Training it to the south of France

Andy B

Andy B

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Advice please!

Having picked up a few threads on putting the bike on a train from either Calais or Paris, can I have some comment from people who've done it?

Concerns revolve around cost and how well the bikes are treated, whether they are with us or go separately.

French Railways have been singularly unhelpful so far in replying to emails.

All comments gratefully received.
 
It is really easy. You turn up,ride your bike onto the wagon, they strap it down ( they're really good). You walk to the front carriages, find your cabin and chill out for the night. In the morning they give you breakfast while they sort out the carriages and you ride your bike off the wagon.......job done.It's so easy from Calais ,Paris station is a bit of a bugger to find. It's not cheap though, better if there are 2 bikes to share the car space so you can split the cost. Go to raileurope.com

Marcus.
 
Guy i spoke to last year always uses it now.. says it gives him 4 days extra holiday, saves wear and tear on bike/tyres, saves the boring motorways,saves on accomodation cost and fuel and he and his partner are 'fresh' to ride when they get there..
so go do some math
 
trainspotters

Get on the train and be a rail enthusiast.Best ride and be a motorcyclist.Take the French A roads and enjoy the ride.
 
Andy B said:
Advice please!

Having picked up a few threads on putting the bike on a train from either Calais or Paris, can I have some comment from people who've done it?

Concerns revolve around cost and how well the bikes are treated, whether they are with us or go separately.

French Railways have been singularly unhelpful so far in replying to emails.

All comments gratefully received.
Click to expand...

If you need any help with translation, let me know and I will help you.

Regards
JC
 
When you want to get the most time down south or in the mountains, using the train has been a great way to start or end the holiday. Only ever done it one way in any given holiday, once down and once back up but using Belgian Motorail to Nice was fantastic. Beats the hell out of Motorways, and you wake up in the South of France.

6 blokes, one cabin :ymca:eek::kissy2 and, unlike the French trains, a superb restaurant car made it, er, interesting.

Used to go from Dunderleeuw in Belgium, 90 miles from Calais so worth the detour. Now the only non-French service is from much further away.

Having said that, been on the French one too, pricey with total disregard for customer service, cars broken into when the train stops to stretch the journey out til morning, violent shunting in the wee small hours...........I'm not selling it well am I?

This is a good page: http://www.seat61.com/Motorail.htm
 
digga said:
Guy i spoke to last year always uses it now.. says it gives him 4 days extra holiday, saves wear and tear on bike/tyres, saves the boring motorways,saves on accomodation cost and fuel and he and his partner are 'fresh' to ride when they get there..
so go do some math
Click to expand...

The maths are: He's slow and/or takes to many breaks whilst riding and hasnt heard of Formula 1.
Fresh = Rusty, and wear on a bike at a steady speed is tyres and fuel, little else.
The motorways can be boring though. And it might save you some time. So if you are cash rich/time poor, go for it, I nearly have 4 times, but then I have always baulked at the cost eventually.
 
Sorry but I can`t get my head around this 'training' your bike to any destination lark.

You may as well just get a cheapo flight to wherever you`re going and hire a fecking bike.

Comments about 'boring motorways' and 'saving so many days' are nothing but cop outs...you`ve got a bike,so USE it.

Don`t like motorways? Use a different route.

'Saving days' ?? A major part of a bike holiday is being on the bike..riding it.. for several days....if it isn`t maybe you`ve got the wrong bike or should reappraise why you`ve got one.
 
I used the Calais Nice overnight train with my car a few years ago.
It's a convenient way to wake up in the south if you don't want to do the mileage.
A couple of things to watch: Don't leave anything of value on the bike unless it's nailed down - they will nick it. The couchettes are great. We had a 3 bed cabin - small but comfy enough. DO LOCK YOUR CABIN DOOR! Especially if you've had a beer or two. We were robbed in the night by the night porter. We were 100% sure it was him (He said he'd found my wallet - it's a long story) - all our wallets were nicked and just the cash removed - no evidence should they get stopped/searched. I spent the morning in Monaco cancelling all my cards just incase. Theft on the overnight trains is well known and prevalent. Don't let this put you off. It's a convenient way to travel - just keep an eye on your kit!

Cheers, Ken
 
tarka said:
Sorry but I can`t get my head around this 'training' your bike to any destination lark.
Click to expand...

Top tip, if your a 1200 rider only book the train down.
































Your breakdown cover will get you home :aidan
 
Tarka said:
Sorry but I can`t get my head around this 'training' your bike to any destination lark.

You may as well just get a cheapo flight to wherever you`re going and hire a fecking bike.

Comments about 'boring motorways' and 'saving so many days' are nothing but cop outs...you`ve got a bike,so USE it.

Don`t like motorways? Use a different route.

'Saving days' ?? A major part of a bike holiday is being on the bike..riding it.. for several days....if it isn`t maybe you`ve got the wrong bike or should reappraise why you`ve got one.
Click to expand...

You miss the point entirely.

As you say - "A major part of a bike holiday is being on the bike..riding it.. for several days.."

Take my situation - I've done France endless times, I'm self employed so only have a limited time off available before customers are screaming. I want to ride the Pyrenees / Spain, why waste 4 days of precious holiday time riding on pleasant but fairly uninteresting roads, when I can get a boat or train and spend my time riding in the mountains.

If riding with two bikes then the cost is comparable to riding there. It's not about cheating or not riding your bike or taking the easy option, it's about maximising the quality of riding available to you when your time is limited, either by work, family or other commitments.
 
Joe Bar said:
I want to ride the Pyrenees / Spain, why waste 4 days of precious holiday time riding on pleasant but fairly uninteresting roads, when I can get a boat or train and spend my time riding in the mountains.
Click to expand...

Have you thought about Plymouth/Santander one way and then riding across the South of the Pyrenees, then over & back up to Caen for the ferry back to Portsmouth? Or a ferry slightly further south, I say Caen as that's what we did in May, good way to not repeat your journey in return.

Plymouth route is overnight & the Caen route gets you back in Portsmouth by 10pm if you take the last one at about 5pm'ish.

Stayed at the St.George B&B just North of Narbonne on the way back. Great host & some cracking roads round there up through the mountains :thumb Will be going back there to explore more at some stage.
 
ShaunT279 said:
Or Even portsmouth/bilbao far cheaper than Brittany Ferries.
Click to expand...

But an afternoon/evening on the boat, followed by a full day on the boat, and then arriving 8am the next morning - it's practically 48hrs/2 days on the boat, so you don't save much time, which is what Andy's looking for I think.

But all options worth considering
 
Give the train a try.

IME the bikes were very well looked after and I saved 2 days of the holiday each way (on a DR600....) arriving fresh to ride the more interesting bits.

Covering miles whilst sleeping is the best bit - not something I'd be keen to do on the bike...

PG
 
Jon said:
Have you thought about Plymouth/Santander one way and then riding across the South of the Pyrenees.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's the route I've got planned for next year, but will do the boat to and from Santander and criss cross the Pyrenees over to Barcelona and back again over the course of a week. Shortening the crossing time and reducing the price has made it a much more attractive option - a mate used it this year to do northern Spain and Portugaul.

Stayed in Narbonne last year, lovely spot and an ideal starting point to head into the mountains :)
 
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