finished their journey go. Weird! As for getting around to see the TdF, your best bet is to find a good location from which you can accees three stages, and then move on. It's a royal pain moving every single day. For our trip this year, we'll be spending 6 days in Albertville, which will allow us to see several Alpine stages by bike (and one or two by car, which we'll be renting in Chambery). Then we'll drive south to Avignon for the big Ventoux stage, return the car there, and take the train north to Paris for the finale the next morning. Many people do camp, but I prefer a place with a hot shower, air conditioning (it can get very hot during the summer in France) and wi-fi (for updating our shop's website). You can get all of that for less than $50/night at the Etap hotels, one of the lower-tier Accor offerings. Very cookie-cutter and without any particular charm, kind of a mildly-upscale Motel 6 if that makes sense. OK, looking at your follow-up post, I see you're flying into Paris. CDG is an amazing airport, be thankful you're flying into it and not out. The place is a huge mess of lines snaking everywhere. But getting from CDG to anyplace, if you've got unwieldy luggage, is a royal pain. Taxis into Paris with a bike in a box are going to run nearly $100!!! And taking the RER regional train into Paris (to get to one of the main stations that go places) requires a fair amount of walking and flights of stairs. Your best bet is to find a TGV that leaves direct from CDG to your destination. I would recommend looking to Lyon as your initial destination, since it's well-served by TGVs from CDG (and only one intermediate stop, just 15 minutes out of the airport). Hope this helps get you in the right direction! You might find some more useful info on this part of our website- www.ChainReaction.com/france.htm --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com |
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
wrote in message
... Hi I am posting on here about bicycle travel to France on American airlines to see if anyone recently has does this. I searched this group but all the postings I can find are from 2003 or earlier. I want to plan a trip to see the later stages of the Tour de France. I already have a plane ticket to Orly airport and a Rail Europe anywhere/anytime France ticket. I know American airlines charges $100 for bicycles. I still have a few questions. 1. Does Rail Europe thru France allow bikes on the train without a case or box? 2. Where do you store the case if it is a large plastic one? (I was thinking about getting a nylon one so it is easier to store in a locker at the airport or at the trail station where I arrive,) 3. Does the train going to London under the chunnel (eurostar) allow bikes? (I'm planning on going to England after the Tour) 4. Does anyone have any experience spectating the Tour de France with their bicycle as the main means of getting around? Then leaving by train and air? Thanks for any help . Jeff ) Forgot to mention in my prior post that there is no problem, even at this late date, finding places to stay in France during the TdF. For that matter, you can get plane tickets from the west coast for as little as $820 all-in (including all taxes & fees) on USAir right now. United is running about $150 or so more, but still far below the $1600-$1800 typical at this time of year. If you want to get an idea of car rental, check out Europcar which has a very easy-to-use website. Keep in mind that getting the car in one place and leaving it in another is the norm in France, not something you have to pay extra for. On the other hand, you're not going to find cheap rental cars in general, figure on $40/day+ for something small. Oh darn, just noticed an error in my first response. You're flying into Orly, not CDG. No TGV service to Orly, but they do have shuttles between the two airports. Most of the shuttles have very large luggage compartments that should be able to carry your bike. It will probably be cheaper and easier to shuttle from Orly to CDG's TGV terminal than to head from Orly into Paris (where you'd likely have to go to Gare Lyon if you want to catch up to the TdF in the Alps). --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com |
#10
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bicycle travel on plane to France/Tour De France
Thanks for your response Mike.
I will try to get a bike bag for the trains. I was going to just take my bicycle hard case and store it at a Hotel in paris and stay there the after getting off the plane and then head down to the alps the next day (figured I would rest after a long flight all nite) . But I guess you think I really need a bag for my bike on the trains. I have emailed the EuroRail about bicycles but have not received a response. I haven't really gotten all the logistics together for this trip. I will post up on here as soon as I figure it out. I will def. be going to the Mt Ventoux stage. Jeff Rank On May 30, 1:03*am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote: wrote in message ... Hi I am posting on here about bicycle travel to France on American airlines to see if anyone recently has does this. *I searched this group but all the postings I can find are from 2003 or earlier. I want to plan a trip to see the later stages of the Tour de France. I already have a plane ticket to Orly airport and a Rail Europe anywhere/anytime France ticket. I know American airlines charges $100 for bicycles. I still have a few questions. 1. Does Rail Europe thru France allow bikes on the train without a case or box? 2. Where do you store the case if it is a large plastic one? (I was thinking about getting a nylon one so it is easier to store in a locker at the airport or at the trail station where I arrive,) 3. Does the train going to London under the chunnel (eurostar) allow bikes? (I'm planning on going to England after the Tour) 4. Does anyone have any experience spectating the Tour de France with their bicycle as the main means of getting around? Then leaving by train and air? Thanks for any help . Jeff ) Forgot to mention in my prior post that there is no problem, even at this late date, finding places to stay in France during the TdF. For that matter, you can get plane tickets from the west coast for as little as $820 all-in (including all taxes & fees) on USAir right now. United is running about $150 or so more, but still far below the $1600-$1800 typical at this time of year. If you want to get an idea of car rental, check out Europcar which has a very easy-to-use website. Keep in mind that getting the car in one place and leaving it in another is the norm in France, not something you have to pay extra for. On the other hand, you're not going to find cheap rental cars in general, figure on $40/day+ for something small. Oh darn, just noticed an error in my first response. You're flying into Orly, not CDG. No TGV service to Orly, but they do have shuttles between the two airports. Most of the shuttles have very large luggage compartments that should be able to carry your bike. It will probably be cheaper and easier to shuttle from Orly to CDG's TGV terminal than to head from Orly into Paris (where you'd likely have to go to Gare Lyon if you want to catch up to the TdF in the Alps). --Mike-- * * Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
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