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What’s the cost of taking your bike on a plane? - Some Info

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    #2
    dewindygap
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭dewindygap


    Thanks for that, not that I could make much sense of it (no disrespect intended).
    Next Tuesday we head off to France for the 12th year in a row with our bikes for a 2 month cycle and thankfully it will be our last year having to endure the headache of bringing our bikes with us.
    Whilst leaving from Dublin was no big deal (easy to source a free cardboard box from our LBS), we discard our boxes on arrival in France and re-assemble our bikes at the airport.
    It's when we return home is the problem, not knowing what the rules are in each airport (they all vary) and it's not as handy to source a bike box in France. In the early days it was sufficient to present bike at airport with pedals removed, saddle dropped, handlebars removed and tyres deflated and the man would just wheel the bike to plane. Now with a box it takes 2 persons to carry bike away. I've seen baggage handlers literally flinging bikes in boxes to the ground before my eyes with no regard to the damage they might do to the bikes.
    Some airports do sell cardboard boxes (I've always meant to ask for a sticky on this site for this reason, listing what airports do sell bike boxes. It's been a perennial problem for me and thanks to those of you that have helped me out in the past) but the quality of box does vary and you must know in advance which airports do provide this service.
    This year the charge for our bikes with Ryanair is 60€ per bike each way. So I found a place in France that will store our bikes for 10€ per bike and 2€ per month of storage. Do the maths. Of course it will mean buying replacement bike for home use but for me its well worth it.
    It's such a relief to be done with the hassle of the return flight albeit we must arrive at the same airport (Biarritz......who actually do sell cardboard boxes for bikes @ 12€ a box)) every year to start our trip for next year.
    Anyways, just thought it might be helpful to some for future tourers.


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