When will Eurostar recommence carrying bikes?

[mjr]

For TER services I think that a bike booking is required from 2 June to 2 September ish in Brittany only.

The illness has spread to other regions too. Like Brittany, the spaces on the Grand Est TERs that require reservations cannot be booked with the tickets. It's currently worse than the UK railways.

[simonhill]

TERs take bikes BUT only to a limited number. So carriage is not guaranteed with no booking possible.

I asked a guy at the station how many bikes and he said 2 or 4 in each section, but didn't really know.

I just caught a train and was heading to front bike section but was told to go to rear section where there were 3 already. Someone else then got on but he kept bike in door vestibule otherwise it would have blocked the aisle. He said only 2 stops and they were OK with this.

I saw another train in the station with 3 by the bike symbol presumably the limit on that train. So what the max number is anyone's guess and depends on train type..

I'm doing a longer trip tomorrow, getting on half way. Will not be happy if I can't get on as only 4 trains a day. Also what happens to your ticket? Mine was for that specific train.

If be wary on busy lines or near popular cycling spots particularly if needing to make a connection.

[mattheus]

TER != Eurostar

<... don't know why I bother ... >

[MrsHJ]

They don’t police TER in my experience- everyone just crams on. I saw one arrive in Narbonne from Toulouse that was like a tardis with loads of bikes.

Presumably that’s why they are trying to be a bit more restrictive in Brittany in the summer (thank you for the note about the grand est- that would have been relevant to me last September)

[ANTONISH]

TERs take bikes BUT only to a limited number. So carriage is not guaranteed with no booking possible.



I'm doing a longer trip tomorrow, getting on half way. Will not be happy if I can't get on as only 4 trains a day. Also what happens to your ticket? Mine was for that specific train.

If be wary on busy lines or near popular cycling spots particularly if needing to make a connection.

As I said upthread we travelled twice in Brittany on trains we weren't booked for.
The guard scanned our tickets and the response was "parfait".
They seem relaxed about the numbers provided the bikes don't block the walkways.
On one train the guard wanted bikes to be hung from the hooks - I helped a lady with an e-bike and was struck with how heavy it was - strength training in gym not wasted.

[mjr]

Will not be happy if I can't get on as only 4 trains a day. Also what happens to your ticket? Mine was for that specific train.

Get your ticket endorsed (stamped on the back, usually) to open it to other trains, same as if you're refused boarding a train in the UK. I've done that at least once in France, after delays from a landslide delayed me enough that making a timed connection was unlikely. It's also worth having insurance and enough credit in case that doesn't work for some reason.

[bohrsatom]

Timetable for Eurostar trains between London<->Brussels which accept fully assembled bikes:

London to Brussels:
9116: 09:01 departure
9132: 13:01 departure
9142: 15:04 departure

Brussels to London:
9117: 08:52 departure
9135: 12:52 departure
9141: 14:52 departure
9153: 17:56 departure

(Source: Email correspondence with Eurostar)

[pal]

That's v. useful info -- thank you!

[Jdsk]

Very helpful, thanks for sharing.

Jonathan

[smith24121]

Hello all!

I'm biking to Paris from London with a few friends for a good charity, which should be fun! I'm in a predicament with the return journey though, the plan was to grab a train back from Paris to London. But! Eurostar replied to me saying we have to dissemble our bike. Has anyone else done it? Checking over the measures they provided, in order for my bike to fit, I would have to strip it down to the frame! Which seems a bit extreme?

Does anyone know of any better ways of getting from Paris to London?

Thanks all!

Tom

[nirakaro]

Regional (TER) train Paris Nord-Calais Ville (probably change at Amiens), ferry to Dover, train Dover Priory-St Pancras. Takes all day. Thanks a bunch, eurostar!

[bohrsatom]

Local trains and a ferry as suggest above

Alternatively take local trains to Brussels (I think you can do it with just one change) then take Eurostar from Brussels. These services do carry fully assembled bikes (it’s only Paris where you need to disassemble).

[st599_uk]

Hello all!

I'm biking to Paris from London with a few friends for a good charity, which should be fun! I'm in a predicament with the return journey though, the plan was to grab a train back from Paris to London. But! Eurostar replied to me saying we have to dissemble our bike. Has anyone else done it? Checking over the measures they provided, in order for my bike to fit, I would have to strip it down to the frame! Which seems a bit extreme?

Does anyone know of any better ways of getting from Paris to London?

Thanks all!

Tom

You used to be able to hand your bike over to EuroDispatch, then pick it up round the back of St Pancras. But now that Customs requirements have changed, some of the stations don't have the space for the Customs area and you have to take the bike as luggage, which requires tearing it down and boxing it.

[Sparky56]

how about Eurostar Lille Europe / Calais Frethun to London ? Can that take fully assembled bikes? perhaps quicker than going all the way to Brussels???? or is that not any easier than going to brussels?

[pal]

how about Eurostar Lille Europe / Calais Frethun to London ? Can that take fully assembled bikes? perhaps quicker than going all the way to Brussels???? or is that not any easier than going to brussels?

It isn't possible to take a fully-assembled bike from Lille or Calais (in fact, that wasn't possible even before Covid/Brexit). Brussels or the slow trains + ferry are the only options at the moment. (Over on the Eurostar & bikes, thread, Bohrsatom very helpfully posted the times of the Brussels services which take bikes: https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic. ... s#p1779766 )