The Best Way To Cycle Abroad

Fly With Your Bike 

The first option is you can fly with your bike as most of the Airlines do accept cycles as sporting luggage, also known as oversize baggage. But what sort of protection are you going to need for your bike on an aircraft? 

Hard Bike Box 

We recommended that you go with a hard bike box to give maximum protection. Cardboard bike boxes and soft bike bags just don’t really protect your cycle enough. There are many options in the marketplace for a hard case to protect your bike  

Find the Right Airline for Shipping Bikes

Choosing the right airline for shipping your bike is an extremely important decision. You need to consider, for example, the distance of your trip, the weight of your bike, and what size bike you are looking for. Our airline guides flying with your cycle. Each airline has it own set of rules and prices but a typical expanse below. If it is a one of trip and you don’t want to incur the cost of buying a bike box there are now many companies who hire bike box’s,

British Airways Bike Travel Guidelines

• Cost: Free if it falls within your checked baggage allowance
• Dimensions: 90 x 95 x 65cm (75 x 37.5 x 25.5in)
• Weight Allowance: 23kg (51lb)
• Overweight Charges: 23-32kg (51-70lb) 65 GBP / 75 EUR / 100 USD / 100 CAD per overweight bag and one-way journey. Per item
• Overweight Charges: Over 32kg (70lb) Will require shipping as cargo. Contact British Airways

Pros Of Flying With You Own Bike

• Its your bike and it fits like a glove
• You want sustain and sores or aches and pains as the bike is set to you

• You have to arrange storage of the bike box once you get there
• The transport at the other side needs to be able to accommodate your bike box
•  If you destination hopping then you need to arrange transport of the bike box to your final destination, or plan your route in a circle 
• You have to find storage at home for the bike box (unless you hired one)

Professional Bike Courier Companies 

If you don’t want all the stress of travelling with your bike then they are companies that will ship your bike for you. They arrange everything for you and the costs could be cheaper than flying the bike with you 

Pros Of a Bike Courier Company 

• Less hassle 
• Less cost 

Cons Of A Bike Courier Company

• You still have to break your bike down for packing 
• You still have to rebuild the bike once you arrive 
• You still have to find somewhere to store your packing 
• Will the bike arrive in time 

Companies That Ship Bikes 

• Eurosender
• SendBike
• Sendmybag
• Bikeflights
• LuggageMule
• Sherpr

Take Your Bike With A Specialised Company 

There is another option, one such company does a regular bus route through europe and has specially designed trailers to transport your bike. You can get off at any destination and then return from another destination. Of course you have to go with the timetable the company gives. 

Pros

• Take your own bike 
• No need to dismantle the bike 
• Pick from 20+ destinations to start and return from

Cons

• Long coach journeys 

One such company is Bike-Express and you can contact them here. 

Travel To Europe On A Train

Yes it is possible on the Eurostar but do plan ahead. 

If you’re determined to holiday abroad, it’s surprisingly easy to travel with by train. From London you can get the train to Belgium and France and from there you can travel to Spain, Italy and Germany and other European destinations. Most train services provide facilities for taking your bicycle, but you do need to plan ahead.

An early Eurostar from London gets you into France for lunch and from there you can hop on the TGV high-speed train and be in Bordeaux or Avignon by evening, ready for a weekend of lovely cycling.

Get the ferry

The glamour of travelling by water is another option, with ferry services from most big ports easily taking you to Holland, Belgium, France, Ireland and Spain.

You can book a ferry from the UK’s busiest port, Dover, from as little as £30 each way, which is certainly cheaper than most low-cost flights once you add all the extras and especially the massive surcharge for adding a bike to the flight.

Dover to Calais is the quickest ferry route from the UK to France, it takes about 1.5 hours and there are lots of sailings every day. It’s worth bearing in mind that the cost of crossings go up considerably during school holidays and bank holidays, so check the calendar before you book.

Taking your bike on the ferry can either be via car with your bike in the boot or on a rack, or you can cycle straight onto the ferry and leave the car at home or in the port car park

Rent A Cycle Abroad 

The standard of cycle hire across Europe has gotten a lot better in the last few years. Most bikes are well maintained and service regularly. We do advise checking up on the feedback from previous customers though. The range of bikes can be immense from casual touring bikes to some serious road bikes costing a pretty penny.

It all depends on your level of experience and fitness. Do you want to experience some punishing stages from the Tour De France or just experience nice views on flat terrains? 

Typical prices for the peak of the season for a Carbon Di2 Disc CUBE in Majorca can be around 235 euros for the week, The basic Alu CENTURION from Huezeler is just 125 euros for the week or a Sportrad Alu for 100 euros. 

Pros 

• Ease of Travel 
• No bike to transport 

Cons 

• Bike may be uncomfortable 
• More risk of aches and pains 
• Is the bike in good condition 

To make the experience a little better you could always take your own saddle and pedals. Before hiring a bike abroad always check what comes with the bike, some companies provide everything and others nothing. A guide to traveling in the USA with your bicycle. 

Yes of course take your own cycling gear, helmet, glasses, water bottle, sadal and pedals. It may be worth also taking your own puncture repair kit and a small hand pump

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