hiring a car/van to take bikes to the Alps!?!?
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm going on a trip to Morzine, France, for some mountain biking at the end or august/start of september, with two other guys... and we're trying to work out the best way to get there...
thinking at the moment that we might go the road-trip route...
the issue is the vehicle. We need to get three people and 3 big mountain bikes in, and none of us have a car that can carry that, so we're thinking of hiring something...
choices here seem limited - vans are ok, but the seating isn't great, for 3 people for an epic drive to the alps, as you basically have to squash three people onto a bench seat...
there's mpv type things, but we'd need to take some back seats out to get the bikes in, which I think the hire companies might not like...
Has anybody done this sort of thing before?
any experiences, recommendations, tips, stories, suggestions welcomed...
I'm going on a trip to Morzine, France, for some mountain biking at the end or august/start of september, with two other guys... and we're trying to work out the best way to get there...
thinking at the moment that we might go the road-trip route...
the issue is the vehicle. We need to get three people and 3 big mountain bikes in, and none of us have a car that can carry that, so we're thinking of hiring something...
choices here seem limited - vans are ok, but the seating isn't great, for 3 people for an epic drive to the alps, as you basically have to squash three people onto a bench seat...
there's mpv type things, but we'd need to take some back seats out to get the bikes in, which I think the hire companies might not like...
Has anybody done this sort of thing before?
any experiences, recommendations, tips, stories, suggestions welcomed...
Seeing as you have a big trip there and back, pick something to take on the epic roads, please don't use a van!!! ;P
Also if you disassemble the bikes properly they should fit in under half the space? I.e. a small roof box / boot if you take back and front wheels off and tessellate them well enough somewhere?
Also if you disassemble the bikes properly they should fit in under half the space? I.e. a small roof box / boot if you take back and front wheels off and tessellate them well enough somewhere?
Done this many many times.
Driving out there is costly, fuels not as cheap as it was, toll roads will be around e200.
I drive out sometimes if im moving around ie week in morzine then onto the mega. But if you're just planning on staying in morzine then fly, it'll be cheaper, faster and more comfortable.
Im driving out this year but only because I want to take the M3 for a play in the alps!
Driving out there is costly, fuels not as cheap as it was, toll roads will be around e200.
I drive out sometimes if im moving around ie week in morzine then onto the mega. But if you're just planning on staying in morzine then fly, it'll be cheaper, faster and more comfortable.
Im driving out this year but only because I want to take the M3 for a play in the alps!
Amateurish said:
VW Caravelle / Transporter should do the job.
well yes, it would. So where do you hire one from, because I can only find either 2-seater van ones, or 9-seater minibusses with no luggage room.Trouble with flying is that we need to get to heathrow (£40 each), transfers at other end (£60 each), bike fees (£some)... costs all mount up...
bumping this, because there's now 5 of us going... so 5 people + 5 big bikes sounds like it should make hire-car/van much more economic than flying (especially as 4 of us would need to shell out £200 each on a bike bag/box!)
nowhere seems to hire suitable vehicles though...
5/6 seater VW Transporter would be perfect... but you just can't get them.
any help/ideas on this?
...or anybody that wants to come riding in Morzine and happens to own a VW transporter!?!?!?
nowhere seems to hire suitable vehicles though...
5/6 seater VW Transporter would be perfect... but you just can't get them.
any help/ideas on this?
...or anybody that wants to come riding in Morzine and happens to own a VW transporter!?!?!?

Found a company with a 9 seater crew van (under minibus section) - not sure if its big enough in the cargo area? http://www.shb.co.uk/spec/home.html
Or a 6 seater crew van at http://www.hhvanhire.co.uk/vans/crew-bus-van/
Or there's this one too! http://www.selfdrivevanhire.co.uk/
Or a 6 seater crew van at http://www.hhvanhire.co.uk/vans/crew-bus-van/
Or there's this one too! http://www.selfdrivevanhire.co.uk/
Edited by Wolff to add URL's!
Edited by Wolff on Tuesday 29th June 19:37
Check whether you can take those vans abroad, I doubt those sorts of hire companies would expect their vehicles to be taken out of the country.
TBH, you might be better off taking 2 cars with a roof rack and bike carriers each, for which you all chip in for the cost. When you get back, either flog the roof-racks etc on ebay and recover some of the cost or, if one of you wants to keep them, he can pay the others. www.roofbox.co.uk do an extensive range and will tell you what fits which car.
Alternatively, look at going by train. Eurostar will take you to a number of destinations in France and, if their website doesn't list where you want to go, check out the French Railways website for connections
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
I'm going to Lyon on Eurostar this summer for £100 return, so you could book that leg, then do any connections via the SNCF website.
TBH, you might be better off taking 2 cars with a roof rack and bike carriers each, for which you all chip in for the cost. When you get back, either flog the roof-racks etc on ebay and recover some of the cost or, if one of you wants to keep them, he can pay the others. www.roofbox.co.uk do an extensive range and will tell you what fits which car.
Alternatively, look at going by train. Eurostar will take you to a number of destinations in France and, if their website doesn't list where you want to go, check out the French Railways website for connections
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
I'm going to Lyon on Eurostar this summer for £100 return, so you could book that leg, then do any connections via the SNCF website.
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