Getting me and my bike across the channel.

[crabbit]

I apologise if this topic is already covered on these pages but I have scoured and scoured and can't find a simple answer. I just want to travel to the EU with my bike in hand, get to other side and cycle/camp where the fancy takes me and then return much the same way - no frills! No return date - single both ways! Independent to do what I want, when I want and return when I want, are prerequisites! Can anyone help me please? My gear includes a Koga World Traveller and full set of Arkle Touring Panniers.

[bikepacker]

Cycle on to any cross channel ferry. Choose your ports of exit and entry and just turn up. Ferries have no problem with turn up and go cyclists.

[MartinBrice]

your only problem will be cycling out of your port of arrival. this is worth thinking about to avoid following the busy road with loads of cars. buy a decent map, the Michelin ones do not show contours so are not as good as the IGN ones. Mapkiosk is good for maps. If you want to think a bit about where to camp - many european campsites are designed for huge caravans not tiny one-man tents - then buy the Caravan Club book on Ebay. It seems to have every campsite in Europe. This is worth thinking about at the start of the day or you might find yourself tired with a long way to go to the next campsite. apart from those small things, (the map and the book) just go and do it.

[ppr]

I do this every year for 8-12 weeks or so, sometimes I use the EBE coach one way, and get off around Orange and then later find a ferry home,usually the night before, this year returned from St Malo via Channel Islands in to Weymouth which is fairly quiet port. I have used the DFDS ferry from Newcastle into Holland pre-booked therefore cheaper... £19.99 single then... but got ripped off by DFDS on return when turning up on spec....think it was over E100 the swines ! Don't forget that you can return on a different EBE coach route than you came out on.... and one year I briefed friends back in England to book me a seat home when I text them...EBE often have empty seats on returns, or you can ring them yourself direct from EU when you feel like retuning home. By the way it looks like the Venice coach is not running anymore by Bolero.

[Barrenfluffit]

I just want to travel to the EU with my bike in hand, get to other side and cycle/camp where the fancy takes me and then return much the same way

I think your asking whats the cheapest open return method to reach an EU country?

[tiredlegs]

I just put me and the bike on to the train to either Portsmouth, Dover or Harwich, cycle on, cycle off and find a camp site.
Book in advance and you get great rail bargains.
Use your CTC membership to get a ferry discount
You will lose weight and get fit.

Just do it, its the best holiday you can ever imagine. You will never be lonely and you meet great people.

John

[mw3230]

I've just returned from Holland on the ferry to Newcastle, admittedly with the car but I have done the journey lot's of time with the bike. It's a good way for me to start my hol as it's only 30 minutes from home. I don't think that this route can be viewed as cheap but if you live in the north or in Scotland the saving made by not driving the 350 miles each way to a channel port begins to even out the cost - plus if you're heading for northern Europe or eastwards then the driving/cycling is likely to be less.

It's a good modern ferry but the food and drink on board is horrendously expensive (From £3.50 for a cup coffee up to £7 for a small cafetiere, £30 for the buffet dinner, £12.80 for fish and chips, £14.50 for shepherds pie) I always take sandwiches, bottled water and a bottle of wine for the evening.

No matter what the weather, the loading officer always makes cyclists wait on the quayside until most of the vehicular traffic has boarded - bloody mindedness in my opinion but no doubt they'll invoke the health and safety spiel!

[Emmaonabike]

We took a couple of bikes across from Newhaven to Dieppe a year or so back on an overnight ferry - you leave at around 11:30 and arrive about 4:30am I think. No need to book a cabin as there was an empty 'quiet' room with just a few other people sleeping on the floor.

We were only away for a short week long loop but found it easy enough to navigate out of Dieppe and get on your way.

Also worthwhile considering advance tickets on the Eurostar for your way over and a ferry booked a couple of days before on your way back.

Enjoy!

[mw3230]

We took a couple of bikes across from Newhaven to Dieppe a year or so back on an overnight ferry - you leave at around 11:30 and arrive about 4:30am I think. No need to book a cabin as there was an empty 'quiet' room with just a few other people sleeping on the floor.

We were only away for a short week long loop but found it easy enough to navigate out of Dieppe and get on your way.

Also worthwhile considering advance tickets on the Eurostar for your way over and a ferry booked a couple of days before on your way back.

Enjoy!

Are bikes allowed on the Eurostar. I had thought they were not but would like to be wrong!

[TheBrick]

I do this every year for 8-12 weeks or so, sometimes I use the EBE coach one way, a

What is the EBE coach? Google is no help I'm afraid

[Si]

European Bike Express (or the "bike-bus" as it's often called) - see advert in Cycle magazine for it and the discounts for CTC members.

[bikepacker]

Loaded bikes are only allowed on some Eurostar trains between London and Paris. It is a complicated process and where allowed there is a charge of £20 each way.

Some confuse this with the service run by the Channel Tunnel themselves. For this service you are picked up by minibus and trailer at a hotel near Folkstone. This then takes you on the shuttle and drops you near the rail terminal in Calais. http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukc ... cycles.htm

Just like to add I have never had a problem cycling out of any port in France and I have done most.

[JJF]

I agree with most of what has been said above. Choose your ferry port (or rail or EBE) and go. One minor qualification. The route Ramsgate to Ostend doesn't take bikes. Pity.
JJF

[beachcomber]

Our group use the Hull-Rotterdam route.
You can ride straight away from the ferry port at Rotterdam onto a well marked cycle route. There is a great little bar just by the ferry terminal, just the job if you get there early when you are heading home.
We usually approach/leave Hull via the Trans Pennine route, but beware it has a flight of steps which are hard work with full panniers.

I agree with mw3230 about the costs on the Newcastle-Imujden ferry. Hull-Rotterdam isn't much cheaper but at least we get a group discount.

[pal]

Another vote for Hull -- Rotterdam: the bike routes out of Rotterdam are excellent (and from Hull are ok); and P&O (unlike DFDS) allow bikes on and off the boat before the cars and trucks. The last time I travelled to Rotterdam that way, I was through passport control and onto the bike path before the cars had started their engines ...