Bike Express provided free travel for us, with bikes, from Aix back to the UK.
The service runs regular (roughly weekly) services from England (several pickup/dropoff points between Middlesbrough and Dover) to various destinations in France and Italy. A coach takes you, the trailer takes your bike.
It's not as fast as the plane and about as fast as the train - about 24 hours from northern England to southern France, say - but much, more convenient than either. No hassle getting to the cycle-unfriendly airport, and no problems transporting the bike, even for tandems. Your machine is safely stowed in the astoundingly large trailer; if you, like us, have had the experience of hamfisted airline bagagge handlers turning your bike into a piece of modern sculpture, this will be welcome relief.
And there's more. What you get on Bike Express is not just an efficient passage to and from Europe. You also get something you simply don't on trains or planes - the feeling that, as a cyclist, you're not a troublesome inconvenience, but a valued customer. The coach seats give you lots of space: this is club class accommodation, with room to stretch your legs. The seats recline to give you the maximum possible sleep - Rip van Winkle wouldn't have got much rest on any coach it's true, but you get every chance to grab a few hours. The inboard booklets are lighthearted, readable and informative.
Personally I could have done without the Radio 2 piped music, but otherwise the service is very friendly and very helpful. You can buy lots of food on board - good honest microwavable stuff like stews, casseroles and so on - and stock up with tea and coffee. They even chilled our bottle of Provence rose for us....!
With the other passengers being cyclists too, some with bottles of supermarket plonk to share, there's plenty of chance for conversation and fun. The time passes quickly and there are several leg-stretch stops. (Of course there's a toilet on board.)
And the cost? Just 160 quid return, about the same as you'd pay for a train or plane, but infinitely more convenient. I got back from Aix to Hull (thanks to a dropoff at Sheffield Meadowhall next to the train station) much more easily than if I'd had to get across London, wait for offpeak trains, or escape an airport. And the fact that you're treated like a club-class traveller instead of a second-class citizen is just great.
Spread the word: Bike Express is far and away the best way to get you and your bike to the continent. No wonder most of the people we met on the coach were on their fourth or fifth trips!
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Who uses the Bike Express?
Jackie and Peter are from East Yorkshire and in their early 40s. Five years ago while touring in Spain they met a couple who had arrived by EBE and who told them about it. Jackie and Peter have used it every year since and tried all the routes.
Frank and Diana Croll, in their 50s, were on a two-week holiday, their fourth using EBE since they read about the service in the magazine of the Cyclists' Touring Club(http://www.ctc.org.uk). Frank was especially pleased to be on aboard... he had had a double heart bypass earlier this year.
Alison McIntyre and her friend were in thier 20s and among the youngest on the EBE 'Alpine' service. They had travelled to Toulouse and spent 28 days riding to Frejus. They'd discovered EBE on the Internet.
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Things to pack for the journey
1) English money (nothing else is accepted)
2) Baby wipes to freshen up, use after/before eating
3) Ear plugs - your taste in music might not be the same as the driver's
4) A sleeping bag or rug for the night (it gets cold!)
5) Notebook and biro to jot down tips and exchange adresses with your co-travellers
6) Allen keys - you need to turn your handlebars parallel to the frame and remove bottle cages prior to boarding
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