european bike express anyone?

[ton]

anyone used the bike express?

normal routine is drive down to Portsmouth, leave car and go over to france just with bikes.
I hate the drive down and back.
thought about the bike bus.
take one route down through france, spend a couple of weeks pottering around and come back on a different route.

bike bus picks up 5 miles from my house.

ideas greatly appreciated.

[benp1]

I think jameso has done this

It's a good idea in principle. I was looking at it, just for some pipedreaming, and was concerned about the amount of time I might be cooped up on a bus/coach

[jameso]

Used them once, rated. Expensive compared to easyjet and takes a while but more relaxing than the faff of airports, your bike is stored safe and sound and you meet some other riders on the way. Met one of the guys from the bus a few days later on the Col du Lautaret, he had a proper hammer for his tent pegs and a full size D-lock in his pannier.

The seats are recliners but I'd check how genuinely big-guy suited they are. Fine for me at 6' anyway.

[pistonbroke]

I looked into using this when doing the Trans Pyrenees a few years ago when I lived near Sheffield. It was good that they picked up at Meadowhall and the plan was to use their Mediterranean route to Roses then the Atlantic route back from Biarritz, unfortunately they couldn't do it in the 2 week window I had.

[crewlie]

We used it to come back from Narbonne after touring down from St Malo in 2012. I hate coach travel but it was remarkably comfortable. No hassle with the bikes, just turned the bars and they get stored in the trailer, it was all very stress free. Dropoff was like you a gentle 5 mile ride from home. If we were doing a similar tour, I'd be happy to use them again. The seats I remember as being comfortable, but you might need a bit more room :). Oh, and yes we met some very interesting people along the way.

[Mariner]

Never managed to find any space when I wanted to travel.
Used ferries and trains and of course riding my bike through France.

[hanuman]

Their emails went out today. Tempted every year...