Am planning a bit of a road trip with a couple of pals, undecided at the min if it's going to be Spain/Portugal or France/Germany. Exploring options of the best way to get ourselves and the bikes to the beginning of each destination. Like the idea of Spain, but it would mean riding to Portsmouth or Plymouth to get the ferry across to Santander or Bilbao, which is an easy 7hrs ride just to get there! Quite surprised how expensive it is using the ferry (circa £400 without a cabin!). Alt can get the ferry from Hull to Amsterdam (which is only about 1.5hrs ride) then work out a route from there, ferry is around £350. B) Alternative is have the bike shipped/transported over to either destination and just buy a flight ticket and pick the bike up, and drop it off to be returned when we are done. C) Scrap the idea, stay at home and go on the piss! Anyone offer any advice?
Option C sounds good What about hiring a bike, no idea on the cost like but put miles on someone else's one and have the option of maybe riding something different?
Allow an extra day and ride to Folkstone (stop overnight) then morning Eurotunnel (7.30 am) into Calais, this would be a cheaper option if you are riding in France and Germany . You can ride to Luxembourg from Calais in a matter of hours (toll free Autoroutes) overnight stop if you wish and then ride into Germany Alternatively take a southerly route from Calais and explore France I have considered Spain using the Ferry but can't justify the cost there are some great roads in France and Germany.
Knew I shouldn't have put down a option C on here! Looked into the whole bike hire and TBH it doesn't appeal to us. My bike is lucky to do a 1k a year (I know, shame on me, don't have the time but refuse to part with it). Price wise, for a 10/11 day hire, ball park around £1k.
The ferry prices seem really expensive. Are you travelling peak times? Try September, I'm going from Ireland to Bilbao in Sep...ferry with cabin for myself is €400 return. Spending a week in the Picos. Roll on Sep. Don't like the idea of hiring a bike. Would have no confidence on it. Your bike is for riding. Get on it & ride.
Call No Limits or Focused Events and ask for transport only to either Jerez / Almeria / Portimao Surely they will agree for a small fee. But you will have to line up your trip with their events.
I used bikeshuttle based nr Northampton, they transport to Geneva over night, didn't fancy using 4 days there and back plus going through a shithole called France to get to The Alps. Bike shipped to Geneva & returned, bus transfer to airport and hotel £450 plus £100 each for flights from Luton airport, Get to hotel around 10pm bike arrives 7.30am .. They also do Toulouse with is about a couple of hours riding to get to Spain. Also give discount for block bookings. Group of us normally do Spain via ferry from Plymouth was around £400 with cabin shared 4, but it has gone up around £150 this year using the flexi ticket. so no trip planned this year
The old man and I have done a long trip away for the last couple of years. 2018 was a trip down through France to Spain, Picos and the Pyrenees - love Spain but it was a bit of a schlep through France. So last year took the ferry down to Bilbao/Santander and then through Spain to Portugal. Can’t recommend highly enough, seems expensive but way better than slogging through France. Also a nice wind down day on the way back - day relaxing on a ferry after two weeks on the bikes was welcome! I really rate Spain and Portugal for a long trip. Hopefully Germany is on the cards for this year when this lockdown jobby is eased a bit...
Our annual trip has been cancelled, we then thought about a week in Spain end of September, but tbh I cant see anything being allowed to happen to next year, until a vaccine is found no holiday travel. I know Magellan tours who are based near me have cancelled the whole season of tours until 2021.
By the time you’ve paid a shipping company to transport your bike there and back and paid for flights it will be more expensive than the ferry, does it matter if it’s a 7 hour ride to the ferry? Take the scenic route as it’s what your bike is for and have a few beers and get your head down then ride incredible roads in Spain.
