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Old June 25th 06, 06:44 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
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Default Provence, Ventoux

On 2006-06-25, Nigel Cliffe wrote:
Mark wrote:

....... Taking the bike in a soft bag on the Eurostar and TGV (which
is superb) was trouble-free once I'd hung around to make sure nobody
dumped a heavy suitcase on it and the whole journey from London to
A-e-P took under 7 hours. The change from Gare du Nord to Gare de
Lyon is a nuisance with a bike bag but not impossible.........


Look at changing at Lille instead; worst you've got there is a
platform swap, and there are lifts as well as escallators. We've used
Lille regularly for walking holidays; frequently arranging an
overnight stop-off at Lyon.


Yes, I heard that Lille was easier but the Eurostar website didn't offer
connections at the right (lowest!) price for me.

If looking to book complex Eurostar & TGV which is not listed in the
very simple Eurostar booklets (and onward European rail) travel, then
use a rail agency (eg. Ffestiniog Travel). They have access to the
discount fares which are lost on the rest of us due to the booking
windows being variable. eg. something like Eurostar is 3 month, for
each leg, and TGV is 2-month for each leg. So the window to book a
2-week long trip is nearly 6 weeks long! By the time your last train
is listed, the cheap tickets on the first have long gone. But the
agencies can reserve seats without commitment until the last component
is in place. There is usually a fee for booking, around ten quid.


Ah, thanks. The Eurostar 3-/TGV 2-month window is frustrating -- just as
you said, I found that the cheap seats for the Eurostar leg had gone
before I was able to book the whole trip through on the Eurostar site. I
can see myself using the train again so I'll speak to an agency next
time -- thanks for the tip.

What is the limit on a soft bagged-bike for Eurostar ? I've found
their website unclear on the topic, though have seen people board
trains with bagged bikes (though they look like they are probably
racers). I have big touring bikes, mudguards, racks, etc. And I'm
tall, so the "old trusty" tourer is a big 24in frame.


Nobody weighed my bag and I had to heft it into the X-ray machines
myself so I suppose the weight limit is as much as you can lift with a
straight face. I thought I'd read somewhere that bikes had to be in bags
under 120cm long (as with the TGV) so you might have trouble there -- my
bag was 110cmish with both wheels off and no rack/guards.

Cheers,

Mark
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