Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Please please do, I can't find any information about paying duty on holiday luggage from either the courier company or the customs and excise website.
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
"You should be able to claim that back from HMRC. Keep the UPS invoice, it'll have a unique number on it.
If you have any problem finding the right paperwork, I'll dig mine out."
I need to know how this is done so I don't make the same mistake again. I probably won't pursue it this time.
A long story, but £200 is probably a price to pay for not being stranded in Plymouth. It saves me complaining again about bike carriage rules on GWR.
If you have any problem finding the right paperwork, I'll dig mine out."
I need to know how this is done so I don't make the same mistake again. I probably won't pursue it this time.
A long story, but £200 is probably a price to pay for not being stranded in Plymouth. It saves me complaining again about bike carriage rules on GWR.
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brianleach
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Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
This is old information as I haven't crossed the channel since the summer of 2019 and I can only speak for Portsmouth departures.
However I did cross to France and Spain on a regular basis before that.
My experience has been (and I have just looked at their web site and it still seems the same for a hypothetical October trip) is that all routes from Portsmouth can be booked to include a cycle at a reasonable price and the booking form specifically includes it in the options.The exception is the route to Bilbao.
TheManinSeat61 reckons you can take a bike on that route but there is no online option. Allegedly you can include a cycle on your booking if you telephone them but I have never tried it. I know for certain that you used to be able to take cycles on that route as I limped back with my smashed bike and battered panniers following my spectacular crash in 2011.
Hearsay had it that the captain didn't like cycles on his ferry but I have no idea if that is correct.
However I did cross to France and Spain on a regular basis before that.
My experience has been (and I have just looked at their web site and it still seems the same for a hypothetical October trip) is that all routes from Portsmouth can be booked to include a cycle at a reasonable price and the booking form specifically includes it in the options.The exception is the route to Bilbao.
TheManinSeat61 reckons you can take a bike on that route but there is no online option. Allegedly you can include a cycle on your booking if you telephone them but I have never tried it. I know for certain that you used to be able to take cycles on that route as I limped back with my smashed bike and battered panniers following my spectacular crash in 2011.
Hearsay had it that the captain didn't like cycles on his ferry but I have no idea if that is correct.
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
You have a personal limit if you bring it in, but if you courier or post something the government changed the limit to £0. You can reclaim EU VAT if you buy abroad and immediately export it back to the UK, but that's not what has happened here.
You can claim returned goods relief if you exported using an official Duplicate List - but you'd have needed to stamp that on the way out of the UK.
This is the issue preventing Eurostar carrying bikes - you are not there at the time the bikes go through customs, therefore a Carnet or Duplicate list is needed.
A novice learning...
“the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
“the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Am I correct in assuming this Camino is mostly off- road cycling?I looked for my trip back from Spain after doing the via de la plata
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Marmite - £200 to save being stranded in Plymouth ??
Why not book a hotel in Plymouth. I did this for Portsmouth and it cost £44 for a Travelodge in the centre of town. I booked online, from Caen.
Took the train in the morning.
Why not book a hotel in Plymouth. I did this for Portsmouth and it cost £44 for a Travelodge in the centre of town. I booked online, from Caen.
Took the train in the morning.
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
It can be done almost entirely off road or entirely on road. The off road sections include the Roman arch at Caparra and Roman milestones and bridges. The road route is mostly on an old main road that has been replaced by a motorway and so is smooth and graded but apparently very quiet. There is a new book from cicerone that gives you a choice of the two routes for each section of the day so you can mix it up with say 1/3 of the day being in road and the rest off road- the route is done in segments to each « join ».
If/when I do it I would probably start in Cadiz and finish in Gijon (ie there is a split from the Camino so you can either finish on the northern Asturias coast or in Santiago.
https://www.cicerone.co.uk/cycling-the-via-de-la-plata (article written before he went back and did the off road route and wrote the book- his blog covers both routes on a day by day basis).
Photo from this article. https://fascinatingspain.com/place-to-v ... ent-spain/
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Last edited by MrsHJ on 21 Sep 2022, 8:10pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
You have three years to reclaim, so maybe have a look at it and if you find yourself with a couple of hours to spare...marmite wrote: ↑21 Sep 2022, 2:49pm "You should be able to claim that back from HMRC. Keep the UPS invoice, it'll have a unique number on it.
If you have any problem finding the right paperwork, I'll dig mine out."
I need to know how this is done so I don't make the same mistake again. I probably won't pursue it this time.
The form is C285, this link contains all the relevant information. You may need evidence that it was your property in the UK, but you don't need any formal export documentation. The number you need is the Movement Reference Number, it won't get far without it, it ties the payment and refund together. if it's not on your invoice, ask UPS for it, they'll be used to people asking by now!
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-appl ... rpaid-c285
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Still up in the air about the via de la plata. Waiting for a meet up with a cycling pal with maps, if she’s up for it then we’ll start planning for that.
Back up option is something like Port Nouvelle (end of the canal on the Mediterranean) to La Rochelle.
Possible budget- flexible tickets including cabins both ways late May returning at the end of the half term £250 Plymouth Roscof, train Morlaix>Narbonne including overnight couchette €100 (really low prices if I book early enough). Train back from La Rochelle around €50. Say £400 in all,
All of which should compare well with say train or drive plus parking to Bristol, fly to Toulouse, train to Port Nouvelle. Prices for flights including bags Bristol to Toulouse plus La Rochelle to Gatwick including my bags and the bike booking this early are £300 (i have gone for the speedy boarding but I promised myself no more crazy queuing at easy jet after a rough experience last year). Then I’ll have to get a train to Bristol and a train back from Gatwick and a train from Toulouse, I’d be surprised if that doesn’t cost me at least £100 all in all. Timing wise I’m looking at 36 hours ish for the ferry route down to the med from south Devon and the flights are going to be around 30 hours- I’d want to leave at around 7 for a 1 something plane and I’ll likely stay overnight in Toulouse then travel on the next morning to Narbonne/Port Nouvelle so say get there around 12. I’d benefit from overnights on the ferry and train (not sure I’ll have got much sleep on thé train though). There is a 4 hour TGV service to Narbonne avoiding the sleeper so that’s worth checking out.
It’s not a perfect match- getting back from Gatwick is a bit of a pain and I’d want to think about the couchette but my assumption is that the flights will overall be somewhat faster but in the scheme of things not hugely different. Hassle, complexity and money doesn’t seem to have much in it though. I quite like the idea of continual but slow progress overland v hanging around at an airport.
Back up option is something like Port Nouvelle (end of the canal on the Mediterranean) to La Rochelle.
Possible budget- flexible tickets including cabins both ways late May returning at the end of the half term £250 Plymouth Roscof, train Morlaix>Narbonne including overnight couchette €100 (really low prices if I book early enough). Train back from La Rochelle around €50. Say £400 in all,
All of which should compare well with say train or drive plus parking to Bristol, fly to Toulouse, train to Port Nouvelle. Prices for flights including bags Bristol to Toulouse plus La Rochelle to Gatwick including my bags and the bike booking this early are £300 (i have gone for the speedy boarding but I promised myself no more crazy queuing at easy jet after a rough experience last year). Then I’ll have to get a train to Bristol and a train back from Gatwick and a train from Toulouse, I’d be surprised if that doesn’t cost me at least £100 all in all. Timing wise I’m looking at 36 hours ish for the ferry route down to the med from south Devon and the flights are going to be around 30 hours- I’d want to leave at around 7 for a 1 something plane and I’ll likely stay overnight in Toulouse then travel on the next morning to Narbonne/Port Nouvelle so say get there around 12. I’d benefit from overnights on the ferry and train (not sure I’ll have got much sleep on thé train though). There is a 4 hour TGV service to Narbonne avoiding the sleeper so that’s worth checking out.
It’s not a perfect match- getting back from Gatwick is a bit of a pain and I’d want to think about the couchette but my assumption is that the flights will overall be somewhat faster but in the scheme of things not hugely different. Hassle, complexity and money doesn’t seem to have much in it though. I quite like the idea of continual but slow progress overland v hanging around at an airport.
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
this thread topic will I think become more important/sensible moving forward.
In my naive youth went to sardinia from london without flying - took me three days but the journey was interesting.
More recently met some young folk in sardinia who seemed to think they were imprisoned if they couldn't just hop on a plane to london.
In my naive youth went to sardinia from london without flying - took me three days but the journey was interesting.
More recently met some young folk in sardinia who seemed to think they were imprisoned if they couldn't just hop on a plane to london.
Sweep
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Cadiz or Seville to start, finish at Gijon. Likely ferry home from Santander more likely to fly out to Seville or even Malaga.
Up in the air is because I’d like to drop some weight before doing this one and to do it with someone (partly so I can do the old Roman road ie the off road choice in the Asturian mountains whereas if solo I’d probably stick to the road). I’m pretty chilled about travelling solo but sometimes benefit from a friend if it’s something a bit tougher to make sure I actually do it!! Meeting cycling buddy soon with maps- we’ve cycled in Spain and Portugal together before and she’s pretty tough.
Up in the air is because I’d like to drop some weight before doing this one and to do it with someone (partly so I can do the old Roman road ie the off road choice in the Asturian mountains whereas if solo I’d probably stick to the road). I’m pretty chilled about travelling solo but sometimes benefit from a friend if it’s something a bit tougher to make sure I actually do it!! Meeting cycling buddy soon with maps- we’ve cycled in Spain and Portugal together before and she’s pretty tough.
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Thanks
... and home?
Jonathan
... and home?
Jonathan
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
I live close to Plymouth so the Santander ferry to Plymouth is perfect.
Going out needs some mulling- fly direct to Seville from London with getting to London complications or fly to Malaga from eg Exeter/Bristol and getting to Seville/Cadiz challenge. If 2 of us I might just hire a car/taxi at the other end if that’s a reasonable price- but the trains might also be fine.
Re: Travelling to southern Europe without flying
Yes, I'd include car hire in the options. Cost per person drops with more people, as you say. One-way drop-off is often possible, but much more expensive if dropped off in a different country. Bigger vehicles are more expensive but might avoid removing wheels.
Looking forward to seeing your plan.
Jonathan
Looking forward to seeing your plan.
Jonathan