bike transport on train through france

have heard you can use french rail services to transport you and your bike through france from say calais to south coast.
does anyone know where i can get info on this service as thinking may be cheaper, easier option than plymouth-santander ferry

mike wrote:have heard you can use french rail services to transport you and your bike through france from say calais to south coast.
does anyone know where i can get info on this service as thinking may be cheaper, easier option than plymouth-santander ferry

Loads of info here http://www.raileurope.co.uk/frenchmotorrail/

I used them about 10 years ago, but would not bother again, you can get to great roads in a similar time just by riding, the accomodation left a lot to be desired, and there was no food or drink on the train.

Mind you, I think the long sea crossing would be even worse!

That's 1 way of keeping your mileage down. hehehe

was going to try save on mileage and holiday time.
heading to marbella in august for a break at apartment and just thinking different ways to get there.
having not done a continental trip and having never toured i am not sure what sort of mileage to cover per day and so for the 1500mile journey i had no real idea of how long to allow.I do realise depends on how hard i push it.
hence if i take train it cuts 800 miles off journey and if i take the boat it takes 900 miles off of the journey.

Would think the weather would be fine that time of year, however travelling time on the bike would be more if it was raining.
Travelling by boat takes ages compared to the bike.
Train: I DON'T KNOW.
I would have thought you'd get a deal travelling through the chunnel, UK-France and then Spain by train, eurotunnel must have some sort of deal on.

boat takes 21hours to reach northern spain from plymouth....how long u think riding would take?
assuming good weather
train is about 7hours to southern france from calais...

Take the train

awaiting confirmation of cost.....
then can make further choices

well got details....
the train is an overnight run, cost including bike transportation and sleeping accom and complimetary breakfast on toulouse is £1050. it takes a total of 1400 or so miles off of my journey.
the boat is 21.5 hours costing either £350 for reclining seat or £514 for a cabin, taking 1800 miles off of my journey. I would allow 2 days riding for these options also so 2 nights return journey adds approx 100 euro on top.
Cost of riding down there based on uk prices for fuel and tolls is £320 need accom on top of that. This is for 3000miles round trip.
as i am not sure how many days it would take me to comfortably ride 1500 miles i would have said 3-4 days travelling so accom needed for max 6 nights return @ 30euros a night that would be about 360ish euro allowing for drink every night and food. so total would be about £500.

So i am not sure what to do.....my decision is based on cost versus wear and tear and journey time.

Any help or info would be gratefully appreciated so I can book it asap

How much for the train "WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT"
I'd fly and hire a bike for the week.

Where did you get the train costs from?

I seem to remember when I went getting the tickets from France direct as it saved lots of money - there was a UK based site that charged double what we were able to get the train price for?

Also where did you get your riding costs from - Calais to Toulouse is 600 miles - 45MPG = 13/14 Gallons = 60 litres = £60 ish at French fuel prices maybe a little more £70 tops.

So you are talking £70 for fuel, £25 maybe for tolls, and £40 for overnight accommodation - for a trip that is easy to do in a day??

the train was on this site
http://www.raileurope.co.uk/frenchmotorrail/
click on prices.
driving info gained from
http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Driving_directions#
settings in miles, prices in pounds and £0.95 per litre.
Ferry prices from
https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/index.cfm?CFID=7140470&CFTOKEN=37136299&st=f4

based on those websites i derived the info.
Also i am not riding to Toulouse....i am riding from Toulouse to Fuengirola if i take the train.

If anyone can find cheaper prices, better deals then let me know so I can book something. If the train was as cheap as boat I would do train as could then take a small detour to Millau for the bridge.

mike wrote:the train was on this site
http://www.raileurope.co.uk/frenchmotorrail/
click on prices.
driving info gained from
http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Driving_directions#
settings in miles, prices in pounds and £0.95 per litre.
Ferry prices from
https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/index.cfm?CFID=7140470&CFTOKEN=37136299&st=f4

based on those websites i derived the info.
Also i am not riding to Toulouse....i am riding from Toulouse to Fuengirola if i take the train.

If anyone can find cheaper prices, better deals then let me know so I can book something. If the train was as cheap as boat I would do train as could then take a small detour to Millau for the bridge.

Yes, so the motorail website was the one I gave you before, and also said book on the french one - sorry don't have a direct link.

Tolouse is still 600 miles from Calais, so come on, explain how do you reckon it takes 1400 miles off your trip going via motorail?

Small detour to Millau - 250 miles round trip from Toulouse

Think you really need to look at some maps, and do some working out of what you really want.

Sorry mate, I have tried to help, but clearly I am not thinking along the same lines as you.

If it were me, well I would get a cheap flight to the nearest airport, but I would not do so in August, and if I anted to ride a bike, then would hire one.

i am not going to toulouse...i have an apartment in fuengirola.....toulouse is the stop the train uses and it is close enough to south france to use for my purposes....
i do not really care how far it is from calais unless i am riding it...if i use train i am going from toulouse to fuengirola in spain on the bike....that is why figures match up.
and calais is 100 or so miles from watford which is where i am basing my calculations from rather than calais...hence the difference in mileage.
the detour to millau is one i would take and i want to do so do not factor that in,
i have to do holiday in august as have a wife and 2 kids....and we holiday in school holidays just like every other family has to....

I was hoping to do Spain this yrea but ran out of time,gonna do it next year now.going to get ferry from Plynouth to Santander-going to Calpe,which is 530 miles from the port,so done in a day easily..then 10 days hooning around some good roads near my mums with free accom thrown in
if i do get my arse sorted for this,mum syas she can put up another 2/3 peeps would just have to bung a few quid towards food n beer

Gatso wrote:I was hoping to do Spain this yrea but ran out of time,gonna do it next year now.going to get ferry from Plynouth to Santander-going to Calpe,which is 530 miles from the port,so done in a day easily..then 10 days hooning around some good roads near my mums with free accom thrown in
if i do get my arse sorted for this,mum syas she can put up another 2/3 peeps would just have to bung a few quid towards food n beer

I have this insy winsy feeling that you will get a few takers for that mate...Stand back and wait fir it.

When are you planning your trip then gatso? I think the ferry i am booking will be on 30th July.
Planning on getting a cabin also as do not think overnight on a recliner chair with gear is particularly a good idea...
Also route u will take getting to Calpe is good as I would then turn right and head down coast to Malaga for my holiday.
If we book together or of others out at same time then cost per person is reduced....just a thought

i like the way you are thinking there bud.........
how long you going for?..................could do return trip together as well on way out?

looks like the ferry on the 21st august....

give me your dates again m8...............ta

30th july out and 21st august back.....those are the dates i have provisionally run past the wife....
i doubt they will change as ferries only run on those dates and i am sick of flying over there on easy jet and missing stunning weather with my bike....

im warming to this,are you doin the track days in Spain that i posted up?..............

not sure what track days in spain there was....cannot find posting....2 many hours at work and not enough sleep.