Transporting Hard Shell Bike Boxes on the Camino de Santiago

[ctmalone]

Hello everyone,

My partner and I are planning to bike the Camino de Santiago (Norte) starting from Irun in late August. We're currently in the midst of organizing our trip and addressing logistics. While we've considered renting bikes, we're leaning towards using our own as they are custom-fitted and we're accustomed to their performance. Although we have experience traveling with our bikes, this will be our first time needing to relocate our bike boxes during the journey.

Our strategy involves flying to the starting point with our bikes packed in hard case bike boxes. While we intend to forward some items to our destination, we're uncertain about the feasibility of shipping the bike boxes themselves. These boxes, despite being empty and lighter, are still quite bulky.

Has anyone here faced a similar situation or transported hard shell bike boxes along the Camino? Any insights, suggestions, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated as we plan this aspect of our adventure.

Thank you in advance for your advice and shared experiences!

 

[naplesdon]

My only Camino on a bike included several days of transporting my rental bike. I disassembled it, wrapped it in plastic as the bus companies require but was refused boarding on several buses. There are rules which seem to be quite vague are enforced at the whims of the driver that day.
I guess if you are talking about transporting the case from the very beginning to the end of your Camino, then that is another answer that I can not offer.

 

[Xali1970]

Hello everyone,

My partner and I are planning to bike the Camino de Santiago (Norte) starting from Irun in late August. We're currently in the midst of organizing our trip and addressing logistics. While we've considered renting bikes, we're leaning towards using our own as they are custom-fitted and we're accustomed to their performance. Although we have experience traveling with our bikes, this will be our first time needing to relocate our bike boxes during the journey.

Our strategy involves flying to the starting point with our bikes packed in hard case bike boxes. While we intend to forward some items to our destination, we're uncertain about the feasibility of shipping the bike boxes themselves. These boxes, despite being empty and lighter, are still quite bulky.

Has anyone here faced a similar situation or transported hard shell bike boxes along the Camino? Any insights, suggestions, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated as we plan this aspect of our adventure.

Thank you in advance for your advice and shared experiences!

Correos has a service that allows you to forward luggage to their Santiago office where they're kept for a fee. This is the webpage explaining how

Envío de maletas en el Camino de Santiago | Paq Peregrino

Con Correos puedes enviar tu maleta o equipaje a cualquier punto del Camino de Santiago con el Paq Peregrino. ¡Comprueba los precios online!

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

Alternatively you could contact Casa Ivar ( @ivar ) and check If Ivar would hold it for you

 

[Corned Beef]

There may be a size restriction that precludes bike boxes on the Paq Peregrino. Seems to be 55*60*39 cm. The cardboard boxes that Correos use to transport cycles are 150*90*30 com and I think the hard cases may be larger than that.

I've managed with a soft bag (Ti frame) which was then posted onto the final destination but it depends on how much value you put on your bike and the trust you have in the airline staffs' abilities.

Most cyclists I've seen in and out of Santiago airport/train stations have used cardboard boxes with a lot of tape.

 

[t2andreo]

I recommend you treat your hard-sided bike boxes as suitcases and ship them using Correos, to Ivar at Santiago. It should be very easy.

If you are traveling into Spain from Portugal or France, etc. that adds a wrinkle. In that happenstance, I recommend you contact Ivar and ask him for advice on how to proceed. He has an arrangement with the courier service DHL, including international shipping. It is a simple process, if not exactly cheap. Butm do ask Ivar.

So, the solution is two part: from Spain to Spain - ship your bike boxes as thought they were hard-sided luggage, from outside Spain to Santiago - use DHL to ship your bike boxes, again treating them as though they were suitcases.

One advantage to this is that you can include stuff you decide you do not want or need on your Camino, upon your arrival at your starting place. You can also include your "apres-Camino" tourist clothing. These items should be waiting for you at Ivar's place in Santiago.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Frogatthefarriers]

I had a similar thought when I rode VDLP/Sanabres last year. It was cheaper than renting too, but not that much by the time I’d paid to take it on the plane, then posting the box from Seville to Santiago and asking Ivar to store it for almost a month. £110 plane cost plus £50 Correos plus €20 to Ivar, against €350 to hire a bike for 3+ weeks.

But it wasn’t just about the money - I wanted to use my own bike because, well, it’s my bike (Mr Sentimental, that’s me). I’m glad I did it that way aaand, as t2andreo said above, I sent all my plane-travelling clothes to SdC in the box so didn’t have to carry them all the way.