Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

[MrsHJ]

I was interested to know what other people target as the maximum or reasonable time/cost/hassle to get on tour?

I love travelling by train and I’m keen to limit my flights to one a year (better for the environment and don’t really like flying plus covid). I don’t always love travelling with my bike in the train as it can involve a lot of lugging stuff around and difficult connections and although I’m happy to take the ferry (Plymouth is my nearest) it does tend to add significantly to the elapsed time (I kind of ignore time spent for overnight ferries although I wouldn’t say I sleep brilliantly on them).

I do like the way I can get access all over Europe by train but I tend to see 24 hours from the start point as roughly sensible to get to the beginning of a tour. For instance I did that last year when drove to Bristol, left the car in airport parking, then I flew to Geneva and then got the train up to Oberwald. In all I left home at lunchtime on Friday for an early evening flight and stayed overnight in Geneva then got up to Oberwald lunchtime the next day. I kicked off the actual cycling on Sunday- I built in some extra time as I’ve overdone it before and suffered when flying and trying to do a decent amount of cycling on the same day.

I’d be happy to spend a similar or slightly more time and cost to get say to Switzerland again on tour by ferry and train - so probably Plymouth-Roscof-Morlaix-Paris-big Swiss city eg Basel-destination/couple of local trains. It helps that Swiss trains are bike friendly and TGV services can whisk you across France with a reservation for the bike mostly available (although it looks like the TGV Lyria services from Paris to Switzerland are a no no). I’ve been looking at Copenhagen for the start of a tour and that’s definitely a better to fly one-might be easier by train if I lived in the east of England.

Things that put me off- 2 days travelling to start a holiday when I’ve only got a fortnight off seems too long. Lots of complex connections too and the total price is never too bad if it’s just me but train travel in places like Switzerland isn’t cheap. NB touring in England isn’t always an attractive option for me- I do suffer from a certain amount of wanderlust that can’t be achieved for me in the UK.

Finally the question- how do other people run this equation?

[Jdsk]

We've never flown with the bikes, and probably never will.

Before the outbreak we were looking at several days by train and ferry to start in Estonia and ride south. That would have been our longest ever connection.

I've hired cars a few times to get to the start of tours or to get the bikes home afterwards. The environmental impact isn't too bad for two of us and much better when there's more people in the same vehicle.

Jonathan

[nirakaro]

For me, the tour starts as soon as I'm off the channel ferry. For example, if I get the night ferry to Dieppe, there's a pleasant ride to Serqueux or maybe Rouen in the morning, then jump on a train to Paris, ride between stations, and I can probably be somewhere like Dijon by evening. Next day, fifty miles on the bike and a couple of trains, and I can be approaching the Alps.

[MrsHJ]

We've never flown with the bikes, and probably never will.

Before the outbreak we were looking at several days by train and ferry to start in Estonia and ride south. That would have been our longest ever connection.

I've hired cars a few times to get to the start of tours or to get the bikes home afterwards. The environmental impact isn't too bad for two of us and much better when there's more people in the same vehicle.

Jonathan

I’d forgotten about the car/ferry approach. It’s some years since we did that- I’d rather sit on a train but it could be a better choice for some of those regions that are not bike on train friendly. I’ve been flying with bikes since the mid nineteen nineties. First trip was down to Nice then cycle home- we also did a lot of bike on ferry routes in the nineties and early 2000s. That was before the easy jets and Ryan airs etc dominated the European skies.

[Psamathe]

My tours have been taking each day as it comes and planning tomorrow the evening before. Generally I've decided to head off day or two before departing (i.e. one day think "time to head off", that day check ferries and book the first/cheapest available tomorrow or later but a.s.a.p), pack that evening (subject to bike having been recently serviced).

To get to ferry, ride home to station, train (riding between stations, etc.) so for me the "tour" starts the moment I lock my front door on the way out.

I am very fortunate being retired so no need to book holiday from work, no timescales, etc.

Ian

[Tigerbiten]

I started cycling when I stepped out of my cottage.
But when you're away for ~5 months then if I was gong to the continent the week it took me to cycle to the ferry was treated as just part of me getting touring fit.


Luck ..........

[MrsHJ]

On this subject has anyone taken their bike on the Cardiff to Portsmouth train recently? It’s a while since I’ve used that route but it’s a sensible way to get to the Caen ferry (I’d probably have to dog leg up to Bristol to catch it). It looks non bookable which is not entirely comforting if aiming for a specific ferry.

[Richard Fairhurst]

I took it a couple of years ago when it was a Sprinter with limited bike accommodation, but the guard was tolerant of there being more than the nominal 2. I think it might be a ‘Turbo’ now which is a bit more forgiving - big vestibules where you can rest the bike if the designated area is full. I’d still catch the train one before you need to though!

[Tiggertoo]

It appears all of you are much more fortunate than I am having relatively close connections with access to anywhere a decent tour can start.
For me, it will take a 30 mile car journey during the afternoon to the long term parking at the nearest major airport; check in with a bike box and wait for around three hours to board (Day One); 10 hours in the air; arrive at Heathrow the next morning (Day two), then Paddington Express train to Paddington (I could not get an answer from the operators as to taking the bike box on the Express), either stay over night in London or take the train directly down to Penzance; make my way to anywhere near Lands End; stay overnight (Day three) then set off the next day with a serious case of jetlag. So, maybe two or three days to start a tour? 10 days riding, then repeat the programme going back. Possibly 14 - 16 days total for a ten day 1,000 mile bike ride.

[st599_uk]

I took it a couple of years ago when it was a Sprinter with limited bike accommodation, but the guard was tolerant of there being more than the nominal 2. I think it might be a ‘Turbo’ now which is a bit more forgiving - big vestibules where you can rest the bike if the designated area is full. I’d still catch the train one before you need to though!

The SWR trains are often rammed with bikes, especially those heading through Winchester for the KAW start. I think there were at least 14 bikes in the 3 bike space the day we did it.

[mjr]

I took it a couple of years ago when it was a Sprinter with limited bike accommodation, but the guard was tolerant of there being more than the nominal 2. I think it might be a ‘Turbo’ now which is a bit more forgiving - big vestibules where you can rest the bike if the designated area is full. I’d still catch the train one before you need to though!

The SWR trains are often rammed with bikes, especially those heading through Winchester for the KAW start. I think there were at least 14 bikes in the 3 bike space the day we did it.

Cardiff to Portsmouth is GWR not SWR. 14 in space for 3 rivals the 26 in space for 6 we had on a southeastern Dover to London on an August Bank Holiday a few years ago.

Personally, I like to reach the start in about a day but I'm OK with riding between trains and trains and boats. I think the most complicated I've done was train to Cambridge, train to Ipswich, ride to Shotley, boat to Harwich, ride to Parkeston, boat to Hook of Holland, ride to The Hague, train to Eindhoven, train to Heerlen. Then we rode the rest of the continental section except for a train transfer from Luxemburg to Breda to put us a day away from the ferry home.

I think I'd take more time than do 24h of vehicle-hopping quite that complicated again, but we did what we could with the time our group could share.

[Slowroad]

For me the trip begins once I've got on the train to London. I've usually travelled via the overnight Harwich to Hoek van Holland ferry for trips in The Netherlands (doh), and down the Rhine. Also Eurotunnel from Folkstone and the ferry to Dieppe for Northern France. I've not had the opportunity to take more than 9 1/2 days off work for several years so I get in 8 days cycling, which is fine. I've no intention of flying again.
I'll be very happy if I get a nice modest tour in The Netherlands this year! On the other hand if it still seems too complicated I'll be happy to go to Wales or Scotland.

[Pendodave]

I’d be happy to spend a similar or slightly more time and cost to get say to Switzerland again on tour by ferry and train - so probably Plymouth-Roscof-Morlaix-Paris-big Swiss city eg Basel-destination/couple of local trains. It helps that Swiss trains are bike friendly and TGV services can whisk you across France with a reservation for the bike mostly available (although it looks like the TGV Lyria services from Paris to Switzerland are a no no).

When I've travelled into Switzerland via Basel in the past, I've avoided using the Lyria by taking a standard SNCF TGV to Strasbourg and then getting a local SNCFservice to Basel. It comes into a special French platform, and you just walk round to the main station. Slower than Lyria, but much faster than a non-TGV service from Paris. You can still do Hertfordshire to pretty much anywhere in Switzerland by nightfall. At least you could before the Eurostar service was reduced for CV19.

[MrsHJ]

I’d be happy to spend a similar or slightly more time and cost to get say to Switzerland again on tour by ferry and train - so probably Plymouth-Roscof-Morlaix-Paris-big Swiss city eg Basel-destination/couple of local trains. It helps that Swiss trains are bike friendly and TGV services can whisk you across France with a reservation for the bike mostly available (although it looks like the TGV Lyria services from Paris to Switzerland are a no no).

When I've travelled into Switzerland via Basel in the past, I've avoided using the Lyria by taking a standard SNCF TGV to Strasbourg and then getting a local SNCFservice to Basel. It comes into a special French platform, and you just walk round to the main station. Slower than Lyria, but much faster than a non-TGV service from Paris. You can still do Hertfordshire to pretty much anywhere in Switzerland by nightfall. At least you could before the Eurostar service was reduced for CV19.

Good to know- I thought I’d have to get TER services Paris to Basel via Mulhouse when I eventually do the Rhine route from the Oberalpass. Having already done the Rhône route that starts from the other side of the same mountain it appealed to my sense of completeness! Not on the 2022 list at the moment though, but when I do it I thought I’d break it in half at Strasbourg and then saw it was something like a 5 hour TER service to Paris as I thought that was a no bikes on TGV section like the Geneva route so you’ve started my mind on the possibilities for Strasbourg.
I rather thought the Eurostar was a bit of a no no for complete bikes at the moment but as I start a lot further west than you it isn’t such a good option for me anyway.

[MrsHJ]

Some of the lucky responders have more free time than those of us still working 9-5 ( joking at the idea that I would get to finish at 5). I reckon my pension pot means I’ll be working for another 15 years or so though so I’m going to keep doing stuff now and not wait til I’m retired.