... if European Bike Express is still going?

[speedsixdave]

As the title says. As Covid recedes (?) the thoughts of young men turn to the Alps. I went to the EBE website but it seems to be down, which is a worrying sign. Does anyone have any better news?

[burroc]

Their website seems accessible to me. The information was last updated in April, when they were hoping to resume services "late summer" in 2021.

[Paulatic]

Yes the web site is back up.
It was down at the time of the OP.

[speedsixdave]

Thanks both. Yes seems to have been a temporary outage, but no details yet on when European trips will restart. Hopefully by September!

[pq]

You could of course go by train. Whenever I've looked at the bikeexpress it's always seemed a very uncivilised way to travel - an eternity on a bus and then getting dropped at some unearthly hour by a motorway having not slept much. I no longer live in the UK, but when I did I always used to take the eurostar to paris, have dinner somewhere, then pick up a night train to wherever I wanted to go. I think the eurostar is less bike friendly than it was and there are fewer night trains, but still much preferable to the bus.

However with rising covid rates in the UK it may well not be possible at all in the near future.

[speedsixdave]

Train - or car/ferry/train - is the probable alternative model, but not without its foibles too. Loaded touring bikes on French trains can be a bit of a pig especially if you need to change often, and as you note the Eurostar and TGV are not very bike friendly.

I have done the EBE before but as a younger man better adapted to sitting on a coach for eighteen hours or whatever it is, and I do fear that somewhat now. However the attraction of getting on at Trowell Services, which is about five miles away from my house, and then off in Grenoble or somewhere, knowing that the bike and bags are safe and undamaged, is quite strong.

[pq]

Not if you use a night train. They have loads of space for bikes and you have lots of time to load up becasue they sit in the station for ages at Paris. No changes needed either - they can drop you at breakfast time in places which are great to start cycling from. Last time I did it, I arrived at 7am in Ax les Thermes, well rested and ready for a full day in the saddle having set off late afternoon the previous day from Birmingham.

Travelling all across France with a loaded tourer on day trains is more complicated of course, but for many destinations, a bit of detective work turns up non-TGV bike friendly alternatives. We have one direct, bike friendly train per day from Paris, but it's hard to find becasue the SNCF want you to use the TGV which isn't bike friendly at all. Last time I looked the DB web site found it when I ticked the bike box.

No way around whatever Eurostar is doing of course, but I'm not up to date with that.

[ANTONISH]

Not if you use a night train. They have loads of space for bikes and you have lots of time to load up becasue they sit in the station for ages at Paris. No changes needed either - they can drop you at breakfast time in places which are great to start cycling from. Last time I did it, I arrived at 7am in Ax les Thermes, well rested and ready for a full day in the saddle having set off late afternoon the previous day from Birmingham.

Travelling all across France with a loaded tourer on day trains is more complicated of course, but for many destinations, a bit of detective work turns up non-TGV bike friendly alternatives. We have one direct, bike friendly train per day from Paris, but it's hard to find becasue the SNCF want you to use the TGV which isn't bike friendly at all. Last time I looked the DB web site found it when I ticked the bike box.

No way around whatever Eurostar is doing of course, but I'm not up to date with that.

Are night trains still running in France? I last used one in 2014 and I believe they ceased shortly after.
As for loaded tourers I carry a large stuff sack which will take all my bags and is carried on my back - leaves an unloaded bike which is far easier to put on and off a train.

[Jdsk]

"French overnight trains" from The Man in Seat 61:
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-route ... e-nuit.htm

Jonathan

[VinceLedge]

I have found the Bike Express quite a comfortable way to travel , especially if coming from the north of Britain.
Drive to depot, park car, bike on bus trailer, onto bus which had reclining seats, coffee and food on board. Dropped off at a service area and either cycle away or find a cheapo chain hotel for a bit.

[Jdsk]

"12/07/21 - WE HAVE DELAYED ANNOUNCING OUR 2021 TIMETABLE DUE TO THE EVER CHANGING SITUATION BOTH HERE AND IN EUROPE BUT WE HAVE JUST BEEN IN FRANCE FOR A MONTH AND HOPE TO OPERATE LATE SUMMER. AS SOON AS WE KNOW WE CAN OPERATE THIS WE WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW."
https://www.bike-express.co.uk

Jonathan