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Bikes on trains in France

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  • 19-08-2008 4:45pm
    #1
    lady_marmalade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭


    Hi, we're going on a self-guided cycling holiday in France in October, wondered what the deal is with bringing bikes on trains. I've googled and some of the info is contradictory. Some sites say you must dismantle your bike first, others say you can book a ticket for your bike saving the hassle of dismantling. Any ideas?


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    #2
    Caroline_ie
    Registered Users Posts: 5,400 ✭✭✭Caroline_ie


    I can find out for you. Some french trains have bike racks. Where are you going exactly?


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    #3
    lady_marmalade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭lady_marmalade


    Caroline_ie wrote: »
    I can find out for you. Some french trains have bike racks. Where are you going exactly?
    We'll be possibly going from Mulhouse to Strasbourg. We haven't decided on a definite station yet, we're still in the planning phase but we know we'll be going to Strasbourg.

    I just spoke to someone at RailEurope who said 'usually you can bring your bikes, but we won't know til we book your tickets'. :confused:


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    #4
    Fredo
    Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭Fredo


    I found this website that might help you
    http://fubicy.org/spip.php?rubrique36
    The sncf website is http://www.sncf.com/ and http://www.voyages-sncf.com/leisure/fr/launch/home/
    You might to check on the website if bikes are accepted on the train you will take. Avec la SNCF c'est possible :p
    Hope it helps,


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    #5
    lady_marmalade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭lady_marmalade


    Fredo wrote: »
    I found this website that might help you
    http://fubicy.org/spip.php?rubrique36
    The sncf website is http://www.sncf.com/ and http://www.voyages-sncf.com/leisure/fr/launch/home/
    You might to check on the website if bikes are accepted on the train you will take. Avec la SNCF c'est possible :p
    Hope it helps,

    Thanks for those links, Fredo! I'll have a trawl through them and see what the story is.


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    #6
    Fion_McCool
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭Fion_McCool


    You might try here http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=47970&v=3q

    Or http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=2282&v=7k
    which contains tips, advice and guidance on touring in France.

    Good luck with your tour....


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    #7
    michaelm
    Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭michaelm


    Just back from a week in France where I hired a bike on arrival and took in on a train on two occasions. All I had to do was buy a seperate ticket for the bike - no dismantling necessary. Most trains that I saw had a special carriage for bikes (Irish Rail please note!).


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    #8
    Caroline_ie
    Registered Users Posts: 5,400 ✭✭✭Caroline_ie


    I can look it up tomorrow from work ... and give the SNCF a shout on the phone or something....


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    #9
    monument
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,079 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    From http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#Bicycles
    Taking bikes to destinations in France:
    • You can officially take a bike with you in a zip-up bike bag as described above, on any French train, including high-speed TGVs. Dimensions should not exceed 120cm x 90cm. No separate bicycle reservation is necessary.
    • Bikes are carried free of charge in the luggage van on local, regional and most ordinary (non-TGV) express trains (but not during the Monday-Friday peak hours on Paris commuter routes). This includes all express trains between Paris and Boulogne and connecting trains to Calais, which makes the rail-sea-rail service from London to Paris a bike-friendly option, as bikes are also carried free in the guard's van on all London to Dover trains except during the morning and evening rush hours, see the London to France page for details of this service.
    • Since 2002, most overnight Corail Lunéa trains within France will accept bicycles in the bicycle compartment of the luggage van if you reserve space in advance and pay a small fee (about 10 Euros), while you sleep in a couchette or reclining seat. You should book your Eurostar, couchette ticket and bicycle space by phone with Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848.
    • On most high-speed TGV trains from Lille and Paris to Avignon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice, you can put your bike in the luggage van if you reserve a space in advance and pay a small fee (about 10 Euros).
    • For more information see the French Railways bicycle mini-website, www.velo.sncf.com (in French, but you try using Google to translate)


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    #10
    Fion_McCool
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭Fion_McCool


    The excellent German railways site (http://www.bahn.de) have the entire European train network on their computer.

    You can check if bicycles are allowed on your train journey by ticking the 'carriage of bicycles required' box here http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en


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    #11
    72hundred
    Registered Users Posts: 1,333 ✭✭✭72hundred


    michaelm wrote: »
    Just back from a week in France where I hired a bike on arrival and took in on a train on two occasions. All I had to do was buy a seperate ticket for the bike - no dismantling necessary. Most trains that I saw had a special carriage for bikes (Irish Rail please note!).

    To be fair to Irish Rail most of their services do have good bike facilities. (Please note I usually do NOT defend Irish Rail!)


    72oo


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    #12
    Chris Peak
    Closed Accounts Posts: 216 ✭✭Chris Peak


    I’ve noticed train porters, when taking your bike from the baggage compartment, love to see how high they can bounce your front wheel.
    This happens both here and in France. Must be one of the perks of the job!

    As regards to the French trip, as long as you’re travelling outside of rush hours, it’s no problem bringing your bike on the train. They’ll either put it in the drivers/ baggage compartment, or you bring it into your own carriage.

    A ticket collector tried to give out to me for not hanging it up properly in the bike rack. My tires were too wide for it, so I just placed it along side with my bags jammed in front of the wheels to stop it rolling forward. I told him to try putting the wheel in the hooks himself, but he refused.
    A French girl got on at the next station with a bike that wouldn’t fit the rack either. So, I put it along side mine. The same ticket collector tried giving out to her, but I cut him off and said firmly, “Her wheel doesn’t fit either. So, either get bigger hooks fitted right now or find somebody else to annoy”.

    He was the only bike related pr##k I met over there. All the other French people were very helpful and supportive.


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    #13
    monument
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,079 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    72hundred wrote: »
    To be fair to Irish Rail most of their services do have good bike facilities. (Please note I usually do NOT defend Irish Rail!)

    Really? :confused:

    The new intercity railcars have limited bike storage, and no bikes allowed on Commuter or Dart services. This isn't what I'd call good.


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    #14
    michaelm
    Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭michaelm


    72hundred wrote: »
    To be fair to Irish Rail most of their services do have good bike facilities. (Please note I usually do NOT defend Irish Rail!)


    72oo

    A few weeks ago I attempted to take my bike from a provincial railway station to Dublin. The journey required a change of train and I was advised by the station master that he could not guarantee that the mainline train I would meet at the next station would be able to take my bike. Apparently the new trains have very limited (if any?) facilities for bikes.


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    #15
    lady_marmalade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭lady_marmalade


    Thanks for all the replies! You've been a big help! :D


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    #16
    Fion_McCool
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭Fion_McCool


    If you scroll down this page a bit you will find 152 journals from people who have toured in France...

    http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/locales/?geoname_id=74&doctype=journal

    I am sure some of them may have toured the same routes you are thinking of and their photos and comments may help you with the planning.

    Good luck again !


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    #17
    colm ó maonaigh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40 ✭colm ó maonaigh


    Just back from a 4 week cycle around Normandy and Brittany and took my bike twice on the train without any problem. The trains that will take bikes (and they travel free) are indicated with the icon of a 'velo' on the timetables found in the stations and also at the scnf.fr website. In fact there were more trains that took bikes than not. The 2 train journeys I took with the bike were Rennes/Coutances and Nantes/Rennes.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/29718958@N05/?saved=1
    Hope you get better weather than what we got.


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    #18
    Civilian_Target
    Registered Users Posts: 5,618 ✭✭✭Civilian_Target


    I live in France.
    Regional trains, there a door with a picture of a bike (usually), get in there with your bike. Older regional trains don't have this, so long as you're not taking the piss, just take it on.
    Mainline (Corail) services, you need a reservation for your bike, do this at booking time. They have a bike car where you'll be seated. Some Corails (particularly night ones) don't always have this.
    TGVs have pretty limited bike capacity, if any. You're got to book and reserve in advance, I've never tried but I'd be surprised if it's cheap. I understand you then give your bike to the conductor on the platform, for the segment of the train that you're on.

    That's my experience so far. The French rail system is pretty ad-hoc though, things seem to vary a lot.


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