Train reservations

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
User avatar
john4703
Posts: 241
Joined: 14 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
Location: Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Train reservations

Post by john4703 »

I saw a link on a post somewhere on here to a train company web site that allowed on-line bike reservations.
I can't find it and can anyone tell me which train company does this? Thanks
If I get it I promise to bookmark it and not ask again.
I usually book with Virgin but have to then have to queue at a station to get a bike reservation, I'd rather do it all on-line
Don't let them win but keep up the struggle and wear them all down by our persistence.
rotavator
Posts: 987
Joined: 6 Jun 2016, 9:50pm
Location: North Wales

Re: Train reservations

Post by rotavator »

PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Train reservations

Post by PH »

I use GWR, it's good to have options...
https://www.gwr.com/
User avatar
john4703
Posts: 241
Joined: 14 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
Location: Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Re: Train reservations

Post by john4703 »

Thanks to both of you.
It is so much easier to do it all on-line and not have that long queue at the station.
Don't let them win but keep up the struggle and wear them all down by our persistence.
User avatar
geomannie
Posts: 1093
Joined: 13 May 2009, 6:07pm

Re: Train reservations

Post by geomannie »

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/ also allows bike booking and can be used for tickets anywhere in the uk
geomannie
pete75
Posts: 16370
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Train reservations

Post by pete75 »

john4703 wrote:I saw a link on a post somewhere on here to a train company web site that allowed on-line bike reservations.
I can't find it and can anyone tell me which train company does this? Thanks
If I get it I promise to bookmark it and not ask again.
I usually book with Virgin but have to then have to queue at a station to get a bike reservation, I'd rather do it all on-line


East Coast used to let you do it online then Virgin took over and stopped that. Now Virgin has been taken over by state run LNER perhaps they'll reintroduce it. I usually booked bike spaces by ringing Virgin customer services.

The GWR online booking system appears to be the same one that East Coast used. Maybe Virgin sold it to them when they took over.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Marcus Aurelius
Posts: 1903
Joined: 1 Feb 2018, 10:20am

Re: Train reservations

Post by Marcus Aurelius »

I’ve got one of these.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/bike-bag-bl ... 23151.html

This is genius in bag form. You put your bike in the bag ( Up to about a 56 cm framed roady will fit without any dismantling ) although you may have to remove the front wheel, which then goes in the bag as well. Then the bike is ‘luggage’. When you get where your going, the bike bag folds up into a much smaller bag, which you can attach to the top tube of the frame of the bike with the Velcro straps it comes with. It gets around any issues of having to book a ‘bike space’ or having to worry about having to get the specific train you booked it on to, if that train turns out to be a bit full. The only drawback is having to have a bag attatched to your bike’s top tube whilst riding, but that’s not been a big problem for me, thus far.
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Train reservations

Post by PH »

Marcus Aurelius wrote:This is genius in bag form. You put your bike in the bag ( Up to about a 56 cm framed roady will fit without any dismantling ) although you may have to remove the front wheel, which then goes in the bag as well. Then the bike is ‘luggage’.

The chances of getting away with it are high if you travel off peak, but most (If not all) train operators consider it to be oversized luggage and subject to the same sort of restrictions as a bike. From Cross Country trains
We strongly recommend that you bring one item of luggage, which measures a maximum of 90cm by 70cm by 30cm....
Any luggage in excess of this may be subject to an additional charge on board our services, in line with the National Rail Conditions of Travel.
Please ask permission from the Train Manager before boarding with large items of luggage

I've travelled with an Airnimal in a bag and even that is too big for the restrictions, it isn't usually any less hassle than travelling with any other bike. The booking of which in most cases requires no more than ticking the right box when you book the tickets...
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Train reservations

Post by Oldjohnw »

Last summer I had a nightmare trip. My journey involved three separate trains to reach Pitlochry. I could not book online so made the reservations on the phone.

Unfortunately they omitted booking the bike on the first (LNER) part of the journey. They refused to allow my bike on the train thus rendering all my other tickets useless. I was able to book again at the station but of course paid top price, and I arrived 4 hours later than my original plan which put quite a bit of pressure on me. LNER did refund my costs eventually and even gave me a £25 voucher. Unfortunately, the voucher expired on the day of travel, some two months before I received the voucher.

Clearly I need to book at the station in future. Unfortunately, this means that you cannot get the best fares.

The say they encourage bike travel: their facilities say otherwise.
John
Littgull
Posts: 129
Joined: 21 Jun 2009, 9:36am

Re: Train reservations

Post by Littgull »

Oldjohnw wrote:Last summer I had a nightmare trip. My journey involved three separate trains to reach Pitlochry. I could not book online so made the reservations on the phone.

Unfortunately they omitted booking the bike on the first (LNER) part of the journey. They refused to allow my bike on the train thus rendering all my other tickets useless. I was able to book again at the station but of course paid top price, and I arrived 4 hours later than my original plan which put quite a bit of pressure on me. LNER did refund my costs eventually and even gave me a £25 voucher. Unfortunately, the voucher expired on the day of travel, some two months before I received the voucher.

Clearly I need to book at the station in future. Unfortunately, this means that you cannot get the best fares.

The say they encourage bike travel: their facilities say otherwise.

That's an absolute outrage, Oldjohnw. Although it would likely be to no avail, l would vent my spleen via a letter to the govt minister with responsibility for promoting cycling, Jessie Norman.
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Train reservations

Post by PH »

Oldjohnw wrote:Last summer I had a nightmare trip. My journey involved three separate trains to reach Pitlochry. I could not book online so made the reservations on the phone.

Not the first time I've heard of telephone bookings going wrong, I don't think I'd trust any booking that didn't come with a printed record.
What was it stopping you booking online?
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Train reservations

Post by Oldjohnw »

The LNER website - or Virgin East Coast as it was then - does not cater for booking bikes online.
John
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Train reservations

Post by PH »

Oldjohnw wrote:The LNER website - or Virgin East Coast as it was then - does not cater for booking bikes online.

Yes, but as this thread shows you can book LNER tickets online through several other websites. I used it in the summer from York to Grantham, booked online via the GWR link above.
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Train reservations

Post by Oldjohnw »

Inertia, I guess. I was in the old loyalty scheme and when I was at work travelled extnsively which earned me lots of free tickets.

Thanks for the top.
John
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Train reservations

Post by Oldjohnw »

Been on the GWR site and this is what they say (which is the same as LNER):

You can reserve a bike space, at the station or over the phone, at any time before your train arrives. We suggest you do this as early as you can. Storage is limited and bikes can't be kept in the areas by the doors.
John
Post Reply