Cycling UK Forum

Definitely get EHICs. Some insurers will expect you to have them anyway.

Search the forum for recent insurance opinions on general but maybe someone will have tips about insuring child cyclists.

August, peak holiday time included a 15% discount offer. Two adults plus an 11 year old.

No spoiling a sense of a bargain as we have both the dates and cabin type we wanted, we paid £5 for all three bikes. June is term time for us.

We have an annual travel policy that includes cycle touring with Axa.

We've done many of the overnight ferry routes from the UK and always splash out on the sea view (before camping on the cheap for a fortnight!). One of the best parts of the trip.

We used AXA too because the online system allows you to choose lots of options for activities/medical and these include cycle touring. No experience on claiming though.

EHIC is well worth having. Used it once in Denmark and it was simply a case of showing the card details to the receptionist at the medical centre - no charge or fuss although it does vary by country.

I heard EHIC cards offer perks worth getting. If you use one it might result in your excess not being applied I got told. It also has a few other benefits too. Something to do with travel insurance often has a requirement for it in the small print I heard. Either way it's on our list of things to get.

Not a fan of AXA. Had a bad deal from them in the past. Left a bad taste like I'd been ripped off.

Mavis2016 wrote:We use ferries a lot, three people, three bikes. Phone them up, their system cannot cope with one bike per person online, they are all the same, DFDS, Brittany etc., etc., none of them can book three bikes on an online reservation for three people.

DFDS charge you £5 extra for booking by phone on Dover routes and £20 extra on Newcastle and Harwich routes. No extra charge on Newhaven and Portsmouth routes.

Coincidently, I tried booking 2 pers + 2 bikes on the DFDS Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry last week. It turned in to a 11 hrs 30 mins expensive nightmare. I will be making a written complaint to them and whoever is willing to listen!

Their website implies it is possible to book 2 pers + 2 bikes, but you get a popup saying the max number of bicycles for 2 persons is 1. Perhaps their website was designed by a tandem rider! No other message. I get someone on IM who steers me through it all and right at the end I workout she is trying to make the booking for 2 MOTOR bikes, despite me saying BICYCLES. Wasted time and $. Another IM and another operates admits that their website does not work properly, so I'll have to phone in = $$$$$$. During this process I am told to make a booking for 1 person + 1 bike, then call in and they will sort it. I press a button that sends me a email 'quote' ("Here’s your Amsterdam ferry quote') for my booking for GBP95. (I later find out that this also completely meaningless and worthless and is not honoured). BUT, I also want to add meals at the online discounted price for 2, so its not clear at all what to do. I take a tea break and then spend 3 hours trying to book 2 pers + 2 bikes on Cross country trains to connect. Their online booking also does not work and the link between their 'forward' sales team (India) and 'back end' (the actual company) is hopeless. Eventually get it sorted via Facebook!! Call DFDS back. The day I want is now 'very busy' and the price has jumped more than 100%! I realise that because of the wait and time-outs, I have at least 2 browser x 3 tabs open, so my cookies alone probably explain the jump in demand. I have a long 'conversation' with operator involving a lot of 'can you hold' (=$$$$$$) but finally manage to book for c. 95% extra cost. 45 mins later I receive an email to confirm booking but its for the wrong day. I call back, they put me on hold while the supervisor listens to booking tape (long, so lots more $$$$$) who then decides unilaterally without appeal that I have booked the wrong day not them, and that it will cost GBP40 to change booking plus extra charges for 'busy'' day. I explain that the only reason I mentioned another day was to illustrate that without their predatory cookie tracking, prices for other days are stable and lower.

I asked them to remove or edit their online booking system for bikes as it was deceptive. One week later its still there.

I'd be most grateful If anyone has advice on who else I can copy when I make a written complaint?

Tangled Metal wrote:Got a number from live chat. 0344 number. Is that like a normal landline number for charges?

No, I booked a cruise with P&O on an 0344 number using my mobile. When I got my bill, it's not included in my normal usage and I got charged £15 for a 30 minute call. Rip off!

TrevA wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:Got a number from live chat. 0344 number. Is that like a normal landline number for charges?

No, I booked a cruise with P&O on an 0344 number using my mobile. When I got my bill, it's not included in my normal usage and I got charged £15 for a 30 minute call. Rip off!

Are you sure it wasn't an 0844 number. Numbers beginning 03 should cost the same as a landline number. I assume you have a contract with enough minutes for the call

Toffee wrote:

TrevA wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:Got a number from live chat. 0344 number. Is that like a normal landline number for charges?

No, I booked a cruise with P&O on an 0344 number using my mobile. When I got my bill, it's not included in my normal usage and I got charged £15 for a 30 minute call. Rip off!

Are you sure it wasn't an 0844 number. Numbers beginning 03 should cost the same as a landline number. I assume you have a contract with enough minutes for the call

Yes, sorry, just checked my bill and it was an 0843 number.

TrevA wrote:

Toffee wrote:

TrevA wrote:
No, I booked a cruise with P&O on an 0344 number using my mobile. When I got my bill, it's not included in my normal usage and I got charged £15 for a 30 minute call. Rip off!

Are you sure it wasn't an 0844 number. Numbers beginning 03 should cost the same as a landline number. I assume you have a contract with enough minutes for the call

Yes, sorry, just checked my bill and it was an 0843 number.

It's a pain through. Why they cannot design their website correctly is a mystery to me. Who would have thought that each person had a bike each.