car for four adults and four bikes
 

Hi there,
I'm looking at renting a car in France to carry four adults and four bikes, which will be packed in bike boxes since we are travelling from Australia. There are some really big cars available, like the 8 and 9 seater Mercedez vans, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with a car like the Renault Espace 7 seater. If you put down the two back seats is there a lot of room, or is it still a bit limited for travellers with bikes? Any advice would be most welcome.
Thanks,
Kim

NO, there is no way a Renault Espace 7 seater, which I have rented several times, would hold that kind of stuff. It hardly holds 6 people plus the driver plus the usual too-much luggage that people bring.

No. Way.

Don't you need a special license for one of the really big vans? Good luck with that. And why not two vans?

Why not rent bikes in towns suitable for hubs, and plan journeys from there? Lugging bikes all the way from Australia and back seems a major PITA.

Those 8- and 9-car vans you are talking about are goingto be the biggest PITA you can imagine on the small streets of Europe.

Ask the rental for 'Porte-velos'.
A system fixed on the car on which you put the bikes.
Or a 'galerie' - simple racks on the roof in which you can store your boxes.

You are making life hard and expensive for yourselves. Europe is "bike central", France especially so. The Tour de France brings more people out than any other event, ever.

But if you insist on bringing four bikes halfway around the world), bring bungee cords and locks and rent a car "avec galerie de toit" ("with roof rack").

When you're away from the car, pile the bikes inside.

Decide where you'll be driving. As StCirq (who lives there) says, country roads make you suffer for driving even midsize cars. But if you stick with freeways and cities, and do your country-side exploring on the bikes, then size doesn't matter so much.

Another thought: Since you seem to be seriously into biking, you must know of a biking club or association (like the NRMA or AAA for motorists) - ask them for their equivalent in France, they must have contacts that can advise you on where you can rent your preferred type of bikes etc.

I often travel with bikes, but I take mine because they are beaten up cheap ones that are modified to deal with airline incompetence. If I was a serious bike rider I'd hire in Europe and bring my usual pedals/shoes and saddle. There ar some very good bike rental companies.

Bike bags or bike boxes, if you are coming for any time I'd see if I could dump them somewhere.

Not only do you need a vehicle big enough for four bike boxes, you also need to allow for four people's luggage. I cannot think of any people carrier big enough to take all that plus four adults. You almost need a van (UK meaning) with a crew cab.

Leaving bikes on show either inside or outside a vehicle is asking for trouble. A nine seater Merc Viano would need the back row of seats removing and a rental firm may not be prepared to do so, but in any case would then have no facility to cover the bikes and luggage.

Hire you bikes in France.