Cyclists love trains, but this love is not always reciprocated. If you’re dreaming of bikepacking along one of the EuroVelo routes this summer or your travel plans otherwise involve bringing a bicycle, ECF has good news for you. After years of restrictions due to Brexit and the pandemic, Eurostar announced in February that they are resuming oversized luggage services. This means that bicycle transport via train across the channel is finally possible again!

Conveniently connecting the cities of Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam with London, Eurostar is almost a no-brainer when comparing travel times and environmental impact with an airplane. For cyclists, the option of taking a train across the channel along with their bike theoretically opens up the possibility of continuing the journey in the saddle from the train station.

Unfortunately, bicycle carriage is for the moment still limited to certain routes and times. Those looking to go between Paris and London can bring their bicycles on all trains from 07:55 to 15:31 from London and all trains from 11:13 to 18:13 from Paris. Meanwhile, bicycle carriage between London and Brussels has resumed just in time for the summer, on 1 June. More patience will be needed for those who want to cycle the tulip fields in the Netherlands, as the terminal in Amsterdam faces space restrictions that will not be resolved until 2025.

With the exception of bikes that can fit in cases under 85 cm long (such as folding bikes), which can be brought as carry-on luggage, bicycles can only be transported disassembled in boxes or bags. This is another significant limitation, as they must be registered as oversized luggage, which requires booking a separate ticket via email or phone. The possibility to conveniently book the bicycle space on the website along with the ticket is coming next year, according to Eurostar.

Bicycles are generally supposed to travel on the same train as the customer and must be collected from the platform upon arrival, but if there are no more spots, the bicycle can travel on an earlier train to be collected upon arrival. When returning from Amsterdam to London, and connecting in Brussels, it is best to allow 90 minutes for the train changeover if travelling with your bike, as well as to make sure your bike is bagged when travelling on the Thalys train to Brussels. For dis- and reassembly, it is possible to use the tools at the stations provided by Eurostar, but the boxes to transport the bicycles are unfortunately not provided by Eurostar anymore.

The prices are also quite steep, especially if booking spontaneously – it is therefore advisable to plan ahead. This will also increase the likelihood of travelling on the same train as your bike. For reservations made more than 48 hours in advance, the fee is €50, more spontaneous bookings cost €70.

While reopening the service even in this limited capacity is certainly a good first step, we hope Eurostar will also allow the carriage of fully assembled bicycles as soon as possible to unlock the true potential of bicycles on trains.

Our member CyclingUK is in contact with Eurostar regarding the situation. For updates and other alternatives for bicycle transport across the channel, refer to their page here.