Eurostar bike booking process branded “farcical”

A cyclist has revealed their frustration in trying to book their bicycle onto a Eurostar train, with a consumer affairs journalist at the Guardian who took up their complaint describing the current process, which requires passengers to book their train tickets and carriage of their bike separately, as “farcical.”

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the cross-channel train operator permitted a small number of full-sized bicycles, as well as bikes that had been disassembled and placed in boxes or bags, to be carried on its services.

But the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 led to Eurostar suspending its oversize luggage policy, meaning that the only bicycles allowed on its services were folding ones, provided they are stowed in a bag.

Earlier this year, the oversize luggage policy was reinstated, and Eurostar confirmed to Cycling UK that from 1 June 2023 it would carry fully assembled and boxed or bagged bikes on certain services from London to Brussels.

Where permitted, and subject to availability of space, sports equipment including bikes can now be taken on those services for a charge of £45 if booked more than 48 hours before departure, or £60 if booked later than that.

Boxed bikes are also permitted on some trains on the London to Paris route, although the national cyclists’ charity points out that “restrictions following Brexit have added to the complications for the international train service which have prevented the carriage of non-boxed bikes to Paris.”

In a comprehensive article on its website outlining the history of cycle carriage on Eurostar and the current situation, as well as alternative options (beyond flying, or taking a motor vehicle) for people wanting to cross the Channel with their bikes, Cycling UK said that following a meeting with the train operator in May this year, it “has good reason to believe Eurostar is doing all it can to return to its pre-pandemic level of service which allowed for the carriage of assembled bikes to all main termini.”

Cycling UK added, however, that “It does not see the current level of service as adequate as a long-term solution for cycle tourists,” as well as pointing out that “Contrary to the pre-coronavirus service, customers must now travel on the same services as their bike, and they must collect it on arrival directly on the platform.

“If there is no space on your chosen train for your bike, it is possible that it can travel on an earlier train and be available for collection on your arrival.”

But the experience of one London cyclist who wrote to the Guardian to tell of their problems in trying to ensure that they could travel with their bike by Eurostar suggests that the process is far from straightforward.

The would-be traveller said that since learning at the start of the year that bicycles would once again be permitted on services to Brussels, they had been trying to make a booking for their summer holiday.

“It’s not possible online, and, when I’ve emailed and called, promised responses never came,” the cyclist continued.

They added: “There has been a huge increase in bike touring which, combined with train travel, means a low-carbon holiday. So why has Eurostar made it impossible to access the service?”

In response, the newspaper’s consumer affairs journalist Anna Tims wrote in her Your Problems column that the rail operator’s website “tells passengers who wish to book non-folding bikes on board unspecified ‘selected trains’, to send an email and, ironically, to do so early to avoid disappointment. You’ve been trying for more than four months.”

(In its article about Eurostar’s policy on its website, Cycling UK does list the various services on which bicycles are permitted).

“My initial enquiries made no headway,” Tims continued. “Eurostar told me that it did not yet have an online system for checking availability and witlessly referred me back to the website.”

Eurostar told her that “We remain fully committed to providing an efficient and accessible service for customers who wish to bring bikes on board and will continue to look at how we can do better.”

Tims went back to Eurostar, and eventually managed to secure confirmation of the London to Brussels services on which bicycles are permitted, but she added that there was “a catch” – namely, that “You can’t request the bike booking until you’ve bought your non-refundable train tickets, and responses to emails take between seven to 10 days.

“If you’re lucky, you get permission to pay £45 to check your bike in; if you’re not, you’ve got a ticket that’s no use for a cycling holiday.

“This is farcical,” she said. “It appears that Eurostar knows it, but is in no hurry to reform.”

Noting that the cyclist who had contacted her had now succeeded in making a reservation for their bikes, she added that Eurostar had told her that “We are working hard to decrease the turnaround time for bike requests, and we are also looking at improving how we display information online.

“This also means an online booking tool to simplify reserving bikes and luggage,” Eurostar added. “We are looking at launching this in the near future.”

Cycling UK’s article also addresses planned changes to Eurostar’s booking system which it hopes will make the process easier.

“Eurostar has confirmed that it is also looking to develop an online booking tool for bike carriage and will make all efforts to consult the cycling community, including Cycling UK, over this,” the charity said. “Due to the planned launch of the new Eurostar website in October 2023, the development of this functionality will not come until next year.

“Cycling UK hopes the new system will streamline the whole process, making reserving space for your bike as simple as booking your ticket, but does not expect it to be introduced imminently,” it added.

Previously, in 2015, Cycling UK, then known as CTC and working alongside the European Cyclists’ Federation as well as groups representing cyclists in several continental countries, succeeded in getting Eurostar to scrap a planned change to its luggage policy that would have prevented full-sized bicycles from being carried on its trains unless they had been disassembled and boxed up.

> Eurostar backs down: campaign forces company to scrap bike box rule

CTC’s chief executive at the time, Paul Tuohy, said: “It’s fantastic news that the views of so many of our members and other cyclists across Europe have been listened to. This proves how a successful, well-run campaign can be a massive force for good and make things happen.

“We at CTC would like to thank everyone who supported our online action, as well as other cycling bodies across Europe, the APPCG [All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, now the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking], and the Mayors of London and Paris.”