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EuroTour An area to discuss potential European trips, and to ask advice about long distance touring.

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Old 12-12-17, 05:17 PM   #1
Stilo
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Default Bikeshuttle

Sorry admin I am not sure where this should be posted so would appreciate you moving it to the correct section

We have for many years been attending European MotoGPs, sometimes flying but usually riding. With the exception of Aragon we have been to all of them, most 2 or 3 times each. For 2018 we have decided to go to Mugello again, we have ridden there before and there are some great roads getting there and in and around Tuscany and the west coast of Italy but we are fed up with the drag down to Dover and through France so we decided to look for alternatives and came across Bikeshuttle www.bikeshuttle.co.uk. Their UK base is near Towcester (only 10 miles from me), through the summer they have weekly runs to Geneva and Toulouse. Basically you drop your bike and riding gear off with them on a Thursday morning, you can either then use their minibus or, in our case get the wife, to take you to Luton Airport. Easyjet fly to both locations on a Thursday evening. They have arrangements with local hotels which the bikes are delivered to on the Friday morning. The next week you drop the bike off at the same hotel on the Friday morning and get a flight back to Luton. The bikes are back at Towcester the next day (Saturday). It is costing us £500 per bike, its cheaper without panniers, and I got flights in and out of Geneva for £22 each way. By the time you have taken in fuel, ferry costs, hotels, toll charges etc we reckon the costs should be similar. As well as cutting out the motorway miles there is the added benefit of saving a couple of days each way, you fellow married men will know where I am coming from!
We go the 1st week in June and I will update the post on what the service was like.
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Old 13-12-17, 12:09 PM   #2
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Default Re: Bikeshuttle

Interesting info, thanks. As you say, the costs aren't that far apart when everything is taken into account. The run to Dover and through the NE part of France isn't the most wonderful, and if you've done it a few times it's worth skipping the drudgery. I always go Portsmouth these days because I can't stand getting to Dover, and surprisingly it's actually shorter from Le Havre to Grenoble for example than from Calais. An overnight ferry from Portsmouth saves me an extra night's accommodation and I get dumped in France at 8am so a full day ahead.
Anyone contemplating using Brittany Ferries, have a look at their Club Voyage, it's a joining fee and annual subs, but can work out cost effective for more than one crossing. Also, a full member can sign up an associate member for just an annual fee and they get the full benefits and can book and travel independently. This is the arrangement I have with a friend, he travels from Plymouth and I go from Portsmouth, works perfectly. I break even on one crossing and save on 2 or more. Just a thought.
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Old 13-12-17, 03:29 PM   #3
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Default Re: Bikeshuttle

Thanks for the info. I have seen their depot on the A5 many times and always wondered what it costs and how long it takes but been too lazy to find out for myself.

I actually enjoy the motorway slog through France, adds to the sense of adventure but it does take a long time and squares your tyres.

Would you be able to go for less time? I'm probably only going to be able to manage 4 days away this year.
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Old 13-12-17, 05:38 PM   #4
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That does sound like a good option for a person pressed for time. Personally I go on these types of holiday to enjoy the riding, can't stand the dependance on public transport, airports and others generally....... Helps that I live ten minutes out of Dover, and we always manage to find interesting routes straight out of the port. Did Aragon this summer, 900 odd miles there, exactly 3.8 of which were on a dual carriageway!
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Old 14-12-17, 06:51 AM   #5
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Default Re: Bikeshuttle

I know my old boss and his mates put their bikes on a train somewhere and went across Europe to Slovakia, and then rode back. Can't remember where they picked the train up, but sounds like a good option to avoid the motorway slog
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Old 14-12-17, 09:26 AM   #6
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Default Re: Bikeshuttle

Quote:
Originally Posted by L3nny View Post
Thanks for the info. I have seen their depot on the A5 many times and always wondered what it costs and how long it takes but been too lazy to find out for myself.

I actually enjoy the motorway slog through France, adds to the sense of adventure but it does take a long time and squares your tyres.

Would you be able to go for less time? I'm probably only going to be able to manage 4 days away this year.
The shuttle only goes 1 a week but when I spoke to them they seemed flexible about dropping off bikes early and/or collecting late. I guess if you were stuck for time you could leave it at their pick up point early but you would have to confirm that with them
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Old 15-12-17, 09:00 AM   #7
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Default Re: Bikeshuttle

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stilo View Post
Sorry admin I am not sure where this should be posted so would appreciate you moving it to the correct section
This should be in the Eurotour section, unfortunately I do not have mod rights over this section in order to move it. I'll have Admin move it.

Thanks for the really useful information.
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Old 12-08-18, 03:39 PM   #8
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Default Re: Bikeshuttle

Update, a bit late though.
I can't recommend Bikeshuttle enough, the service was seemless all the way through.
We dropped the bikes off on the Thursday morning, they checked around the bike to make sure there is no damage etc, put all of our riding gear in labelled flight boxes and then issue you with a "passport" for the bike & gear etc. The bikes were loaded and secured into floor mounted wheel braces, not strapped down across the seat like a lot of ferries.They do supply transport to Luton airport but as I live locally we made our own way their. At Geneva airport they ferried us in 2 minibuses to the hotel about 15 minutes away, the plane had been delayed so the restauarants next to the hotel were closed but there were a number of riders who had been with Bikeshuttle before and we walked with them into a nearby town, about 20 minutes walk, where there were bars etc.
The next morning I had a text at 8.00am saying the bikes were on site at the back of the hotel. THe bikes & riding gear were all lined up with Bikeshuttle staff at hand.
On the return we dropped the bikes off back at the hotel & got a bus into Geneva for lunch etc and got a flight home on the Friday evening, again because I live locally, the rest of the riders stay at the hotel on the Friday & get a minibus to the airport Saturday morning and then another minibus from Luton to the Bike shuttle depot.
We spoke to a lot of riders who had used the service before and every other first timers like us agreed it was great and we would definitely use it again.
I didn't take the SV I rode a CF Moto650 which is a KTM designed Chinese bike which really impressed me & I will write up a review if anybody is interested.
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