UKC

Just wondering if anybody has any experience of travelling to Europe with their bikes? Keen to take the kids on an easy cycle touring trip in July / August. Was thinking Croatian islands, but it's an additional £70 per bike on the plane which seems a bit steep (Easyjet). BA don't charge, but their flights are more than £70 more expensive... Then looked into taking them on the train, but not sure that Eurostar allow bikes (or they do, but they have to be packed as freight which sounds like a faff).

Anybody got any experience / suggestions / advice?

Cheers,
Matt

In reply to MattH: Can you hire? If it doesn't have to be Croatia there's a lot (and I mean A LOT) of bike hire places in Mallorca, and some lovely quiet roads to tour around on (plus some big lumps as well).

In reply to andy:

Hiring is a possibility, but I suspect that most places won't hire kids bikes, nor panniers. We're talking about a touring trip as opposed to a trip where you're staying in a villa on Mallorca and going out road biking each day...

In reply to MattH:

Have a look at cycling for softies its france based, but they hire out touring bikes with panniers and do kids sizes. They do a few different options, but its based on staying in a different hotel each night, and cycling between them with your main luggage being transfered for you.

They are quite expensive, but maybe just what you are after if not in croatia

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Thanks for the tip, but we're after the exact opposite. Wild camping, being self sufficient. Will check them out, but suspect they will be too pricey.

In reply to MattH:

Wouldn't somewhere like Normandy be a good bet? - not too hot, accessible by ferry. That far south in the summer might be a bit much for the kids all day (not to mention you with all the luggage).

In reply to MattH:

Seconded for the hire option. Also be aware that the despite Croatian Islands being a great place to go, they are not connected like the Greek Islands. Brac for example only has an hourly ferry to Split and then you have to go to a different port if you wanted to go to say Hvar. I would also think it will be uncomfortably hot in July and August and the islands aren't exactly flat. After a day or so of cycling in the blistering heat you and your kids would be much more up for snorkelling in the crystal clear waters Croatia enjoys.

I absolutely love Croatia, but I can think of much better and nicer places to go cycling.

In reply to ByEek:

Thanks Eek,

I was kind of hoping for some incidental advice on locations at the same time as enquiring about the travel options! I am sure France has some great options, but we have been to France every summer with the boys so were hoping to go somewhere different! The heat was the one thing that I had thought might be a stopper in Croatia.

In reply to MattH:

I know Bruce at procyclehire.com in Pollensa has kids' bikes if you book early. Not certain about racks etc, but give him a call.

In reply to MattH:

Monach will do it for an additional £20 each way. Get some cardboard bike boxes from your local bike shop. Store the boxes in left luggage at airport if poss or get new boxes locally when you get back yo airport. If going one way to,another flight back just dump boxes.

In reply to MattH:

Easyjet are relatively cheap to add a bike as luggage, and they aren't very fussy as to how your weight is distributed amongst your separate items. Might be able to get two kids bikes in one box? Can always gaffa tape two mangled boxes together if you need to extend it slightly, but that adds a bit of weight.

Cardboard boxes from the local bike shop are, in my opinion, definitely the best way to fly. Every bike shop is happy to get rid of them, they do the job, and if you need to dump it you can. There tend to be two types, slightly smaller ones bikes come in from the factory, and slightly bigger ones that are common with ex demo bikes, and therefore rarer.

If you are moving a whole family of bikes, a friend once told me that getting a standard pallet shipped is very cheap. Could work if you can plan in advance...

In reply to MattH:




Look at Germany. Really good network of cycle routes. Many alongside rivers so mostly flat. Ferry from Harwich to holland. Rail network is supposed to be pretty bike friendly.

In reply to BigBrother:

I thought of Germnay too, but discounted it on the wild camping aspect, unless you go to the back of beyond somewhere. Belgium - Meuse, Ardennes perhaps would be an option too.

In reply to MattH:

We took the ferry Newcastle-Amsterdam last year with bikes, then cycled (lovely safe Dutch cycle paths) all the way into Amsterdam city centre, took the train into Germany and cycle toured for 2 weeks. Fantastic holiday. Loads of options in Germany (and Austria/ Switzerland too, for that matter). Hills, riverside multi day routes, there's loads to choose from. Their drivers are very considerate towards cyclists, and the food & beer is grand, so all in all a very pleasant trip.

I've seen families doing the Engadine/ Inn valley route - you can get a train almost to the headwaters (near St Moritz) then have a pleasant few days cycling mainly downhill through eastern Switzerland into Austria. It all gets a bit flat & boring scenery after Kufstein, once you're out on the Bavarian plain, but otherwise stunning hills to cycle through.