Bike train things

kwallace21

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Hello all . Anyone ever used one of those European trains that you can take your bike on? Want to go to Italy this summer but The War Dept doesn't fancy the long ride from Amsterdam to Italy. I would bomb across in 2 big mile days but she's not keen.
Any advice welcome
 
Hello all . Anyone ever used one of those European trains that you can take your bike on? Want to go to Italy this summer but The War Dept doesn't fancy the long ride from Amsterdam to Italy. I would bomb across in 2 big mile days but she's not keen.
Any advice welcome

Let her fly two days after you depart,enjoy the ride on yer own if that floats yer boat.
 
What he said , cost them out, they are really expensive for a bike and two passengers. Do your own thing and pick up the other half at the airport. You can carry a lot of her biking gear on the bike so she will just need hand luggage.
 
Auto Train

My mate & I used the Autotrain from Paris down to Nice in September.
It cost 99 Euro per bike.We booked online two months before we left.
The bikes are dropped off at Paris Bercy & travel overnight.
We walked round the corner to the Gare De Lyon, took the TGV at lunchtime after dropping the bikes off & stayed overnight in Nice.
The first class passenger fare was about 60 Euro & the journey took 5 hours.
Bikes were available for collection around midday.
We did this because we did n't want to slog through France to get to the alps.
We had a great five days riding back up the Route Des Grandes Alpes.

You are not able to leave anything attached to the bike that is n't lockable for the Autotrain journey.
They offer you an additional insurance premium to cover the bike for the journey.
If you have a brand new machine I suggest you take this option.
One of the panniers on Johnny's bike was scuffed during the journey.
Also quite a few RHD cars had offside rear wing damage.
The wagons are quite tight so the guys driving the cars on can clip the sides.

I'd recommend using the service,we may go down to Briancon the same way later this year.
The TGV passenger ride was excellent,but take a picnic the buffet car's shite.
:beerjug:
 
Three mates did the old Dusseldorf to Munich one in 2013 and absolutely hated it , sharing a sleeper cabin with 3 unknown loud foreign drunks, very tight for loading the taller bikes and zero sleep on the trip down or back.

Cheap flight down for partner and pick them up or both fly down and hire a bike whilst there
 
Did Dusseldorg to Verona last year with my wife as she doesn't like doing big mileages and it gave us more time in Tuscany. Was first trip of the season and the first with a Dutch company running it so was chaotic and we set off very late. Thich meant the Italian staff missed meeting us so we sat on the border waiting for them to arrive by car.
Got into Verona over 6 hours late so meant our easy run to our first hotel ended up with us getting there at 9pm.
Apart from that it was good. We had a 3 bunk cabin between the two of us, there is a basic buffet trolley service similar to on an airplane. If you haven't booked a table then there is nowhere to get anything on board. We went into Dusseldorf and had a meal then took snacks and beer on board, the breakfast in a box was basic but ok. The staff were great and did their best
The train journey down along the Rhine in the evening was great as dusk set in and it meant we went through the mountains in daylight and saw some fantastic scenery.
I struggled to ride my 800GSA on and off, probably should have pushed it, but it was bloody hot in Verona I had to ride with my head to the side of the screen and still banged my helmet.
Not sure if I'd do it again on a big bike, I haven't got the 800 anyway now. We fancy doing Europe on VanVan's and it would be great to cut the mileage out on them.
 
Have used the Dusseldorf to Vienna one last year.
It was fine but basic.
Agree the bit about noisy passengers. Take ear plugs and don't book a shared cabin unless you are the really adventurous type.
Take food and drink.
We were in cars but there were bikes onboard as well. Agree with the bit about limited headroom when loading.
We were delayed in setting off by an hour or so, and due to a breakdown, had a 4 hr wait in a siding somewhere. So don't use it on a tight schedule.
But, if you're flexible with time and can treat it as a laugh then its good fun.

When you wake up on the morning, don't open the curtain in just your pants. You might find yourself looking onto the platform with 200 commuters smiling back at you. DAMHIK.
 
I've used them in the past. Never again, nightmare! The train was made up of ancient rolling stock, the 'sleeper' cabins were a load of pull out bunkbeds one above the other about four deep, no space, no air. The restaurant car couldn't cook because the cooker failed in the kitchen. Train had to stop entering different countries to have one of their networks engines hitched up to tow. And it cost a fortune.

Other than that, it was alright.
 
I've used them in the past. Never again, nightmare! The train was made up of ancient rolling stock, the 'sleeper' cabins were a load of pull out bunkbeds one above the other about four deep, no space, no air. The restaurant car couldn't cook because the cooker failed in the kitchen. Train had to stop entering different countries to have one of their networks engines hitched up to tow. And it cost a fortune.

Other than that, it was alright.

Hi

No way

Sleeper two single beds. No stops between countries. Service (Food) OK and very cheap. But then we southerners are used to rouging it (joke).

Derek:clap
 
Let her fly two days after you depart,enjoy the ride on yer own if that floats yer boat.

Ditto what he said.

When we go to the S of F, I ride down the D routes and through the villages as much as possible, she flies to Nice and I pick her up there.

Fluff
 
There's new company started. They take your bike and gear from UK to south of France, Nice, and then you fly to join it.
 


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