Shipping Bike Fed Ex or take it on the plan

[shootingstar]

The other option, is to cycle to and from the airport or bring it onto light rail transit...which is possible for certain major cities in Canada, U.S. and Europe.

I will remind everyone here for Vancouver B.C. You can take the LRT (Canada Line) with your bike direct from the international airport to downtown. Locals are used to seeing bikes on that LRT train line. OR you can bike the bike route into downtown Vancouver (10 kms.) I've done it both modes, ....several different times off of international and domestic flights. This line was built originally for Olympics to take high volume traffic from the airport efficiently.

Toronto, has a transit rapid bus servlce line (the Rocket) that runs between airport and Kipling subway station (but check if there is a bike rack. Not all buses have it). There is a bike route from Toronto that takes you into the park system, then into downtown/waterfront. Dearie has done it several times.

Paris ...my partner has cycled to and from the airport into major part of city. (He's done this several times.) Copenhagen is a dream, I cycled with dearie....it's a flat 10 km. from downtown to airport..through residential streets. It's a weird feeling.

Frankfurt's airport is hooked directly to their transit /other interurban train lines. I was with dearie with my bike there. We boarded Germany's interurban train direct from Frankfurt airport. It's interconnected.

If your bike is not $3,000 value (I'm just choosing an higher dollar value for illustration), then I have just put into a box provided by the airport (in the past), or just a plastic bag which Air Canada provides. It's checked in with oversize, skis, golf club cases, etc. I think they want to see that it's a bike, so they know clearly what they're dealing with.

So Seattle, Washington DC would allow bikes but I guess you have to know when bikes are allowed during certain hours. Can't be that impossible to time it.

My biggest pain has not been the bike damage worry but getting the bike pedals on, etc. ...the usual stuff. Here are the aiports with commentary: http://thirdwavecyclingblog.wordpres...g-to-airports/ (Calgary screwed up, by ripping up part of their bike path connection to airport. A backward step on the prairies.)

Of course, this only works if your bike is set up for touring...which is all that myself or dearie know when travelling /bringing along our bikes for vacation. The thought of travelling without our bike racks is inconceivable when we go on vacation far with our bikes.

I do know of someone who just used an ordinary suitcase and put in her folding bike. It did the job. She went to France.

[katluvr]

Probably a little late to chime in but I have flown with my bike many times. I feel more comfortable that way. Actually the only time I had damage was the time I shipped it. We always go with our bikes to the place they are either X-rayed (our local airport has a large enough machine to do that and they don't open it). Other airports we stand their while they open it and give them directions if they have any issues putting it back together. We did have an ape of a man do one bike our last trip and we were a bit worried but it was all OK. Oak is correct, bike is big and heavy and I'm usually exhausted by the time I get through hauling it around, but it's worth it to me.
K

[OakLeaf]

One more thing from this afternoon: this wasn't a bike, the contents were fine, but I'm still not happy: "TSA compliant locks" doesn't mean they won't use a crowbar to destroy your hardshell suitcase instead of just using the !@#$#^ master key like they've always done before.

I'm not sure all airports will let you walk your case to the TSA? Not sure they won't, either, I just don't know, and I do know they took their machine out of the ticketing area in Columbus, anyway.