Taking your bike on Eurostar:  You can take your bike on Eurostar in the luggage compartment, pre-booking required, see details.
	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 from the UK to destinations across Europe by train.  You can take a bicycle with you on most European trains, but the arrangements vary by operator and country.  Think of it as a 3-stage process:

  Step 1, taking your bike on British trains

  Step 2, getting your bike across the Channel

  Step 3, taking your bike on trains in mainland Europe

How to take a bike from the UK to:

Folding bikes, tandems, motorbikes

Let's get these out the way first.  On the rest of this page I'll deal with regular bikes.

Small folding bikes (for example, Bromptons) count as normal luggage, so are no problem on any UK train or on Eurostar or any European train, although it's best to put them in a cover.  On Eurostar, the maximum dimension must not exceed 85cm.

Tandems are often not carried on trains at all, even ones that take regular bikes.  In the UK, only 4 or 5 out of over 20 train companies will carry tandems, including Avanti West Coast, First Great Western InterCity and selected Greater Anglia routes including the ones linking London, Ipswich & Norwich to Harwich for the ferry to Holland, see tandem-club.org.uk for details.

Motorbikes are not carried on any regular European passenger trains at all, only on special car-carrying motorail trains which run on certain dates on a few key holiday routes, so for motorcycle transport see the Motorail page.

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:

www.atob.org.uk/rail-ferry-zone  - the A to B Bike/Rail page, an excellent summary of arrangements on each UK train operator, although may not be 100% up to date.

www.nationalrail.co.uk/.../train-travel-with-bicycles - the cycle page on the official National Rail website.

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.

  Option A, taking your bike on Eurostar.

  Option B, London to Amsterdam by train & ferry

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

  Option D, London & Portsmouth to Paris by train & ferry

  Option E, Newcastle or Hull to Holland by ferry

Option A, taking your bike on Eurostar

• On all routes:

  If your bike can be semi-dismantled and put in a bike bag less than 85cm long you can take it as regular luggage on any Eurostar route, free of charge.  It travels with you as regular luggage, you put it on the racks in your carriage like any other luggage.  You can take your bike to Lille, Brussels, Paris, Rotterdam or Amsterdam this way.

  You can pretty much take your bike free of charge on most other European trains this way, too.  Bromptons & children's bikes usually fall into this category, but they must be put in a cover.

  However, most adult bikes will exceed 85cm long even when semi-disassembled unless they've been given the Japanese-inspired Rinko makeover, which might be worth considering if you're a regular traveller, see this blog for advice on making your bike Rinko-compatible.

• London to Brussels: 

  Fully-assembled bikes can be booked onto designated trains for a fee.

  From London to Brussels, bikes can be booked on just 3 departures, the 09:01, 13:01 & 15:04.

  From Brussels to London, bikes can be booked onto the 07:56, 12:56, 14:52 & 17:56.

  Check this at www.eurostar.com, click Travel info then Luggage then look for bike info.

  Pre-book your bike by emailing travelservices@eurostar.com.

  The cost is £45 booked more than 48h in advance or £60 booked less then 48h ahead.  Only 2 bikes can be accommodated on a given train.

  Email them first to check that bike space is available, then buy a ticket for yourself, then email them to confirm the bike booking.

  You drop your bike off at the Eurostar luggage office before checking-in.  When you arrive in Brussels, your bike is handed back to you on the platform.  You must travel on the same train as your bike.

• London to Paris: 

  Bagged/boxed semi-dismantled bikes can be booked onto designated trains for a fee.

  You can buy a suitable bike bag or box from cycling shops.  Before dropping off your bike you need to bag or box it with wheels, pedals & saddle removed and handlebars turned to reduce bulk, so that the dimensions do not exceed 120cm x 90cm.

  From London to Paris, bikes can be booked on all departures from 08:01 to 15:31.

  From Paris to London, bikes can be booked on all departures from 11:13 to 18:13.

  Check this at www.eurostar.com, click Travel info then Luggage then look for bike info.

  Pre-book your bike by emailing travelservices@eurostar.com.

  The cost is £45 booked more than 48h in advance or £60 booked less then 48h ahead.  Only 2 bikes can be accommodated on a given train.

  Email them first to check that bike space is available, then buy a ticket for yourself, then email them to confirm the bike booking.

  You drop your bike off at the Eurostar luggage office before checking-in.  When you arrive in Paris, your bike is handed back to you on the platform.  You must travel on the same train as your bike.

• For more details, see the bicycle page at www.eurostar.com, click Travel info then Luggage then look for bike info.

• Bikes are not carried to Lille, Rotterdam or Amsterdam, unless bagged and under 85cm long as per the 'all routes' paragraph.

• If you need a hotel near St Pancras, it's reported that the Premier Inn at St Pancras is bike-friendly and accepts bikes being stored in your room.  There are several Premier Inns in that area.

Option B, London to Amsterdam by train & ferry

• By Stena Line to Hoek van Holland

  There's a bike-friendly train-ferry-train service between London & Amsterdam via Stena Line's Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry.  There's a time-effective overnight service leaving London Liverpool Street station at 19:36, you sleep on the luxurious Stena Line superferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland a private cabin with shower & toilet, satellite TV and free WiFi 21:00-08:00, and arrive in Amsterdam by connecting train around 10:25 next morning, with onward connections for Belgium, Germany & beyond.

  See the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for timetable, cabin types and how it all works.

  But if you're taking a bike, you can't use a rail & sail ticket, you'll need to buy separate tickets for train and ferry as described below.

• How much does it cost?

  (1)  A train ticket from London to Harwich costs around £44 one-way bought on the day, unlimited availability, no reservation necessary, your bike goes free.  However, if you book in advance you can get fares from as little as £8 upwards, no refunds, no changes to travel plans, only valid on the specific train you book.  You can check fares to Harwich from anywhere in Britain at any train operator website such as tfw.wales.

  (2)  A ferry crossing from Harwich to Hoek van Holland costs around £50 each way for 1 passenger with 1 bike, plus the cost of a cabin, see cabin types & costs here.  You can check ferry fares at www.stenaline.co.uk.

  (3)  Hoek van Holland Haven to Schiedam Centrum or Rotterdam by RET metro costs around €4 for the disposable chipcard RET 2-hour ticket or you can touch in and out with any contactless bank card.

  (4)  Schiedam Centrum to Amsterdam Centraal by Dutch train costs around €17.50 + bike ticket around €7.50, each way.  You can check prices from Schiedam Centrum or Rotterdam Alexander to anywhere in the Netherlands at www.ns.nl, or from Schiedam Centrum or Rotterdam to anywhere in Germany at int.bahn.de.

• How to buy tickets when taking a bike: 

  You can't add a bike when booking a Rail & Sail ticket, so you have to buy separate tickets for the train and the ferry like this

  Step 1, go to www.stenaline.co.uk and book the ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland, adding a bike and a cabin.

  Step 2, go to any British train operator website such as tfw.wales and buy a train ticket from London or any other station to Harwich International.  You can buy on the day, no reservation necessary, but you can get cheaper tickets if you pre-book a specific train.  Bikes go free.

  Step 3, if you're going to Amsterdam, buy a Dutch train ticket from Schiedam to Amsterdam at the Dutch Railways website www.ns.nl.

  Or if you're heading to or through Germany, buy a ticket from Schiedam Centrum, Rotterdam Centraal or Rotterdam Alexander to any station in Germany using the German Railways website int.bahn.de.  You can add a bike to this booking to cover the German part of the journey.

  Step 4, now buy an Off-Peak Bike Ticket using the Dutch Railways website www.ns.nl to cover the Dutch domestic part of the journey.

• Taking bikes on the train from London to Harwich:

  You can take bikes on trains between London & Harwich free of charge, except on trains leaving London between 16:30 & 18:30 Mondays-Fridays or (in the other direction) trains arriving in London between 07:45 & 09:45 Mondays-Fridays.

  No reservation is necessary for your bike if it's a direct train to Harwich, but a bike reservation is necessary if you use one of the limited-stop London-Norwich inter-city services between London and Manningtree, you must book your bike on these by calling Greater Anglia (www.greateranglia.co.uk).  But there's no problem using the direct train from London to Harwich which connects nicely with the overnight ferry, nor with the direct morning trains from London to Harwich which connect with the daytime ferry. 

  In the inwards direction, the time restrictions mean that if you arrive at Harwich on the overnight ferry from Hoek on a weekday, you'll have to wait an hour or so and catch a later train to London than you would have done without a bike, arriving in London after 09:45.  You can check the arrangements for bikes on any British train at www.atob.org.uk/rail-ferry-zone.

• Taking bikes on the ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland:

  When your train arrives at Harwich International, as you're a cyclist you'll need to go up onto the footbridge (a lift is available) and out of the main station exit, then cycle round to the motorist check-in.  You ride your bike onto the ferry's car deck.  Park the bike on board where you're shown and head upstairs to the cabins & passenger accommodations.

  On arrival at Hoek van Holland, the ferry terminal is right next to Hoek van Holland Haven station.

• Taking bikes on the metro from Hoek van Holland to Schiedam Centrum:

  You can take a bike on the RET metro 09:00-16:00 and after 18:30 Mondays-Fridays, any time Saturdays & Sundays, see www.ret.nl.

  So if you arrive at Hoek van Holland on a weekday at 08:00, you'll need to wait until 09:00 before you can leave Hoek van Holland.

• Taking bikes on Dutch trains from Schiedam to Amsterdam or Rotterdam to Utrecht, etc:

  You can take bikes on any Dutch domestic train if you buy an Off-Peak Bike Ticket for €7.50, except during peak hours.

  Peak hours are 06:30-09:00 & 16:00-18:30 Mondays-Fridays, see www.ns.nl.

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

• For the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia & Eastern Europe, even Switzerland & Italy, I'd use the excellent train & ferry service via Harwich-Hoek van Holland as shown in option B above.  For Paris, France, Spain, or a more direct route to Switzerland & Italy you can take train & ferry between London & Paris, either this option via Dover or option D via Portsmouth.  Here's how to travel from London to Paris with a bike in one day via Dover-Calais:

• To find out how long this takes and what the journey's like, see the London to Paris by train & ferry page.  Here's info specific to taking a bike:

• Step 1, travel from London (Victoria, Charing Cross or St Pancras) to Dover Priory by train.

  Bikes are carried free of charge between London and Dover on all trains except those leaving London between 16:00 and 19:00 on Monday-Friday or arriving in London before 10:00 on Monday-Friday.

  You can check South Eastern's bike policy at www.atob.org.uk/rail-ferry-zone & www.nationalrail.co.uk/.../train-travel-with-bicycles. 

  Cycle the 2.1 miles from Dover Priory to Dover Eastern Docks, see route map.

• Step 2, take a ferry from Dover to Calais.

  Book this in advance at www.poferries.com.  Incredibly, it can cost less to go with a bike then as a foot passenger - from £20 with bike, but £30 as a foot passenger without a bike!  Cycle the mile or two from Calais Maritime to Calais Ville station.

• Step 3, take a train from Calais Ville to Paris Gare du Nord.

  There are various types of train, some take bikes for €10, some don't take bikes at all unless in a bike bag, some take bikes for free.  The classic route via Boulogne and Amiens might be best as bikes are carried free on the TER trains from Calais to Boulogne, Amiens & Paris.

  To find a train which takes bikes, use the journey planner at either www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com.  On www.sncf-connect.com, you add a bike to the passenger details before running the enquiry.  On www.thetrainline.com, trains which carry bikes should have a tick-box for bikes in the pricing box when you select that train in the search results after running the enquiry.  Journey planners favour faster routes, so to find the route via Boulogne it may help to enter Amiens as a via station.  Pre-book the French train for the cheapest prices as you'll pay full-price on the day - but if you pre-book, allow plenty of time, say 60 or even 90 minutes minimum between ferry arrival and train departure, in case of any delay to the ferry.

Option D, London to Paris by ferry from Portsmouth

• A convenient overnight option where bikes go free on both UK & French trains!  For details of times, costs and what this journey is like, see the London to Paris by train & ferry page.  Here's additional info specific to taking a bike on this route:

• Step 1, travel from London Waterloo to Portsmouth & Southsea in the early evening, journey time around 1h35 - bikes are carried for free between London & Portsmouth on all departures, even in Monday-Friday peak hours.

  Cycle the 1.8 miles from Portsmouth & Southsea station to Portsmouth International Ferry Port, see route map.

• Step 2, pre-book you & your bike on the convenient overnight Portsmouth-Caen ferry run by Brittany Ferries, www.brittany-ferries.co.uk with a comfortable cabin with shower & toilet.  She usually sails around 22:45, arriving around 06:45.  Next morning, cycle from the ferry at Ouistreham to Caen station, about 17km.

• Step 3, take a train from Caen to Paris St Lazare - and on this route bikes also go free, check times and prices at either www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com.  On www.sncf-connect.com, you add a bike to the passenger details before running the enquiry.  On www.thetrainline.com, trains which carry bikes should have a tick-box for bikes in the pricing box when you select that train in the search results after running the enquiry.  There's usually a train around 08:55 arriving Paris around 11:05.

• This route works in a similar way in the return Paris to London direction, see the London to Paris by train & ferry page.

Option E, Newcastle or Hull to Holland by ferry

• If you live in the North of England or Scotland, there are two good ferry options which by-pass London:

  DFDS Seaways (www.dfds.com) sail overnight from Newcastle to IJmuiden near Amsterdam, see the Newcastle-Amsterdam page.

  P&O Ferries (www.poferries.com) sail overnight  from Hull to Rotterdam Europoort, see the Hull-Rotterdam page.

• These ferries have bus connections to Rotterdam/Amsterdam for foot passengers, but the buses can't take bikes so some cycling is necessary.

  IJmuiden to Amsterdam is 27 km (17 miles), 1 hours 30 by bike, or you can cycle 4.8 km to Driehuis station for a train to Amsterdam Centraal, departures every 30 minutes, journey time 32 minutes, adult fare around €5.10, bike ticket around €7.50

  Hull station to Hull ferry terminal is 3 miles.  Rotterdam Europoort to Rotterdam Centraal is 37km (23 miles) & takes around 2h by bike.

  Bikes can be taken on all Dutch trains except in peak hours (06:30-09:00 & 16:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, no restriction on national holidays or in July & August).

Other ferry options

• UK-Spain by ferry:  Bike-friendly cruise ferries sail from Portsmouth to Bilbao & Plymouth or Portsmouth to Santander, a truly excellent way to reach Spain, see www.brittany-ferries.co.uk.

• Other ferries:  From the West Country & South Coast there are ferries to France then trains to Paris, see www.brittany-ferries.co.uk (from Plymouth, Poole & Portsmouth) or www.dfds.com (from Portsmouth or Newhaven) then see the advice on taking bikes on trains in France.  If you live in Ireland, direct ferries link Ireland (Rosslare or Cork) with France, www.irishferries.com.

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Step 3, taking your bike on trains in mainland Europe

• Option 1:  In a bike bag as carry-on luggage, semi-dismantled, free of charge

  In practice (meaning sometimes officially, sometimes unofficially), you can take a bicycle with you as carry-on luggage free of charge on just about any train, national or international, if you put it in a zip-up bike bag, with wheels and pedals removed and handlebars turned.  Aim for dimensions not exceeding 120cm x 90cm.  Bike bags are available from most cycle shops, or from Amazon.co.uk.  Just remember that it will be a fairly anti-social piece of luggage which may not endear you to your fellow-passengers in a crowded 6-berth couchette compartment on a night train.  So if there's two of you, booking your own 2-bed sleeper would be better, for example.  Lugging a bike bag around can be hard work, and so is dismantling and reassembling the bike each time it goes in and out of the bag.  On the plus side, this option allows you to keep your bike with you, you can take it on almost all trains across Europe, and you can look after it, unlike flying.  On a journey deep into eastern Europe, for example from the UK to Istanbul or Sofia or Moscow, this is the only option.

• Option 2:  Take it with you in the baggage van or bicycle compartment:

  Many European trains allow you to carry bikes a special bicycle compartment, sometimes free, sometimes for a small fee.  If a fee is charged, it's typically about €5-€15 per journey.  But first let's manage your expectations:  Bikes are generally allowed on local & regional trains in most countries, at least outside peak hours.  Many inter-city trains also take bikes, although notably not in Spain, and in France only a few French TGVs take bikes that aren't in a bike bag.  International trains are the biggest problem.  The daytime TGV trains between Paris & Italy will take bikes in bike bags, see the Italy section below.  Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains linking Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne don't take bikes except in bike bags, and long-distance trains into eastern Europe such as Budapest-Bucharest, Bucharest-Istanbul often don't take bikes (except unofficially in bike bags) simply because these trains don't have a baggage van, they often consist of just one or two through sleeping-cars which are shunted from train to train.  The information below may help in taking bikes to specific countries.

• How to take a bike on trains in a specific country

  Visit the national train operator's website, see the useful links page for a list.  It often takes a while to find the bike information on some sites, the site map may be the best place to start.  Remember that Google language tools can translate websites in other languages, as you'll often find only basic information on bike transport on the English version on some sites.

• How to take your bike by train from the UK to:

  France   Belgium   Luxembourg   Netherlands   Spain		Switzerland   Italy   Germany   Austria   Denmark, Norway, Sweden
  Eastern & Central Europe

	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.
	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

• First, take your bike on Eurostar from London to Paris or Lille as explained above.  There are then two options for onward travel from Paris or Lille:

• Option 1, semi-dismantle your bike & bag it up in Paris or Lille

  You can take a bike with you free of charge as normal hand luggage on any French train including all TGVs, if you semi-dismantle it and put it in a zip-up bike bag with dimensions not exceeding 120cm x 90cm.  No reservation is necessary, you simply take it with you into the train and put it on the luggage racks at the end of each car like any other piece of luggage.  Unfortunately, as Eurostar doesn't allow bikes in bike bags unless they are smaller than 85cm (which is unlikely), you'll have to take your bike un-dismantled on Eurostar, cycle across Paris, then bag it up for the onward journey.

• Option 2, use a train that has bike spaces, either free or for a €10 fee

  Bikes go free on suburban, local & most regional TER trains:  Bikes are carried free of charge in the luggage van on most local, suburban & regional (TER) trains.  There are Monday-Friday peak hour restrictions on Paris commuter routes & some regional TER routes, see www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/train/bike-onboard for details.

  Bikes go for €10 on some TGV & Intercité trains, advance reservation required:  Some high-speed TGV trains & some Intercité trains have special bike spaces and will take bikes for a fee of €10 if you book a bike space in advance.  This includes some TGV-Atlantique (Paris-Brittany, Paris-Bordeaux-Biarritz-Lourdes), all Paris-Limoges-Cahors-Toulouse & Paris-Vichy-Clermont Ferrand Intercités, some TGV-Nord (Paris-Lille), some TGV-Est (Paris-Reims-Strasbourg).  There are a maximum of 4 bike spaces per train, on the routes and trains that offer this feature.

  Bikes go for €10 on some French overnight trains:  Some Intercités de Nuit overnight trains within France take bicycles in a special bicycle compartment if you reserve space in advance and pay a small fee (€10-€15), while you sleep in a 2nd class couchette (it won't let you add a bike if you book a 1st class couchette!).  There are just a handful of Intercités de Nuit routes, routes that take bikes include Paris to Toulon, Cannes, Antibes& Nice, Paris to Toulouse, Paris to Lourdes & Tarbes, Paris to Perpignan, Collioure, Port Vendres & Cerbère.  But an afternoon Eurostar then an overnight couchette train a good way to get your bike from the UK to southern France.  You'll have to cycle across Paris, though.

• How to check if there are bike spaces and how to reserve

  You can use either www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com.  You must add a bike when you book your own ticket, it cannot be added afterwards/separately.

  On www.sncf-connect.com, switch it to English by changing France to Europe (other countries) towards the bottom of the page.  Look for the Add travellers, pets, bicycles box and add a bike to the passenger details before running the enquiry.  The search results will then only show trains which carry bikes, either for free or for €10.  This is probably the easiest way to check and reserve, even if it's not my favourite website.

  On www.thetrainline.com, run an enquiry as normal.  You'll see all trains in the search results.  To see if it carries bikes, select a train and fare.  At the seating options stage it will show a €10 bike option when booking a 2nd class fare on a TGV, Intercité or Intercité de Nuit which offers bikes spaces.  If you don't see the bike option when selecting a 2nd class fare on a particular TGV or Intercité then it doesn't offer bike spaces.  The bike option won't show up when you select a TER regional train as almost all TERs carry bikes for free, no reservation necessary or possible.

  Tip:  In most cases you can only reserve a bike if you travel 2nd class.  That's because they want cyclists to travel in or near the car with the bike spaces which are usually at the 2nd class end of the train.  The bike reservation option may not appear if you select 1st class.

• There are no bike spaces on the TGV-SudEst route!  Unfortunately, the popular TGV-SudEst route from Paris to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Nice, Nimes, Montpellier & Perpignan isn't one on which TGVs have bike spaces.  However, the solution is simply to buy tickets for the slower Paris-Dijon-Lyon TER regional trains which run several times a day via the old classic non-high-speed line.  TER trains carry bikes for free with no reservation necessary.  These TER trains show up on www.thetrainline.com if you search for Paris to Lyon and hunt for them amongst the many high-speed TGVs - try moving the little slider from 'Quickest' to 'All' and look for options that take 5h not 2h!).  You can then use www.thetrainline.com again to buy a second ticket from Lyon to your final destination, also looking for a TER train, or possibly one of the inter-regional TGVs which offer €10 bike spaces.  For Cannes or Nice you can also use an overnight train as below.

• More information

  See the French Railways website, www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/train/bike-onboard (please let me know if that link stops working).

  The London to France page explains more about the best routes, train times & fares for travel from the UK to destinations all over France.

  Also see an excellent detailed guide to taking bikes on French trains at www.freewheelingfrance.com/planning-a-trip/bikes-and-french-trains.html - please let me know if that link stops working.

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Taking bikes from the UK to Belgium

• Take Eurostar to Brussels as shown above.

• You can also use the Harwich-Hoek route as shown above and trains from Hoek to Rotterdam and on to Brussels.

• Once in Belgium, bikes can be carried on most Belgian internal trains by buying a 'bike card' for about €5 at the ticket office before boarding.

• For more information on taking bikes on trains within Belgium, see www.belgiantrain.be.

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Taking bikes from the UK to the Netherlands

• By Stena Line train & ferry

  A bike-friendly option is to take the Stena Line Rail & Sail service as shown above.  This will get you from London to any station on Greater Anglia the Netherlands, and is highly recommended.

• By direct Eurostar London-Amsterdam

  Bikes are carried for £55 on the morning direct Eurostar from London to Amsterdam (but not on later departures), although there are just two bike spaces available.  In the other direction, you can take bikes on either the morning or afternoon Eurostar from Amsterdam to Brussels (which will carry Amsterdam to Brussels passengers, but not at this stage Amsterdam to London passengers), change in Brussels, then take your bike on a later Eurostar from Brussels to London.  Bikes cannot be taken to or from Rotterdam.  See details of these direct Eurostars which started running in 2018.  Book your bike on Eurostar as explained above.

• By Eurostar with a change in Brussels

  Alternatively, take Eurostar to Brussels as shown above.  You pre-book your bike into one of Eurostar's bike spaces for £55 each way.  Now you have a choice. 

  Option 1 is to take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Brussels to Rotterdam or Amsterdam in just 1 hour 49 minutes, free of charge, but these require you to semi-dismantle your bike and place it in a zip-up bike bag not exceeding 90cm x 120cm, taken on board as carry-on luggage.  If you choose this option, you can buy Eurostar + Eurostar (formerly Thalys) tickets from London to Amsterdam at www.nsinternational.nl, then make the phone call to book your bike onto the same Eurostar as you as shown above.

  Option 2 is to use the Intercity trains from Brussels to Amsterdam.  This takes 2h54, but on the plus side it saves you having to semi-dismantle your bike and bag it up.  You can buy a Brussels-Amsterdam intercity ticket at www.nsinternational.nl, look in the search results for trains marked IC (as opposed to Eurostar).  You then need to pay €12 for the bike, paid at the ticket office in Brussels.  A €4 reservation is also needed for your bike in summer (mid-June to September), either do this at the station in Brussels or call +31 (0)30 2300023.

  For more information on taking bikes on trains from Belgium to the Netherlands, see www.nsinternational.nl (please let me know if this link stops working).

• Direct ferries from Newcastle or Hull to Holland

  If you live in the North of England or Scotland, don't forget the Newcastle-Amsterdam & Hull-Rotterdam overnight cruise ferries, both of which are bike-friendly.

• Bikes on trains within the Netherlands

  Once in the Netherlands, bikes can be taken on all trains except in peak hours (06:30-09:00 & 16:00-18:30 Monday-Friday, no restriction on national holidays or in July & August).  You need to buy a one-day bike ticket for around €7.50.  The peak hours bike ban does not apply to you if you're taking your bike on a domestic Dutch train in connection with taking it on an international train.  For information on taking bikes on trains in the Netherlands, see www.ns.nl.

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Taking bikes from the UK to Luxembourg

• Take Eurostar to Brussels as shown above.

• Bicycles can be carried in the baggage van on the hourly InterCity trains from Brussels to Luxembourg on payment of a small fee of around €9 at the ticket office before travelling.

• For more information on taking bikes from Belgium to Luxembourg, see www.belgiantrain.be.

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Taking bikes from the UK to Switzerland

• UK to Switzerland via Eurostar

  It's now remarkably quick to reach Switzerland by train.  London to Paris by Eurostar in 2 hours 20 minutes, change trains & stations, then take a high-speed TGV-Lyria train from Paris to Geneva, Lausanne, Bern & Zurich in just 3 or 4 hours.  You'll find full details of times & fares on the London to Switzerland page, but here's how to take a bike with you.

• Step 1, take your bike from London to Paris by Eurostar, arranging your Eurostar ticket & bike reservation as shown above.  Cycle across Paris from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.

• Step 2, if you don't mind semi-dismantling your bike & placing it in a bike bag (fastest, cheapest).

  Travel from Paris to Geneva, Lausanne, Bern & Zurich by high-speed TGV-Lyria train.

  You may take your bike on all TGV-Lyria trains between Paris & Switzerland free of charge as normal carry-on luggage if you semi-dismantle it and put it zip-up bike bags if no bigger than 120cm x 90cm.  They go free of charge this way, and no reservation necessary for the bike.  The only drawback is that as Eurostar now doesn't allow bike bags, so you'll have to semi-dismantle and bag up your bike in Paris.

  TGV-Lyria used to have bike spaces on many of their trains which allowed undismantled bikes to be carried.  However, they stopped this in December 2017.  They now only carry bikes if they are semi-dismantled and placed in bike bags as above.  There are no easy alternatives, other than those described in the alternative step 2 below.

• Step 2, if you want to take your bike from Paris to Switzerland without semi-dismantling it:

  Option 1, Paris to Basel via Belfort.  Go to www.thetrainline.com and search for a train from Paris to Belfort Ville.  In the search results, click on a 2nd class fare on various trains until you hit on an Intercité (IC) where the option Bike reservation - €5 comes up at lower left.  Now search again from Belfort Ville to Basel SBB, clicking on 2nd class fares looking for a TER train where an option where the option Bike compartment - Free comes up at lower right.  Fast it is not, but it'll get you to Switzerland with an undismantled bike.

  Option 2, Paris to Geneva via Lyon.  Go to www.thetrainline.com and search for a train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon Part Dieu.  In the search results, look for a TER train taking just over 5h, not a TGV taking 2h. There are just 3 or 4 such trains per day, taking the old classic pre-high-speed route via Dijon and along the Rhone.  Click on the 2nd class fare and it'll say Bike compartment, Free.  Now search again for a TER train direct from Lyon to Geneva.  All Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes TER trains take bikes, free of charge with no reservation necessary, although in this case you won't see a Bike compartment - Free message displayed.

• UK to Switzerland via Harwich & Amsterdam - a good option!

  Step 1, take your bike from London to Amsterdam via Stena Line ferry Harwich-Hoek as shown above. 

  Step 2, travel from Amsterdam to Basel or Zurich by Nightjet sleeper as shown here.

  You need to book you and your bike separately, as the Austrian Railways run the sleepers/couchette, the Germans run the seats cars with bike spaces (crazy, I know!).  To buy a ticket for a sleeper or couchette for you, use Austrian Railways www.oebb.at.  To book your bike go to German Railways int.bahn.de, set up the enquiry from Amsterdam to Basel or Zurich, click in the Passengers field and change Person (aged 27-64) to Bicycle, I also suggest toggling on Direct services only.  This will just book the bike, on the same train.

• Bikes on trains within Switzerland

  You must buy a one-day Bike Card for CHF 15 at a station or online at www.sbb.ch.  Once you have a Swiss Bike Card, bikes are allowed in the luggage van on almost all Swiss domestic trains, see the Swiss rail website www.sbb.ch for details (use the site map and look for 'bicycle').  There are a few trains that don't take bikes, if you use the journey planner at www.sbb.ch these will be shown with a crossed-out bike symbol.  Bike spaces must be reserved from March to October when using some Intercity trains, see www.sbb.ch for details.

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Taking bikes from the UK to Italy

• Eurostar to Paris & TGV from Paris to Turin & Milan

  You can take your bike on Eurostar from London to Paris un-dismantled for £55 as explained here, cycle across Paris from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon, then remove handlebars, wheels and pedals and bag up your bike.  Bikes can then be taken on the three daily Paris-Turin-Milan TGVs free of charge as carry-on luggage as long as they are semi-dismantled and placed in a zip-up bike bag not exceeding 120cm x 90cm, as explained here.  You'll find details of times and prices for the London-Paris-Milan journey by Eurostar & TGV on the London to Italy page, along with how to buy tickets online.  You bike doesn't need a ticket or reservation on the TGV as it's in a bike bag as normal luggage, just buy tickets for yourself as shown on the London to Italy page then book your bike on the Eurostar by calling the Eurostar baggage line as explained above.

• Bikes on trains within Italy

  Bikes can travel on any train if they are semi-dismantled and placed in zip-up bike bags, or they can travel in the luggage van on most local & regional trains for a €3.50 'bici in segito' bicycle pass (valid for 24 hours after stamping at the platform entrance).  They can also travel in the bike spaces on a few InterCity & EuroCity trains for a bicycle supplement of €5, but not on high-speed Frecciarossa, Frecciargento or Frecciabianca trains.  The local, regional, InterCity & EuroCity trains on which bikes can be taken are indicated with a bike symbol in the timetables (use www.trenitalia.com, make a journey enquiry, then select a train and click 'details by selection').  Bear in mind that it can take some ingenuity to get from (say) Milan to Rome by local or regional trains, often involving breaking the journey into short sections.

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	Bike compartment on an Amsterdam to Berlin Intercity train.  Bike spaces must be reserved and a small fee paid.
	Bike space on a Brussels/Amsterdam to Cologne & Frankfurt ICE3neo train.
	Booking a bike at int.bahn.de

Taking bikes from the UK to Germany

• Option 1, via the Harwich-Hoek ferry - bike-friendly, recommended

  Step 1, from London to Amsterdam with your bike on the Stena Line Rail & Sail service, booking the Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry with bike added at www.stenaline.co.uk, as explained above.

  Step 2, catch an onward train to anywhere in Germany.

  The InterCity trains from Amsterdam to Osnabrück, Hannover & Berlin take bikes in a large bike area at one end, at the front when heading east to Germany, at the rear going west to Amsterdam.  I'd stick with 2nd class, as the 1st class car is a long way from the bike carriage at the opposite end of the train!  Change at Osnabrück for Hamburg.

  And from August 2024 bikes can be booked on the Amsterdam-Düsseldorf-Cologne-Frankfurt ICE trains now that the new ICE3neo with 8 bike spaces has taken over from the no-bikes-allowed ICE3M.

  Simply book an Amsterdam-Germany ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, adding a bike like this:

  Before running the enquiry, click in the From field to open the details panel, click on Passengers, bicycles and add your bike to the booking.  There's a small fee for a bike, around €10.

  Alternatively, the European Sleeper from Rotterdam & Amsterdam to Berlin carries bikes in a spacious bike compartment, see the European Sleeper page.  You can add a bike to your booking when you buy your ticket online at www.europeansleeper.eu.

• Option 2, via the European Sleeper to Berlin & Dresden - bike-friendly, recommended

  Step 1, take your bike on Eurostar to Brussels as explained here or on Stena Line Rail & Sail to Rotterdam or Amsterdam as explained here.

  If you use Stena Line Rail & Sail, you can either take the day sailing and pick up the European Sleeper in Rotterdam, or use the overnight sailing and spend a day at leisure in the Netherlands before picking up the sleeper in Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

  Step 2, take the overnight European Sleeper from Brussels, Rotterdam or Amsterdam to Berlin or Dresden.  The European Sleeper carries bikes in a spacious bike compartment, see the European Sleeper page.  You can easily add a bike to your booking when you buy your ticket online at www.europeansleeper.eu.

• Option 3, via Eurostar to Brussels

  You can take your bike on Eurostar from London to Brussels as shown above.  Allow at least an hour in Brussels.

  You can then take your bike from Brussels to Cologne or Frankfurt on the new German ICE3neo trains which have 8 bike spaces.  In 2024 these replaced the older ICE3M trains which didn't carry bikes.  Change in Cologne or Frankfurt for anywhere else in Germany.

  Simply book a Brussels-Germany ticket with German Railways at int.bahn.de, adding a bike like this:  Before running the enquiry, click in the From field to open the details panel, click on Passengers, bicycles and add your bike to the booking.  There's a small fee for a bike, around €10.

  You can book from Brussels to most destinations in Germany this way.

• Option 4, via Eurostar to Amsterdam

  You can also take the morning direct Eurostar from London to Amsterdam, which takes bikes for a fee, pre-book as explained above.  Allow at least an hour in Amsterdam.  Then bikes can be taken on the InterCity trains from Amsterdam to Osnabrück, Hanover & Berlin, change in Osnabrück for Hamburg.  From mid-2024, bikes can also be booked onto the Amsterdam-Düsseldorf-Cologne-Frankfurt ICEs now that this route is operated by the ICE3neo with 8 bike spaces.

  Book an Amsterdam-Germany ticket with German Railways at int.bahn.de, adding a bike like this:  Before running the enquiry, click in the From field to open the details panel, click on Passengers, bicycles and add your bike to the booking.  There's a small fee for a bike, around €10.

• Bikes on trains within Germany

  Bicycles are carried on most InterCity (IC) trains.  However, bikes are only carried on high-speed ICE trains if they are operated by ICE-T, ICE3neo or ICE4 as these have several bike spaces.  There's a fee of around €10, you need to make a reservation for your bicycle.

  To book your bike, go to int.bahn.de, click the From field to open the details panel, click on Passengers, bicycles and add your bike to the booking.  Then run an enquiry and book your trains.  This method books a bike space & bike ticket.  You can book yourself and your bike together as one booking, or book your bike separately if you already have a ticket or pass.

  Tip:  When using int.bahn.de and taking a bike, I recommend changing Transfer time from Normal to 20 minutes or longer, as changing trains with a bike may take longer than the standard time they allow by default.

  Bikes are carried on most regional trains, in most cases you need a Bicycle Day Ticket (Fahrradtageskarte) which you can buy online at int.bahn.de (use the site search to find it) or at stations for around €6.  However, it varies by region:  Regional trains in Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen carry bikes for free. in Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz bikes go free after 09:00 on weekdays.

  To find trains that take bikes, use int.bahn.de and use the toggle marked Bicycle transport possible.  This works for many routes outside Germany as well as within Germany.

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Taking bikes from the UK to Austria

• Option 1, via Eurostar to Brussels

  You can take your bike on Eurostar from London to Brussels as shown above.  Allow at least an hour between trains in Brussels.

  You can then take your bike from Brussels to Frankfurt on the German ICE3neo trains which have 8 bike spaces.  Change in Frankfurt for an ICE-T train to Vienna, these also have bike spaces.  You need to reserve a space for your bike for a fee of around €10.  You will probably need to make an overnight stop along the way, for example in Frankfurt.

  Book a ticket from Brussels to anywhere in Austria with German Railways at int.bahn.de, adding a bike like this:

  Before running the enquiry, click in the From field to open the details panel, click on Passengers, bicycles and add your bike to the booking. 

  To add an overnight stop in Frankfurt, click Stopovers, enter Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and whatever stopover duration you'd like, say 10 hours.

• Option 2, via the Harwich-Hoek ferry

  Step 1, from London to Amsterdam or Utrecht with your bike on the Stena Line Rail & Sail service, booking the Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry with bike added at www.stenaline.co.uk, as explained above.

  Step 2, you can take your bike from Amsterdam or Utrecht to Frankfurt on the German ICE3neo trains which have 8 bike spaces.  Change in Frankfurt for an ICE-T train to Vienna, these also have bike spaces.  You need to reserve a space for your bike for a fee of around €10.  If you take the overnight ferry you will safely make a lunchtime ICE to Frankfurt, but you'll need to stop overnight along the way, for example in Frankfurt.

  Book a ticket from Amsterdam to anywhere in Austria with German Railways at int.bahn.de, adding a bike like this:

  Before running the enquiry, click in the From field to open the details panel, click on Passengers, bicycles and add your bike to the booking. 

  To add an overnight stop in Frankfurt, click Stopovers, enter Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and whatever stopover duration you'd like, say 10 hours.

• Bikes on trains within Austria:  Bikes can be taken on most Austrian trains, you must buy a one-day IC/EC bike ticket for about €8.

  On regional trains, you can just show up with your bike, reservation is neither necessary nor possible.

  On long distance trains including railjets, IC and EC you must make a bike reservation for €3.

  The Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at can sell you train tickets plus bike ticket & reservation, just add a bike in the who is going section then add a bike reservation to your booking in the seat reservation section.  Or it can sell you a bike ticket and/or bike reservation if you already have a ticket or pass.

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

• Option 1, London to Barcelona by Eurostar & TGV (bike bag required)

  This is the fastest option, but you'll need to invest in a bike bag and semi-dismantle & bag up your bike when you reach Paris.

  Step 1, take your bike from London to Paris by Eurostar for a fee, as shown above.

  Cycle from Paris Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon, and bag up your bike.

  Step 2, now take the afternoon TGV Duplex from Paris to Barcelona.  Timetables, fares & how to buy tickets are shown here on the London to Spain page.

  Bikes are officially allowed on the TGVs from Paris to Barcelona free of charge as ordinary carry-on luggage, as long as they are packed in a zip-up bike bag with pedals removed and handlebars turned, maximum dimensions 120cm x 90cm.  Un-dismantled bikes aren't carried on these TGVs.

• Option 2, London to Hendaye by Eurostar & TGV for local trains San Sebastian, no bike bag necessary

  The TGVs from Paris Montparnasse to Hendaye at the northern end of the Pyrenees have two reservable bike spaces with no need to bag up or semi-dismantle your bike.  Bikes are then carried in several bike spaces on the frequent Euskotren local trains (www.euskotren.eus) from Hendaye to San Sebastian-Donostia, no reservation required for that.  However, the two TGV bike spaces sell out fast, so you have to book quite far ahead and/or try different dates and trains to find an available bike space.  Book you & your bike onto the TGV at either www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com as explained in option 2 above.

• Option 3, London to Barcelona by Eurostar, Intercité de Nuit overnight couchette train to Toulouse or Cerbère, then local train to Barcelona, no bike bag necessary:

  If you want to take your bike to Spain without dismantling it and buying a bike bag, here's how.

  Step 1, take your bike from London to Paris by Eurostar for a fee as shown above.

  Cycle from Paris Nord to Paris Austerlitz.

  Step 2, now travel overnight by Intercité de Nuit from Paris Austerlitz to either Toulouse or Cerbère on the Spanish border at the southern end of the Pyrenees.  The Paris-Toulouse & Paris-Cerbère Intercités de Nuit overnight trains have bike spaces, although the Paris-Latour de Carol train no longer has them.  You need to reserve a space in advance and pay a €10 fee, while you sleep in a 2nd class couchette.  You cannot travel 1st class with a bike for some reason.

  Book you & your bike onto the sleeper at either www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  On www.sncf-connect.com, switch it to English by changing France to Europe (other countries) towards the bottom of the page.  Look for the Add travellers, pets, bicycles box and add a bike to the passenger details before running the enquiry.  The search results will then only show trains which carry bikes.

  On www.thetrainline.com, run an enquiry as normal.  You'll see all trains in the search results.  Locate and select the direct overnight train and select a 2nd class fare.  At the seating options stage it will show a €10 bike option.

  Step 3, now take a local train to Barcelona, no reservation necessary or possible, no fee to pay, just get on and stick your bike in a bike space.  Local trains link Cerbère with Girona, Figueres & Barcelona, again just buy at the station on the day, no prior reservation necessary or possible.  London-Paris-Cerbère-Barcelona train times and information are shown in detail here.

  If you use the Paris-Toulouse sleeper, TER regional trains from Toulouse to Latour de Carol take bikes, no reservation necessary, check this at www.sncf-connect.com as above.  Then use a Latour de Carol to Barcelona local train, again no reservation necessary or possible, buy tickets on board the train.

• Option 4, by direct ferry from the UK to Spain

  Don't forget the direct cruise ferries to Spain, Portsmouth to Bilbao or Plymouth/Portsmouth to Santander with www.brittany-ferries.co.uk, see the London to Spain by ferry page.  The ferries are bike-friendly and a great way to reach Spain.  Enjoy!

• Taking bikes on trains in Spain beyond Barcelona

  The situation with taking bikes on Spanish trains is now easier than it was.  Originally, bikes were not allowed on any fast long-distance daytime trains (AVE, Euromed, Alvia, Intercity) even in bike bags, but since early 2014 bikes can now be taken on all of these train types as long as you semi-dismantle your bike and pack it in a bike bag with pedals removed and handlebar turned 90 degrees, the size of which must not exceed 120cm x 90cm x 40cm - an improved size limit introduced in October 2015.  Bikes may be taken undismantled and unbagged on most regional, local and suburban trains (Media-Distancia, Regionales & Cercanias trains).  Bikes may also be taken on overnight sleeper trains, if placed in a bike bag and if you occupy all the berths in a compartment.  For more information on taking bikes on trains within Spain, see www.renfe.com.

• Traveller Jennie Parsons reports:  "We planned to travel from Madrid to Badajoz in western Extremadura part of Spain and I researched the Renfe web site which said that bicycles were permitted on Media Distancia trains subject to space.  I checked that the train I wished to use was a Media Distancia train and all seemed OK. We arrived an hour before the train was due to leave at Atocha Cercanias station - the main station in Madrid. The procedure is quite complicated and if you turned up only 5 minutes before the train went you would have no chance!  I queued for the ticket - around 10 minutes - when I mentioned bicycles to the ticket seller I was told I had to go to the adjacent office and speak to the man there - I duly did and luckily the man spoke some English as my Spanish is not brilliant - he telephoned someone (?) to check that it was Ok for the bicycles and said it was - I then had to go back to original ticket seller to buy tickets - after purchase I had to take the tickets back to the man in adjacent office and he stamped them. I was then told to wait for 10 minutes after which I had to speak to someone different who wanted names and telephone numbers, gave me another piece of paper and stamped it with another authorisation. I was then told to wait for 2 more minutes, and got another stamp on the second piece of paper.  That was then finished and I could go to platform and board train.  All the staff were very helpful but it took around 45 minutes in total.  The train was a 3 carriage train which had space for 2 bicycles on each carriage, so I think we would have been refused if there were more than 6 bicycles wanting to travel on that train."

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Taking bikes to Denmark, Norway, Sweden

• London to Copenhagen

  Step 1, travel from London to Amsterdam with your bike using Stena Line's overnight Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry, as explained here.

  Step 2, take daytime trains from Amsterdam to Copenhagen.  You can either take your bike free of charge in a zip-up bike bag not exceeding 120cm x 90cm as explained here or with a bike reservation for a small fee on trains that carry undismantled bikes.  To find these, buy a ticket from Rotterdam Centraal to Copenhagen using using int.bahn.de with a bike added to the booking.

• Onward trains from Copenhagen to Sweden

  There are 9 bike spaces on the Öresund trains from Copenhagen to Malmö & Gothenburg in Sweden, no reservation necessary, but you'll need to buy an Öresund cycle ticket, buy this at the station.  However, bikes are only carried on the Copenhagen-Stockholm X2000 trains, on inter-city & sleeper trains within Sweden if they are semi-disassembled and placed in a bike bag, maximum size 140 x 85 x 30 cm, maximum weight 25 kg including both bicycle and bag.  Feedback appreciated!

• Onwards from Copenhagen to Norway

  Bikes can be taken on the overnight cruise ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo in Norway, see www.dfds.com for timetable, fares & online booking.

• Bike on trains within Denmark

  Bikes are carried on all Danish InterCity and some regional trains.  You'll need to buy a bike ticket-with-reservation called a Cykelpladsbillet for 20 Kr (£2.50).  You can buy the bike reservation using the DSB app or DSB ticket machines at stations.  Bikes go on S-toget (suburban) trains for free, without reservation.  More information at www.dsb.dk.

• Ferries from Newcastle or Hull

  You can also reach Amsterdam via the DFDS Seaways Newcastle-Amsterdam & P&O Ferries Hull-Rotterdam overnight cruise ferries, both of which are bike-friendly.

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Taking bikes by train to Central & Eastern Europe

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

• Day 1, travel from London or Harwich to Rotterdam or Amsterdam with your bike using Stena Line Rail & Sail, as explained here.  You can take the time-effective overnight sailing, sleeping in a cosy cabin with shower, toilet and satellite TV.

• Day 2, travel from Amsterdam to Berlin with your bike on an Amsterdam-Berlin Intercity train.  These have a large bike compartment at one end.  A bike reservation is required for a small fee, simply add a bike to your booking when buying a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

• Stay overnight in Berlin.

• Day 3, travel onwards from Berlin.

  You can take bikes on most EuroCity trains from Berlin to Prague.  A bike reservation is required for a small fee, simply add a bike to your booking when buying a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  You can take bikes on the morning EuroCity train Hungaria from Berlin to Bratislava & Budapest.  A bike reservation is required for a small fee, simply add a bike to your booking when buying a ticket for this train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  You can take bikes on the some (not all) EuroCity trains from Berlin to Warsaw.  A bike reservation is required, try doing this at int.bahn.de, otherwise phone DB (German Railways) on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04.

• For other destinations such as Berlin-Wroclaw-Krakow, you may need to semi-dismantle it and bag it up in a zip-up bike bag as explained here.  You'll find train information by clicking on the relevant destination country in the menu on the left of this page.  For destinations such as Sofia or Istanbul, bagging your bike is pretty much the only option.

Option 2, using the European Sleeper to Berlin & Prague

• Step 1, take your bike on Eurostar to Brussels as explained here or on Stena Line Rail & Sail to Rotterdam or Amsterdam as explained here.

  If you use Stena Line Rail & Sail, you can either take the day sailing and pick up the European Sleeper in Rotterdam, or use the overnight sailing and have a day at leisure in the Netherlands before picking up the sleeper in Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

• Step 2, the overnight European Sleeper links Brussels, Rotterdam & Amsterdam with Berlin & Prague 3 times a week.  The European Sleeper carries bikes in a spacious bike compartment, see the European Sleeper page.  You can easily add a bike to your booking when you buy your ticket online at www.europeansleeper.eu.

• Step 3, travel onwards from Berlin or Prague:

  You can take bikes on the EuroCity trains from Prague to Bratislava & Budapest.  A bike reservation is required for a small fee, simply buy a ticket in the normal way using Czech Railways cd.cz, select the train and fare you want, then at the stage where you enter reservation preferences click the green Add a bicycle button.

  You can take bikes on the some (not all) EuroCity trains from Berlin to Warsaw.  A bike reservation is required, by all means try doing it at German Railways website int.bahn.de, otherwise phone with DB (German Railways) on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04.

• For other destinations such as Berlin-Wroclaw-Krakow, you may need to semi-dismantle it and bag it up in a zip-up bike bag as explained here.  You'll find train information by clicking on the relevant destination country in the menu on the left of this page.  For destinations such as Sofia or Istanbul, bagging your bike is pretty much the only option.

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Travellers' reports

• For an account of taking bikes by train from London to Istanbul via Paris, Munich, Budapest & Bucharest, see onelittlewheel.com/2010/07/28/tracks-across-europe-with-alexander-the-best-paris-to-istanbul/.

• Traveller Robin Bevis cycled all the way from the Channel to the Black Sea, then returned to the UK by train with his bike:  "Two of us travelled back to the UK last year from Romania by train with our two touring bicycles, having cycled to Constanta from St Nazarre at the mouth of the Loire to the Black Sea - this is the Eurovelo 6 Two Rivers route.  Constanta to Bucharest: No problem, just put your bikes (with panniers removed) in the van on the reasonably regular regional trains - though at the time we travelled these were very very slow due to line improvements.  Bucharest to Budapest: We booked our rail tickets through Deutsche Bahn.  They are very good, but they said that they could not get Romanian Railways to book our two bicycles.  We double checked at Bucharesti Nord the day before, and on the day all seemed well - we were assured that (a) our cycles could be carried, and (b) that there was no booking necessary.  On departure the platform manager said put them in the guard's van but there wasn't one, so he and a train guard said put them in an unoccupied sleeping compartment, which we did.  We went to ours two coaches along.  About an hour into the journey two 'aggressive' train guards arrived at our compartment and said we had to get off the train as our bikes could not be carried, that it was illegal etc etc. At that moment it wasn't clear what we could or should do or that it was probably a ruse to bribe us, as eventually they did settle for cash (€50 was what they threateningly haggled for). It was an unpleasant and worrying 15 minutes with armed train guards but at least they then left us alone and in fact both left the train a few stops on and we arrived in Budapest keleti pu in time for our onward booked DB train to Berlin!  Budapest to Berlin:  This is an excellent 'four capitals' train ride on a German EuroCity train that runs 3 times daily between Hamburg and Budapest.  Bicycles are carried for a small fee based on distance travelled, in a specially converted carriage either at the front or the rear of the train and you sit near them in the other half of the carriage.  Just great!  Berlin to Paris:  Bikes carried in guard's van, no problems, no need to book, no charge.  Paris to Calais via Boulogne (two trains):  Cycles are carried in a small but just adequate converted compartment on the first train to Boulogne and then in more modern unit in a decent bike space to Calais.  Again no problem, no booking and no charge.  It took two days but was actually pretty easy (the Romanian guards excepted) and the 12 hour trip on the DB train from Budapest to Berlin was wonderful and scenic especially alongside the river Elbe and through parts of the Czech lands south of Praha, as was the trip through Transylvania the day before."

More information

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

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