ladygrower

We will be traveling in late August from Venice to Montreux, Switzerland with a bicycle in a box. There are 4 of us with luggage for four people. We planned on taking a 2nd class train ride from Venice through Milan and on to Montreux. Does it make more sense to rent a Mini Van in Venice and drive it one way?

PalenQ

I believe you will not be able to legally take your box of that size onbaord but I've seen folks do it and put it in the space between cars but do not count on it - and most country railways do not accept checked luggage anymore so you have to use a FedEx or UPS, etc type service to send the bike along.

Swiss trains do accept checked luggage but not Italy I think though not 100% sure of that.

There could be huge drop-off charges for returning a car in Switzerland and renting in Italy but if not that could be the best way.

Maybe these excellent rail sites IMO will answer the bike as bags question - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

check www.trenitalia.com for info on taking bikes on trains - some trains could have a bike area or baggage car perhaps but most I see do not and about checking it ahead.

FoFoBT

If you don't mind arriving in Montreux late at night, around 10:30 pm, there is a daily direct train from Venice at 4:20 pm (EC 42). Bicycles (and their boxes) are allowed but need a reservation. The train starts in Venice and ends in Geneva. It stops in Milan in case members of your party are joining you there.

Otherwise, you could catch an earlier train to Milan and then pick up this train around 7 pm when it leaves Milan for the journey to Montreux. Or the 5:25 pm train from Milan that gets into Montreux earlier.

Remember, the number of bicycles allowed is limited so make your reservation ASAP.

spaarne

I don't know why you would want to box your bike. Roll it on.

For some first hand information on taking bicycles on trains see
http://tinyurl.com/pg2t9v and
http://tinyurl.com/3be7rkb. An illustrated introduction to riding the trains in Europe is at
http://tinyurl.com/eym5b.

The German Rail site at
http://tinyurl.com/c9jp54 indicates if bicycles are allowed on the train you are using.

PalenQ

get the direct train if possible - Milan Centrale is a huge huge hectic station and changing trains with a boxed bike is even more hectic

PalenQ

Remember, the number of bicycles allowed is limited so make your reservation ASAP>

How would one do that if say not in Italy - thru www.trenitalia.com?

do you load the boxed bike - or unboxed bike in a bicycle car yourself or is it done for you?

thanks - just trying to understand the intricacies of it all.

PalenQ

I have seen plenty of people take a bicycle on trains and put them in between the cars but only on relatively short local trains - not on international EC trains - expect perhaps to be challenged by a conductor for doing so - try to get the direct train with specific accommodations for bicycles.

and yes why use a box - most bike compartments I've seen hang bikes on hooks and you just need to tie them securely so they do not swing around - perhaps you are taking the bike on a flight home - then I believe they do have to be boxed.