London to Lisbon - Shortcuts

KickStarter · Feb 28, 2023

Hi All,

So I'd love to take a trip down to Lisbon to see a friend of mine, in the Summer. Not peak summer mind due to the weather, and certainly before the summer holidays.

The only issue is time. At a guestimate Lisbon and back including some time there would be getting on for ten to fourteen days, to go at a pace which wasn't just 'Getting their for the sake of it..'

So I'm looking for ways and means to make this shorter, namely transporting the bike, whilst I fly. Or indeed let's doing Bilbao, or Nates to Lisbon.
It's worth noting I hate ferries, and wouldn't want to sit on one for 20 hours.

Annual leave is tight, but I'd really like to do this.

Perhaps I fly and hire a motorbike?

Or I Ship my bike to basiacally anywhere in Spain and back, and just enjoy Spain and Portugal - I find lots of 'Enquire here' for prices which I've sent off, but anyone who can name a number would be helpful in the meantime.

Would be my first multiday trip, so if it seems like I don't know what I'm on about, you'd be correct!!

Thanks!!

Kick,

stever1 · Feb 28, 2023

KickStarter said:
Hi All,

So I'd love to take a trip down to Lisbon to see a friend of mine, in the Summer. Not peak summer mind due to the weather, and certainly before the summer holidays.

The only issue is time. At a guestimate Lisbon and back including some time there would be getting on for ten to fourteen days, to go at a pace which wasn't just 'Getting their for the sake of it..'

So I'm looking for ways and means to make this shorter, namely transporting the bike, whilst I fly. Or indeed let's doing Bilbao, or Nates to Lisbon.
It's worth noting I hate ferries, and wouldn't want to sit on one for 20 hours.

Annual leave is tight, but I'd really like to do this.

Perhaps I fly and hire a motorbike?

Or I Ship my bike to Bilbao and back, and just enjoy Spain and Portugal - I find lots of 'Enquire here' for prices, but anyone who can name a number would be helpful in the meantime.

Would be my first multiday trip, so if it seems like I don't know what I'm on about, you'd be correct!!

Thanks!!

Kick,

The simple answer is the Santander ferry. I hear what you say about ferries, I’m the same.
Sometimes we just have to accept the inevitable. As for shipping the bike down there, it may not be a straight forward thing to do. Do the bike transport folk have a route to there ? Is there a convenient depot to drop it off ? Can you get decent flights to pick
By the time you’ve got the bike and yourself down there it may be prohibitively expensive.

KickStarter · Feb 28, 2023

I hear you!

I just had a look, return ferry, inc cabin comes out to around £1,100 and takes 32 hours.
Flights if I book now are £110 (£55 pp) return.

So if indeed I can get the bike shipped there and back for £1,000, I'm quids in, plus I don't loose 64 hours sat on a boat :okay

First place has written back saying they no longer offer a service owing to Brexit.

You're right about the logistical woes of getting bike to point A, collecting at B, and all the paperwork to go with it.

BillWright · Feb 28, 2023

Hi

I think it’s only the Portsmouth ferry takes that time, the Plymouth sailing is still 24 hours.

Wapping · Feb 28, 2023

Why not fly down and hire a motorcycle? Then fly back.

A Google of ‘Motorcycle rental Lisbon’ throws up lots of sites to surf around in.

KickStarter · Feb 28, 2023

Thanks Wapping - it's certainly one of the options.

For some reason, shipping the bike out, flying and then riding into Lisbon to see an old friend, 'feels' like riding to Lisbon.. ..whereas hiring another bike doesn't quite 'feel' the same.

Silly I know.

Wapping · Feb 28, 2023

Hire it somewhere else then. Then ride to Lisbon.

Davey B · Feb 28, 2023

Fly hire...simple and will be cheaper than you riding down or riding/Plymouth-Santander ferry/riding
If you want to feel like you've ridden some...fly to Porto, hire at Northroad.pt (they provide half decent helmets) and ride thru Portugal for a day...visit mate....return bike.
£400 for a CB500x for 6 days.
£100 Ryanair flight.

http://www.northroad.pt/content/3/46/homepage

If time is the enemy and lets say you plan to have a week...9 days incl both weekends, riding and ferry would likely be 2.5 days each way (don't know where you are in the UK?)...so 4 days with your mate and you'd be bolloxed to start with, and bolloxed on your return to work Monday AM (if work is still a thing)

(Santander to Lisbon is over 500 miles, Porto to Lisbon is 200 miles (or 300 if you choose a wonderful circuitous route))

Guru Gora · Feb 28, 2023

Ferry to Caen or similar latitude, honk down the west coast of france, pyranees, picos, Lisbon, ferry back. Or reverse of this.

I'm doing similar in May, ride down ferry back.

Port to Spanish border is easily achievable, in a still enjoyable day.

The run west or SW from there is brilliant. Get spat out at Ourensa, then honk down to Lisbon.

Either way, enjoy. :okay

KickStarter · Feb 28, 2023

Davey B said:
Fly hire...simple and will be cheaper than you riding down or riding/Plymouth-Santander ferry/riding
If you want to feel like you've ridden some...fly to Porto, hire at Northroad.pt (they provide half decent helmets) and ride thru Portugal for a day...visit mate....return bike.
£400 for a CB500x for 6 days.
£100 Ryanair flight.

http://www.northroad.pt/content/3/46/homepage

If time is the enemy and lets say you plan to have a week...9 days incl both weekends, riding and ferry would likely be 2.5 days each way (don't know where you are in the UK?)...so 4 days with your mate and you'd be bolloxed to start with, and bolloxed on your return to work Monday AM (if work is still a thing)

(Santander to Lisbon is over 500 miles, Porto to Lisbon is 200 miles (or 300 if you choose a wonderful circuitous route))

Cheers Davey,

Work is very much a thing, love my job but time off is always a challange.

Fly and hire it has to be, Porto to Lisbon it is.

Now, any tips on how to sell this to the Mrs?! Ahahahah

Davey B · Feb 28, 2023

You're visiting a mate in Lisbon, by flying out there....she doesn't need to know the rest.

KickStarter · Feb 28, 2023

Ahahaha, as I waddle out the door in my newly aquired (albeit second hand) BMW branded jacket hahaha

Davey B · Feb 28, 2023

That gets shoved in one of the bags...armour out to make it fold easier....

KickStarter · Mar 1, 2023

Haha top tip!!

Ex-Call Centre Chimp · Mar 1, 2023

Fly to Lisbon, get Att to meet you & lend you one of his bikes. Then get him to meet you at the end of your holiday to pick his bike up.
Tell your wife you're meeting him & that way she'll be happy to let you go on your own................

Davey B · Mar 1, 2023

Call Centre Chimp said:
Fly to Lisbon, get Att to meet you & lend you one of his bikes. Then get him to meet you at the end of your holiday to pick his bike up.
Tell your wife you're meeting him & that way she'll INSIST you go on your own................

Fixed that for you......

Miserable Git · Mar 22, 2024

Davey B said:
Fly hire...simple and will be cheaper than you riding down or riding/Plymouth-Santander ferry/riding
If you want to feel like you've ridden some...fly to Porto, hire at Northroad.pt (they provide half decent helmets) and ride thru Portugal for a day...visit mate....return bike.
£400 for a CB500x for 6 days.
£100 Ryanair flight.

http://www.northroad.pt/content/3/46/homepage

If time is the enemy and lets say you plan to have a week...9 days incl both weekends, riding and ferry would likely be 2.5 days each way (don't know where you are in the UK?)...so 4 days with your mate and you'd be bolloxed to start with, and bolloxed on your return to work Monday AM (if work is still a thing)

(Santander to Lisbon is over 500 miles, Porto to Lisbon is 200 miles (or 300 if you choose a wonderful circuitous route))

I read this post at the end of last year and decided that I would try Northroad. We flew into Porto last Friday and stayed in a great little hotel across the road from the hire shop and just walked across on Saturday morning and picked up a GS1250 Rallye. It was €95\day for 7 days. The bike was perfect, the guys there were great and we’ll be coming back for more next year. Thanks for the heads up and we’d definitely recommend.

London to Lisbon - Shortcuts

KickStarter

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stever1

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Wapping

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KickStarter

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Guru Gora

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KickStarter

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Ex-Call Centre Chimp

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