SURVEY: Bikes and Long travel trains in Portugal - Please help me dear foreign bikers

Hi people,

As you know, or don't, you can't travel with your bikes in long travel CP trains (Portuguese Railways Company), it's said in their site.

Sometimes, if they wake up in a good mood, they let you take your bike with you. But in their website, callcenter and etc, it's said that bikes can't go on long travel trains.

So, with the cyclotourism and bike users portuguese federation (FPCUB) i am doin' some surveys and getting the maximum information to convince them to let bikes go on long travel trains.

If you please, I will ask you three things:

1- answer to this survey: https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0k3ysJ7NIYWxEEt

2- If you use to travel by bike and train and tried to in Portugal, (un)successfull, send me a text describing the situation. If you travel by bike and train in other countries, send me a text too describing it.

3- If you know someone who did, ask them to write a text. If you have some photos about long travel trains + bikes, send me please: pedromgsanches@gmail.com

It will be a document trying to convince them to let bikes go on the train and showing some examples around the world.

I appreciate your collaborations,

Thanks by the attention,

Pedro.

 

Congratulations on the initiative, Pedro.

 

How to transport bikes in Switzerland...

Hi Pedro,

Since I have been riding my bike for almost 2 years here in Switzerland, well I never had problems with transportation on train or even metro. Please feel free to visit the topic “Crónicas de um Bravo do Pelotão por Terras Helvéticas” or my website www.bravosdopelotao.com where I describe my adventures (I will post a new one today or tomorrow).

Please find enclosed 3 pictures of how we can transport bikes on different trains, especially the ones called RER (short distance trains, till 40 kms).

For the bike transport on long distances (more than 40 kms, named IR, IC, ICN, etc… ), I will post a new picture, this because on those trains there are wagons where you can place till 3 bikes vertically (hanged), this at the end of each wagon.

For TGV transport you have to indicate that you will transport a bike (reservation), for all other trains you don’t need to indicate.

Please note that in Switzerland all trains, metro have special wagons with a label where you know that you can place your bike.

Regarding prices about bike transportation they have just 2 prices as follow:

1-If you transport your bike dismantled (in a carton or a bag), you don’t pay anything.
2-If you transport your bike (1 piece), you will pay the price of 1 single ticket [for example if your ticket is less than 12 CHF you will pay also 12 CHF for the bike, but if your ticket is more than 12 CHF, you only pay for the bike 12 CHF (maximum price for 1 day travelling (carte journalière), which means that you can go in and out on different trains during one day)].

Hopping that I have been useful, please do not hesitate to contact me if you need more clarifications.

Best regards,
Alexandre Pereira
Platoons Braves, in this case without…eheheh

Picture 1 – Inside Metro


Picture 2 – Inside RER (train)


Picture 3 – Inside IR (train)

 

Other cultures... better cultures !!!

 

Portugal:Inter-Cidades (on the way to Abrantes):

 

Great and useful posts!!

Many thanks!

 

Hi Pedro,

As posted previously please find enclosed a picture about how you can handle your bike during IR (Inter-Regional) trips here in Switzerland.



Regards,
Alexandre Pereira