Cycling UK Forum

Hi Folks,

Just wondering if anybody has any advice for travel by air with a bike when on your own. I've always managed to get dropped at Heathrow by a friend, so easy. Next flight is from Gatwick and I'll have to drive myself and park, this means getting my bike and bag on the transfer bus, a bit tricky if its busy. Just wondering if any body has any suggestions that would help. The bike will be boxed in a halfords box.

Cheers all.

You want to try getting to the railway station, on a busy train then hoiking packed bike etc from station to check in at Manchester. Nightmare - especially if you don't want to be robbed for a trolley!

Don't think there's an easy way to do it except to use as few separate bits of luggage as possible.

Have a good trip

Some years ago,travelling with my wife ,hence two bikes plus panniers,the driver refused to let us board the bus which was empty.
Company policy was the answer to my questioning.
Following this I opted for valet parking.

I've never had trouble when using National Express with a rolling holdall and bike bag.

I'v gotten to Gatwick on my own by two different means. Once, i took the train with a bagged bike and panniers packed into a duffel bag. The train was very crowded, and I spent the entire journey standing, jammed up against my bike and luggage.

The other time, I rode my bike (from a friend's house in Hanwell) and got there well in advance (almost 4 hours before my flight) and packed my bike in a CTC bike bag when I got there. Outside of a little trouble finding the bike route, it all went very smoothly, and was a far more comfortable experience than the train.

Last year I had a fabric bag for my bike but only put the bike into it once in the airport. Makes it much easier to wheel across the car park with panniers on. I practiced at home first so I knew which bits to remove or adjust and the whole took about 5 minutes at each end. This year I'm using a bike box, I think, as a bit more protection means peace of mind.

Park in short term carpark which is a trolley push from terminal. Take bike to left luggage. Return to car, take to long stay, return.

Depending on who you are flying with you may have time to check in then do the car transfer to save left luggage charge.

I've battled with this many times so maybe can offer other solutions, but would need more info.

As I say, travelling on a bike is heaven, travelling with a bike is hell.

I've never left my car when with the bike but I like the purple parking meet and greet- should avoid the nasty bus man and is good value with a premier inn the night before.

For the trolleys dimensions are an issue as I'm sure you know. I've long meant to take some long bungees to help with packed bike drift i.e. So it's contained on the trolley.

I have flown by myself before or using public transport/cycling to the airport and we just took the bikes complete and then bagged them up in the departures hall. I've always though that as a lot easier for bikes as they are beautiful forms of transport but total pigs to move around when packed up. I realise this doesn't suit everyone.

Another option.

If you fly Emirates business class you get free chauffeur driven car (or people carrier on request). Probably not for everyone.

The last time I went from Gatwick was with Easyjet. It was an early flight and I was able to book in my ( bagged) bike the night before.
My son dropped me off though I could have used a train - I had a good deal on a premier Inn next to the terminal and stayed the night before.
Coming back ( from Alicante ), I packed the bike when I was in the terminal.
I did the same in Vienna.
I'm a reluctant flier ( too much hassle and time wasting ) and much prefer the train.

If you stay overnight in a nearby hotel, many offer free parking. If you are away for more than a few days, that often works out cheaper than paying for parking.

Antonish - where did you find out about pre booking in your bike and how did you arrange it ? Sounds great, but I wasn't aware that it was available at Gatwick.

Vorpal. I was going to stay in one of those hotels, but the budget one I looked at was away from airport and a bus was needed to get you to the terminal. You then run into the "will they take my bike on the bus?" question.

To get round the early morning hassle, I have slept on the floor of Gatwick a few times.

simonhill wrote:Antonish - where did you find out about pre booking in your bike and how did you arrange it ? Sounds great, but I wasn't aware that it was available at Gatwick.

I'm not Antonish and my memory is fuzzy (I don't fly often and airports all look samey to me) but I think I remember this at Gatwick (95% sure) and it's only offered for early flights. Maybe before 8am.

simonhill wrote:Antonish - where did you find out about pre booking in your bike and how did you arrange it ? Sounds great, but I wasn't aware that it was available at Gatwick.

Vorpal. I was going to stay in one of those hotels, but the budget one I looked at was away from airport and a bus was needed to get you to the terminal. You then run into the "will they take my bike on the bus?" question.

To get round the early morning hassle, I have slept on the floor of Gatwick a few times.

A lot of the park and fly options work with a separate car parking supplier- certainly premier inn do and that’s one of the reasons we use the premier inn one as we drive into the short term parking (at Heathrow) and leave the car there on the morning after our overnight sleep and walk with a trolley into the terminal- very easy. Purple parking then take the car off site somewhere until we get back and then the process is reversed.

Hoisted by my own petard - use google if in doubt.

Just googled it and found this on easyjet London Gatwick page http://www.easyjet.com/en/help/preparin ... ck-airport


" Can I drop my hold luggage off the night before?

If the flight you have booked leaves London Gatwick before 08.30 you can drop off your hold luggage at the easyJet Bag Drop area from 20:00 until midnight the night before. "