# has anyone used the european bike express



## mazza (19 Mar 2010)

im thinking of going touring in france in may and consider using the bike express i live in south birmingham and would have to ride or catch train to the corly drop point is it is it is easy to get to and has any one got any experience with them


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## 3tyretrackterry (19 Mar 2010)

Try asking on the Recumbent Forum i am pretty sure that a couple of trikers have used it


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## rich p (20 Mar 2010)

I've heard that it's good and I wanted to use it this summer but there are very limited options on dates and the ones I could have used were already full. Get in quick would be my advice.


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## andrew_s (20 Mar 2010)

The pickup points are mostly chosen as somewhere close to a motorway junction where it's easy to turn a coach & trailer. It might be just a lay by, so if you ride there, the coach is running late and it's raining, it might not be very pleasant. There are a couple of pickups at motorway services, which are generally accessible by bike if you can find the back entrance.
The bus itself has more leg room than standard UK coaches, but 24 hours on a coach is pretty tedious.

Panniers go in the luggage compartment under the floor, or in the bike trailer and you have no access to them on the journey. Sort what you want for the journey into a separate bag before the bus arrives at the pickup.

Valence and Orange are OK for an early (dawn) start - anywhere further north and you will probably want to book accommodation. On the return, anywhere north of Orange will be an uncomfortably late pickup.

Normal bikes are fine but there's limited space for tandems, recumbent etc that don't fit in the fitted bike racks. Water bottles & pumps can fall off en route if not strapped on, so check when you get off or take them on the bus with you.


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## HJ (20 Mar 2010)

Is there a web site for this service?


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## rich p (20 Mar 2010)

HJ said:


> Is there a web site for this service?



http://www.bike-express.co.uk/


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## Dougster (20 Mar 2010)

I used it in the summer of 2008. I took the west coast route and got off at Bordeaux, went down the west coast then into the Pyrenees, up to Carcassonne and along the Canal de Midi to Toulouse. Picked up the bike bus at Toulouse. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially spending time on the bus with fellow cycle tourists. However, I'm sure being on a coach for so long is not everyone's cup of tea. Service on the coach was excellent, cheap drinks on request and hot meals are also available. I would use it again rather than the hassle of taking the bike on a plane but as the French say "chacun a son gout".


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## Tony (21 Mar 2010)

I have used the service many times. It has changed operators, but is still the same bus/trailer configuration.
The trip down and back is overnight, so can be a bit wearing with a full bus. Bacon sarnies and cuppa in the morning.....
There are different types of seating. With a table, you are facing, so no reclining seat and if the bus is full no leg room. Similar lack oflegroom at the front uostairs, and no reclining seats in front of the "kitchen" downstairs. Take a sleeping bag or warm clothes on for the overnighter.
Be at pick up point early. Bars rotated ninety degrees on an upright, luggage off. They load it very quickly and safely. My normal pick up/drop off point is Dover docks, a short ride from Priory station.
A very goodservice. Where are you going?


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## Mawsley (2 May 2011)

rich p said:


> http://www.bike-express.co.uk/



This isn't working for me - do they still exist?


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## andym (2 May 2011)

Not sure what's wrong with rich's link but here's one that works:

http://www.bike-express.co.uk/

Bacon sarnies in deepest France? That's quite impressive.


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## mcr (2 May 2011)

Mawsley said:


> This isn't working for me - do they still exist?



Looks as though the site's down (probably unsupported over the holiday weekend so no one's noticed) - it was working last time I looked in a couple of weeks ago.


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## psmiffy (2 May 2011)

Ive used it over a dozen times - excellent service - just get a good book - and in no time at all you are clambering off and away

sorry no idea about Corley - but there are maps on the website showing the pickup points


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## asterix (2 May 2011)

Once I got a front seat and there was this violent thunderstorm round Paris. Superb spectacle! I don't know how they managed to arrange that..


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## roundisland (2 May 2011)

I am being picked up from Northampton on May 21st and I'm very excited 

I will pass on my experience as soon as I can.


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## vernon (2 May 2011)

It's a great service. I've used it for three years and will be using it again this year.

The onboard catering is value for money and the service removes a lot of the faff of getting on and off trains, and ferries or aeroplanes.


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## andym (2 May 2011)

vernon said:


> ... and the service removes a lot of the faff of getting on and off trains



It does depend a lot where you live, but the trains can be very quick and the prices surprisingly reasonable if you book early. An all-night coach trip versus taking the bike across Paris? There are pros and cons on both sides.


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## vernon (2 May 2011)

andym said:


> It does depend a lot where you live, but the trains can be very quick and the prices surprisingly reasonable if you book early. An all-night coach trip versus taking the bike across Paris? There are pros and cons on both sides.



For me the pick up point is three miles from where I live and the set down point is exactly where I want to start my ride. Suits me perfectly 

I have used trains and ferries to get to St Malo from Leeds twice. It's relatively faff free but it does have a degree of uncertainty regarding whether or not you can get your bike on the train to Portsmouth as South West trains do not offer bike reservation facilities. I didn't particularly enjoy riding from Kings Cross to Waterloo.


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## bikepacker (2 May 2011)

mazza said:


> im thinking of going touring in france in may and consider using the bike express i live in south birmingham and would have to ride or catch train to the corly drop point is it is it is easy to get to and has any one got any experience with them




Maybe a little late with this answer but here goes. Pick up the Bike Express at Newport Pagnell. Catch an early train from New St, Virgin and LM do cheap advance fares. If going with Virgin get off at Milton Keynes, it is an easy ride through the park and along the canal to NP services. If going by LM, get off at Wolverton and cycle to NP about 4 miles.


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## Mawsley (9 May 2011)

Thanks to those who answered - it is working for me again now. 

I think I'd prefer this to the ferry to Spain (I loathe ferries). That said, I'm not sure how I'd cope with the confined space.

Has anybody caught the train through France? Did you have to book your bike? How much was it?


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## andym (9 May 2011)

Mawsley said:


> Has anybody caught the train through France? Did you have to book your bike? How much was it?



Yes it's as easy as starting a new thread for a new question. (This helps people using the search engine or even just browsing the forum).


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## andym (9 May 2011)

... or posting a dupiicate reply by mistake!


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## vernon (10 May 2011)

Mawsley said:


> Has anybody caught the train through France? Did you have to book your bike? How much was it?



Have a look at the website www.seat61.com where all of your questions can be answered regsarding train travel in France and much of Europe come to that.


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## Nareloc (11 May 2011)

I've only used the service once for a return from Perpignan. Four of us timed it to get the return of the first Bike Express of the year to Spain. The advantage was.....the bus to ourselves! They had nobody to bring back from Spain, just four of us all the way home with two hostesses pampering to our every need. What an enjoyable and relaxed way to get home after a long tour!


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## Fiona N (12 May 2011)

The first couple of times I used the EBE it was with my Windcheetah - no problems as trikes go on the upper deck of the trailer. 
The third time was with a recumbent bike and the driver was a moaner - 'I hate these bikes, they don't fit in the racks.....on and on....'. Just because it required a bit more effort to secure it on the upper deck. And he still didn't get it right and the brake lever on one side was damaged. No problems on the return though. 

I wish they still ran to Italy though - I have to get off in Thionville or Mulhouse and get the train through Switzerland from Basle - or extend the tour by a few days each end.


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