Campus Dakota

Group Memberships => UND Cycling => Topic started by: Aaron Ortiz on April 05, 2011, 05:32:33 PM

Title: Bike Touring France
Post by: Aaron Ortiz on April 05, 2011, 05:32:33 PM
Bonjour cycling friends,

I'm planning a bike tour across France this summer (May 26 - June 18) from the Northeast town of Calais on the English channel to Marseille on the southern coast.  I have two questions that I'm hoping to get some advice/suggestions on:

1) Does anybody have experience shipping a bike overseas either using FedEx/UPS or checking it along with you on a plane?  Any insight on this topic would be much appreciated! 

2) Does anybody have friends, enemy's, or family I might be able to stay with for a night?  The approximate route will be passing through the following towns.  Calais, Reims, Troyes, Dijon, through the Jura and the Alps, Grenoble, and of course ending in Marseille. 

Thanks! 
Aaron
Title: Re: Bike Touring France
Post by: Plantains on April 05, 2011, 06:08:11 PM
Aaaron. (3 a's just in case) the good news is that the airlines will ship your bike with just as much care as they ship your luggage.

I've heard good and bad things, but have nothing to offer other than it seems to be fairly equally balanced.

I also have no friends in those parts of Europe.
Title: Re: Bike Touring France
Post by: Sal Atticum on April 07, 2011, 12:57:02 PM
That's awesome!  I don't think I know anyone there, but I will check.

This was just on Twitter:
Quote
BicyclingMag Bicycling Magazine   
ATTN #airportninja and bike travelers: Frontier Air to check bikes/boxes for cost of baggage, $25 on Econ tix, starting May 1 @flyfrontier
Title: Re: Bike Touring France
Post by: Plantains on April 08, 2011, 12:05:18 AM
Frontier is a regional though so you'll have some trouble getting across the pond with them. I'm fairly certain there was a website that listed the costs for bikes... but, you can probably just call each respective airline and see what they say. It probably won't be enough to switch from airline to airline though... by that I mean, if you choose Delta because the ticket is $1000 and the bike will ship for $100, I doubt that you'll be able to get a ticket on United for $900 and ship the bike for $50.

But in all seriousness... what the hell do I know?
Title: Re: Bike Touring France
Post by: Aaron O on April 18, 2011, 06:17:17 PM
Thank you for the replies!  The low cost to get over the pond on TAP, should hopefully offset the cost that I'll be paying to check my bike with them.  The planning continues!   :)
Title: Re: Bike Touring France
Post by: Tcb03c on April 18, 2011, 07:40:21 PM
you'll need this too...