European bike express

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
VinceLedge
Posts: 565
Joined: 12 Dec 2020, 9:51am

Re: European bike express

Post by VinceLedge »

Text of their PDF as mentioned above.....


EUROPEAN BIKE EXPRESS SUMMER 2022 PROGRAMME
We trust we find you all save and well. After what seems an eternity, we felt the time was
right to operate a reduced programme in 2022 and subsequently emailed all our clients.
During the break we have unfortunately lost drivers to advancing years. Given that there are
very few drivers qualified to drive our unique coach and trailer combinations, we have
decided to take an overnight break on both the outward and return journeys to reduce driver
requirements.
Our overnight breaks will be taken at St. Witz, on the north side of Paris offering a variety of
hotels including Premier Classe, B & B Hotels, F1, Campanile etc. Your bikes will remain on
the trailer which will be parked in a secure compound. You will need to separately book your
overnight accommodation for both the outward and /or return journey.
After an initial positive response for 2022 to our proposed reduced schedule, a number of
cancellations were received due to lack of confidence and therefore, we have had to reduce
the programme even further and we will only be operating our Med A/Fixed Based Holiday
route between Leeds and Rosas with one departure to Spain in August to accommodate those
wishing to stay at the Hotel Marian Platja. The timetable is outlined as follows: -
OUTWARD FROM
THE UK
ROUTE RETURN FROM
EUROPE
ROUTE
Friday 19
th August MED A/FIXED BASED
HOLIDAY
Monday 29th August MED A/FIXED
BASED HOLIDAY
MED A/Fixed Based Holiday Leeds to Rosas in Spain
Calling at the following drop off/pick up points
• Calais
• Paris
• Nemours
• Auxerre Nord
• Beaune
• Macon Nord
• Lyon Sud
• Valence Sud
• Orange
• Montpellier
• Narbonne Est
• Rosas/ Hotel Marian Platja (Fixed Based Holiday)
Fares
Single - £189 per person
Return - £339 per person
Fixed Based Holiday Hotel Marian Platja (Half Board) for 9 nights - £950
If you are interested in this departure, please email us with your requirements. We will then
contact you to make a booking.
We look forward to welcoming you onboard once again in 2022
Bowak
Posts: 77
Joined: 18 May 2013, 6:45pm

Re: European bike express

Post by Bowak »

Thanks for posting the details. So just to check that I'm, interpreting it correctly, they're only running 4 round trips this year?

Such a shame if so, as if they did one in June 2 weeks later it'd be perfect for me, but time to go check out train routes again I guess.
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Chris Jeggo
Posts: 577
Joined: 3 Jul 2010, 9:44am
Location: Surrey

Re: European bike express

Post by Chris Jeggo »

I read it as just one trip, to Rosas, out on 19 August, return on 29 August.
Jdsk
Posts: 24635
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: European bike express

Post by Jdsk »

Thanks for enquiring and telling us.

Jonathan
simonhill
Posts: 5226
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: European bike express

Post by simonhill »

Sounds like a holiday in itself. If doing the return it's 4 days on the coach, with 2 nights in a Paris industrial estate. All for about £300 (Inc accom).
Bowak
Posts: 77
Joined: 18 May 2013, 6:45pm

Re: European bike express

Post by Bowak »

On the first page someone had listed 3 more in May. It's just a bit of a shame as a France-UK trip on 21st June would have been just perfect timing.
scribes
Posts: 22
Joined: 21 Feb 2020, 10:13am
Location: Wester Ross

Re: European bike express

Post by scribes »

I note from their website that Bike Express intend publishing the 2023 programme soon. Might not have to take the hack saw to the tandem frame after all.
Good news.
Euro-Paul
Posts: 9
Joined: 8 Nov 2022, 10:56am

Re: European bike express

Post by Euro-Paul »

Hi - just browsing this EBE thread and thought I'd add that I emailed European Bike Express a couple of weeks ago asking when the 2023 schedule would be published, and on 1st Nov they replied, "We will hopefully have everything live by the middle of November". So, any time now, fingers crossed. :- )

I have used them on four occasions over the years, in all cases for the return trip only (from Bordeaux, Bayonne, Montpellier, and Narbonne back up to Leeds). Only reason I never went outbound with them was I always needed to travel out around the end of April, which was before their first service of the year started. (I usually took my bike out on the train/ferry, got off the boat at Calais or Cherbourg, and headed "downhill" to the Med!).

I would highly recommend them. They are really great people; the kind of service that I really want to support especially after their enforced shut-down during the pandemic. I will be using them out and back for sure in 2023, now that I've retired and am no longer so time-constrained!
beeb
Posts: 160
Joined: 13 Aug 2014, 6:39pm

Re: European bike express

Post by beeb »

yes, we have used them many time sin the past, I just hope they can get the service going like they had previously.
Euro-Paul
Posts: 9
Joined: 8 Nov 2022, 10:56am

Re: European bike express

Post by Euro-Paul »

Update to the above:
As of this afternoon, the EBE website https://www.bike-express.co.uk/ has been updated to say: "2023 European Bike Express dates will be announced mid December 2022". They are still saying that they hope to run a full schedule in 2023.
User avatar
MrsHJ
Posts: 1822
Joined: 19 Aug 2010, 1:03pm
Location: Dartmouth, Devon.

Re: European bike express

Post by MrsHJ »

Looks like a better schedule this year. I think I still prefer the train but I can see the appeal.

https://www.bike-express.co.uk/
scribes
Posts: 22
Joined: 21 Feb 2020, 10:13am
Location: Wester Ross

Re: European bike express

Post by scribes »

EBE website now up and running for this year. We have booked for September drop off in Valence and pick up in Orange which will give us twelve and a bit days tandeming. Whoopee!! Trains are not an option.
Euro-Paul
Posts: 9
Joined: 8 Nov 2022, 10:56am

Re: European bike express

Post by Euro-Paul »

Good news indeed, although I had to request a schedule by email as the site link appeared broken. No Atlantic route trips though, only the Med variants.
Outbound dates/routes: (apologies for wonky text..please cross-check with site.)
ROUTES TO FRANCE AND SPAIN OUTBOUND
Date Route Drop Offs
18/05/23 Med A Paris, Auxerre Nord, Beaune, Macon, Lyon, Valence, Orange, Montpellier.
(Overnight stay – Paris)

20/07/23 Med B Reims, Pont-à-Mousson, Beaune, Macon, Lyon, Valence, Orange.
(Overnight stay Reims)

20/07/23 Semaine Fédérale Reims, Pont-a-Mousson.
(Overnight stay Reims)

02/09/23 Med A Paris, Auxerre Nord, Beaune, Macon, Lyon, Valence, Orange, Montpellier.
(Overnight stay – Paris)

02/09/23 Fixed Based Holiday, Paris, Auxerre Nord, Beaune, Macon, Lyon, Valence,
Orange, Montpellier, Narbonne, Rosas.
(Overnight stay – Paris)


ROUTES FROM FRANCE AND SPAIN - RETURN
Date Route Pick Ups
29/05/23 Med A Montpellier, Orange, Valence, Lyon, Macon, Beaune, Auxerre Nord, Paris.
(Overnight stay Paris)

31/07/23 Med B Orange, Valence, Lyon, Macon, Beaune, Pont-à-Mousson, Reims.
(Overnight stay Reims

31/07/23 Semaine Fédérale Pont-à-Mousson, Reims.
Overnight stay Reims)

15/09/23 Med A Rosas, Narbonne, Montpellier, Orange, Valence, Lyon, Macon, Beaune, Auxerre Nord, Paris.
(Overnight stay Paris)

15/09/23 Fixed Based Holiday Rosas, Narbonne, Montpellier, Orange, Valence, Lyon,
Macon, Beaune, Auxerre Nord, Paris.
(Overnight stay Paris)
bohrsatom
Posts: 807
Joined: 20 May 2013, 4:36pm

Re: European bike express

Post by bohrsatom »

Good to see EBE running a service this year, although it looks like there's only three outbound and three inbound journeys in total?

Not sure how I feel about the mandatory hotel stay on each leg of the journey. I understand the reasons behind it (lack of drivers IIRC) but it does add an extra chunk of time to what is already a long trip. When I took EBE back from Montpellier in 2018 I was picked up at 8pm and finally got back to London for about 4pm the next day, it felt like an age!
Euro-Paul
Posts: 9
Joined: 8 Nov 2022, 10:56am

Re: European bike express

Post by Euro-Paul »

Yes - that confused me a bit, as they presented five rows in the "out" and "return" table on the 'pdf, but it appears they've just replicated the routes on those rows - so there's only the three out, and three back, all of which are "Med" routes. I was hoping for a return pick-up in Bayonne like I had a few years back, but it seems the Atlantic route is not operating this time. Just re-jigging my end-of-route as we speak!

The overnight stay there and back is indeed a bit of a b*ll ache, but they say they've not got the spare driver(s) any more since the pandemic, so it's simply a regs requirement and completely understandable. I've got a fifty quid deposit "in the bank" from 2020 by the way - they emailed to say this is my last chance to redeem it!

Happy riding, however you get there and back :-)
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