Taking Bikes Across The Channel

[MrT]

This summer I will be taking two bikes across the Channel to France. I can take them either on the back or on top of the Galaxy, my normal preference would be the back.

 

However I have been told that some companies charge extra when you turn up as this can make the vehicle longer or higher than what they normally allow. Can anyone confirm or refute this and which companies do and don't do this?

 

Also any other tips for choosing how to cross the channel?

[raymac]

Make sure you shut all the windows and doors :D otherwise you will get wet :o joking apart i booked to take a mini bus before i got my galaxy and when i informed them of my change to galaxy and i would be taking roof box there was no extra charge , just phone them and let them know , from dover to calais cost

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Depends on the company and the operators on the day - my dad worked with someone who took a surfboard on the roof of their car - it overhung the rear of the car by two inches - the ferry co got the tapemeasures out and charged extra as this took them into the next "length" band.

[Guest pablo]

Depends on the company and the operators on the day - my dad worked with someone who took a surfboard on the roof of their car - it overhung the rear of the car by two inches - the ferry co got the tapemeasures out and charged extra as this took them into the next "length" band.

Most Ferry companys charge the Normal car rate for vehicle upto 5 metres in length and 1.8 metres high.Above this and it classed a large vehicle, whisch costs a fair bit more.

I went with speed ferrys last year and was 5.2 metres in length and 2.1 metres high, and went up from

[MrT]

I looked at the various sizes and as you say, SpeedFerries quote 5m max and a Galaxy with the Ford Bike rack on the back is 5.08m. The large size vehicle does seem to be standard, but if you change your travel times slightly, the rate drops, so I have a 17:40 crossing there and a 09:55 back as a large vehicle on Saturdays in July for a total of

[italiastar]

No extra charge for High load on the shuttle.

 

Make sure the bikes are "left Hand drive" :16:

[dieselgal]

Charges depend on the route, I don't think we're paying extra for Dover-Calais this year but we certainly did on Portsmouth-LeHavre last year, and whilst we were queueing for the check-in we were told that if we hadn't already booked them we'have to take them off!

 

So you must tell them when you book in case they're allocating space on low height car decks.

 

We carry ours on the top, they're more solidly fixed, you can still access the tailgate and don't add to the width of the car. On the other hand, it is quite a long way to lift them up there and you'll want to watch those low underpasses on the way out of LeHavre!

 

 

Mick