I have positive experiences with bikes on trains (on the photos: the Netherlands, South Korea, Austria, Italy, but not everywhere this seems to be the case. What are the countries around the world that do bike/train travel just right, or not at all?
by epicroadrides
6 Comments
it’s surprising how bad it is in the netherlands, I think the system just wants you to take the train without your bike and use an OV-fiets once you get there. and €8 for the additional bike ticket!
Ironic how in the photo’s the country with the worst amenities for bikes on trains (the Netherlands) is also the country where most people seem to want to bring their bike on the train. The NS will discourage you doing so as much as they can, though.
Interestingly, Japan has bo bikes on trains despite being both bike and train heavy
In Sweden you can’t take a bike with you at all on long distance trains unless it’s packed in a small box that won’t fit most conventional bikes. The EU has ruled that bike must be allowed on trains, so there are plans to allow them in the future, but we’re looking at 2028 at the earliest.
Regional trains do, however, often allow bikes. So, if you are patient, you can take your bike with you on a train ride from Stockholm to Copenhagen by making at least five connections… (On a route with direct trains departing hourly.)
The UK have made their capacity on high speed train so much smaller, that you expected to lift the bike vertically and hook it in a space the sizes of an old toliet.
It’s pretty much discrimination.
Swiss trains are pretty good, especially newer ones. Worst country i’ve been to is probably the UK.