Buy or ship my own bike?

[OakLeaf]

If you belong to a bike club, sometimes they have cases to rent or borrow. Larger bike shops will sometimes rent cases, too.

Whenever I've traveled with my bike, I've shipped FedEx. You don't have to schlep it around the airport, or pay extra for a van taxi, and it will be delivered right to your destination. And there's a much smaller chance that it will be opened for inspection and put back together insecurely. Express shipping - which I'd recommend for best handling - still isn't any more expensive than checking it on an airline.

But yeah, if there are good rental options, that's simplest. Just don't forget to bring your own saddle and pedals.