Taking your bike on Eurostar

Taking your bike on Eurostar:  You can take your bike on Eurostar in the luggage compartment for £30 each way (pre-booking required).  See full details...

  Bike bag for transporting a bike by train

Bike bags:  In an ideal world you'd always find a train that takes bikes in the luggage van or special bicycle compartment.  However, on many routes packing your bike into a zip-up bike bag is the only option, with pedals & wheels removed and handlebars turned.  Bags cost £50-£100, this dhb example is about £75. Try searching Amazon.co.uk.

Unfortunately, Eurostar no longer allows any bike bags over 85cm in any one dimension, except as registered luggage. Photo courtesy of Wiggle Online Cycle Shop.

   

Taking your bike across Europe by train

This page explains how to take your bike by train from the UK to destinations all over Europe.  You can take your bicycle with you on many European trains, though the arrangements vary on different operators and in different countries.  If you have any feedback on taking bikes to Europe by train that might help fellow cyclists, please let me know.  Think of your journey as a 3-stage process:

small bullet point  Step 1, taking your bike on British trains

small bullet point  Step 2, getting your bike across the Channel

small bullet point  Step 3, taking your bike on trains in mainland Europe

How to take a bike from the UK to:

small bullet point  France

small bullet point  Belgium

small bullet point  Luxembourg

small bullet point  Netherlands

small bullet point  Spain

small bullet point  Switzerland

         

small bullet point  Italy

small bullet point  Germany

small bullet point  Austria

small bullet point  Scandinavia

small bullet point  Central & Eastern Europe

small bullet point  See reports & advice from other cyclists

Folding bikes, tandems, motorbikes

OK, lets deal with these first.  The rest of this page will deal with normal one-person non-folding bikes.

Step 1, taking a bike on British trains

You can take your bike free of charge on almost all British trains, except during Monday-Friday peak hours around London & other big cities.  Sometimes bikes are carried on a turn-up-&-hop-on basis, but on many trains there are only a limited number of bike spaces so you must make a reservation for your bike beforehand.  The arrangements vary on each UK train operator, but they are explained on these recommended websites:

Step 2, getting across the Channel

The next step is to get your bike from the UK to mainland Europe, either by Eurostar or train & ferry.

small bullet point  Option A, London to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam by Eurostar.

small bullet point  Option B, London & Harwich to Amsterdam by Stena Line Rail & Sail

small bullet point  Option C, London & Dover to Paris by train & ferry

small bullet point  Option D, London & Portsmouth to Paris by train & ferry

small bullet point  Option E, Newcastle or Hull to Holland by ferry

Option A, taking your bike on Eurostar to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam

Option B, London to Amsterdam by Rail & Sail

Option C, London to Paris by train & ferry via Dover

Option D, London to Paris by ferry from Portsmouth

Option E, Newcastle or Hull to Holland by ferry

Other ferry options

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Step 3, taking your bike on trains in mainland Europe

  Bike space, Intercite de Nuit overnight train in France
 

Bike compartment on a Intercité de Nuit overnight train, from Paris to Toulon, Cannes, Nice, Toulouse, Perpignan.  Bike spaces must be reserved and a small fee is charged.

  Booking your bike on a train
 

You can now book add a bike to your online booking on those TGVs routes which allow it, using www.thetrainline.com.  If this Bike €10 tick-box doesn't show up, then it's not an option to take undismantled bikes on that train or route.  Only works for relevant domestic French TGVs, not international TGVs.

Taking bikes from the UK to France

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Taking bikes from the UK to Belgium

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Taking bikes from the UK to the Netherlands

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Taking bikes from the UK to Luxembourg

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Taking bikes from the UK to Switzerland

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Taking bikes from the UK to Italy

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  Bike space, Amsterdam to Germany Intercity train
 

The large bike compartment on an Amsterdam to Berlin Intercity train.  Bike spaces must be reserved and a small fee paid.

Taking bikes from the UK to Germany

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Taking bikes from the UK to Austria

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  Bike space, Intercite de Nuit overnight train in France
 

Bike compartment on a Intercité de Nuit couchette train, Paris to Toulouse, Cerbère.  Bike spaces must be reserved and a small fee paid.

  Bike spaces, local train in Spain from Latour de Carol to Barcelona
 

This is the bike area on the suburban train from Latour de Carol to Barcelona.  There are spaces in every car, no reservation necessary or possible.

Taking bikes from the UK to Spain

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Taking bikes to Denmark, Norway, Sweden

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Taking bikes by train to Central & Eastern Europe

Option 1, using Stena Line to Amsterdam & an intercity train to Berlin

Option 2, using the European Sleeper to Berlin

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Travellers' reports

More information

Further feedback, photos or reports about taking bikes by train into Europe are always welcome!


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