Cycling UK Forum

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Flixbus?
https://www.flixbus.co.uk/bus-routes
https://help.flixbus.com/s/article/PSSP ... uage=en_GB
viewtopic.php?p=1693322#p1693322

Where are you starting from?

Jonathan

Quite a tricky proposition without dismantling your bike and putting it in a small enough bag for TGV (I've done that myself).

The german network connects to Luxembourg and from there links to Belgian rail.
Kortrijk or Moeskron (Mouscron) have a ter sncf link to Lille Flandres station which has a ter link to Calais (more frequent and shorter than from gare du Nord)
Or posibly train to De Panne and ride from there to Dunkerque ferry - still gets you to Dover
From Strasbourg it's possible to take a ter to Fellering and from there cycle over the col de bussang (not too hard) to Remiremont where there is a ter via Nancy to Luxembourg.
Is it possible that there is a Flixbus that would suit ?

PH wrote: ↑27 Jun 2023, 10:10pm

toadoftoadhall wrote: ↑22 Jun 2023, 10:44pm I havnt found a flixbus that you can book a bike on here in UK or France. I did book a trip using excess large baggage only to be told by email that it wouldn't accept a bike as such luggage.had to abandon the trip and use trains and ferry.
Also no refund, just a option to book at a later date.
Lost £90.

That's a shame. Was the bike packed within the large luggage size? If so, I don't understand what difference it would have made what was inside it. If not, that's always a risk, you might have taken the chance and just turned up, some people seem comfortable doing so, and seem to get on OK. Not for me, I'd be too anxious.

I've taken a bagged bike on Flixbus UK without issue, i wouldn't want to try a loose, fully built bike, the chances for damage are high, its not fair to other passengers either - a bike can cause quite a bit of damage and coach luggage holds are not designed to accommodate them. next week my (cased) bike and i will be travelling on Flixbus again.

toadoftoadhall wrote: ↑22 Jun 2023, 10:44pm I havnt found a flixbus that you can book a bike on here in UK or France. I did book a trip using excess large baggage only to be told by email that it wouldn't accept a bike as such luggage.had to abandon the trip and use trains and ferry.
Also no refund, just a option to book at a later date.
Lost £90.

That's a shame. Was the bike packed within the large luggage size? If so, I don't understand what difference it would have made what was inside it. If not, that's always a risk, you might have taken the chance and just turned up, some people seem comfortable doing so, and seem to get on OK. Not for me, I'd be too anxious.

I havnt found a flixbus that you can book a bike on here in UK or France. I did book a trip using excess large baggage only to be told by email that it wouldn't accept a bike as such luggage.had to abandon the trip and use trains and ferry.
Also no refund, just a option to book at a later date.
Lost £90.

st599_uk wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 4:06pm

PH wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 2:21pm I think there's some confusion being created here. Does it matter who owns and operates the coaches? As a passenger my contract is with Flixbus, the terms and conditions are theirs

They're not though, T&C1.1 says:

As far as the service is provided by cooperation partners (hereinafter also: “Partners”), their general terms and conditions of business and specific conditions of carriage shall apply exclusively.

OK, that wording indicates that sometimes they book you onto a service provided by another operator. I didn't know that, don't know how common that is, but I don't think it means what I think you think it means
Try this - go to book a ticket and when you select the coach you want it'll tell you at the bottom of the page the "Contract partner for transportation services:" On every route I've used that's a Flix company, you can see their terms and conditions here
https://www.flixbus.co.uk/general-condi ... -selection

st599_uk wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 1:51pm I do wonder what their contract states re: bikes. Is it just the local norm for coaches is accepted? That may explain the regional differences in provision.

I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't mention them at all.

PH wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 2:21pm

st599_uk wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 1:55pm

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 11:19am
The Flix Bus I took to London last autumn was in Flix colours.

Their trains are also in Flix colours, but they're not run by Flix.

I think the only brand they own that isn't in Flix colours is Greyhound in N. America.

I think there's some confusion being created here. Does it matter who owns and operates the coaches? As a passenger my contract is with Flixbus, the terms and conditions are theirs

They're not though, T&C1.1 says:

As far as the service is provided by cooperation partners (hereinafter also: “Partners”), their general terms and conditions of business and specific conditions of carriage shall apply exclusively.

Quite. It's a bit like Amazon hiring vans and drivers from whatever agency. It's still Amazon.

st599_uk wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 1:55pm

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 11:19am

PH wrote: ↑19 May 2023, 11:57am
It's more than the app, they contract out , but it's still their network. National Express in the UK operate in the same way.

The Flix Bus I took to London last autumn was in Flix colours.

Their trains are also in Flix colours, but they're not run by Flix.

I think the only brand they own that isn't in Flix colours is Greyhound in N. America.

I think there's some confusion being created here. Does it matter who owns and operates the coaches? As a passenger my contract is with Flixbus, the terms and conditions are theirs, how they supply that service is of little practical interest to me. They're not acting as a booking agent for other services, they're offering a service. What the operator provides, including bike space, will have been agreed between them and Flixbus. We can only guess what was negotiated, my guess is that if Flixbus had decided carrying bikes on a specific route was important, they'd have included it in that contract. I don't think who operates the coaches makes any difference, though possibly the model of coach and available space does.

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 11:19am

PH wrote: ↑19 May 2023, 11:57am

st599_uk wrote: ↑19 May 2023, 11:40am FlixBus is the booking app, they don't provide the actual buses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_F ... s_partners

It's more than the app, they contract out , but it's still their network. National Express in the UK operate in the same way.

The Flix Bus I took to London last autumn was in Flix colours.

Their trains are also in Flix colours, but they're not run by Flix.

I think the only brand they own that isn't in Flix colours is Greyhound in N. America.

scragend wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 11:31am

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 11:19am The Flix Bus I took to London last autumn was in Flix colours.

It'll have been in Flix colours but nonetheless operated under contract by a different operator. The terms of their contract will state that they are required to paint the bus in the Flix branding. As previously mentioned, National Express work the same way, as do some of the big coach holiday firms (such as Leger).

I do wonder what their contract states re: bikes. Is it just the local norm for coaches is accepted? That may explain the regional differences in provision.

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑23 May 2023, 11:19am The Flix Bus I took to London last autumn was in Flix colours.

It'll have been in Flix colours but nonetheless operated under contract by a different operator. The terms of their contract will state that they are required to paint the bus in the Flix branding. As previously mentioned, National Express work the same way, as do some of the big coach holiday firms (such as Leger).

PH wrote: ↑19 May 2023, 11:57am

st599_uk wrote: ↑19 May 2023, 11:40am FlixBus is the booking app, they don't provide the actual buses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_F ... s_partners

It's more than the app, they contract out , but it's still their network. National Express in the UK operate in the same way.

The Flix Bus I took to London last autumn was in Flix colours.

Having next to no income means Flix is my start point for longer distance travel. I have taken my bike in the UK - booked as a large bag and presented as such. In theory, some routes in the UK do allow full size bikes to be carried but as i understand it even if its booked carriage is at the drivers discretion, not sure i'd be willing to chance it!

The UK has seen huge increases in Flix routes this year, across Scotland and cross country, the Manchester - Paris route seems to have good loadings.