Flying With Your Bike from Dorset: Getting Your Bike Box to the Airport
Cycling holiday, training camp or race abroad? How to get a boxed bike from Bournemouth, Poole or Christchurch to Heathrow, Gatwick or Bristol.
More Dorset riders than ever head abroad to ride: warmer winter miles, long mountain climbs, a training camp or a race. The flight is the easy part. Getting a boxed bike, a suitcase and yourself to the airport at five in the morning is where it gets awkward.
Here is how to make the trip to the airport as smooth as the ride you are going for.
Why a normal car is not enough
A bike box or padded bike bag is long, wide and heavy. It does not fit across the back seat of a saloon, and it rarely fits in an estate boot alongside a suitcase. Two riders with two boxes need a proper people carrier.
For bike boxes we send a large MPV. Tell us how many boxes, people and suitcases when you book, and we confirm the vehicle before the day.
Before you book the car
- Book the bike on your flight first. Airlines treat bikes as sports equipment and usually need them added to the booking in advance, with their own weight limit and fee. Check your airline's rules before you pack.
- Count everything. Riders, bike boxes or bags, suitcases, helmet bags and wheel bags. The more we know, the better we can match the vehicle.
- Allow extra time at the airport. Bike boxes often go to an oversized baggage drop, which can mean a second queue. We plan your pickup time with that in mind.
Packing tips that save stress on the day
- Pack the bike the night before, not in the morning.
- Take the pedals off and keep the pedal spanner in your hand luggage or suitcase.
- Let a little air out of the tyres, and protect the rear derailleur and disc rotors.
- Put a name and phone number inside and outside the box.
- Photograph the bike before it goes in the box, in case you need to make a claim.
Getting home
Coming home tired after a week in the mountains is no time to wait for a taxi. We track your flight, wait in arrivals and give you time to collect the bike from oversized baggage. The first 60 minutes after landing are free.
Prices and booking
Our fixed prices for the large MPV, and the airports riders use most, are on the bike, golf and ski transfers page. Typical runs are to Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol and Southampton.
Travelling with golf clubs or skis instead? The same page covers those too.
Book online, or call 01202 028334 and tell us what you are bringing.