Cruises To Europe - Bicycle Shipping - Easy and Affordable

We discussed the advantages
and compared some expenses. Even if
the trip isn't about biking - like her Christmas trip to
Arizona to visit her parents, my friend Ann takes her bike wherever she goes.

Or rent a bike when you arrive at
your destination, ship it
ahead of time by UPS, i went to do a little research to find out what
would be the best way to go when traveling by airplane -
ship your bike in the cargo hold of the plane, in the end.

You can rent a clunker
for $45 USD a day if you're in an area where bike rental is
even possible. It's expensive, also. So it is likely to be
inferior along with not fitting you perfectly like your own
bike does, it's not your bike, for
one thing. Renting was the clear loser among the three options.

Once you've invested in some kind of
shipping carton, you're money ahead, if you ride more than a couple
times. You'll have almost broken even with the cost
of shipping your bike, if you rent and ride once or twice while
you're there, so. You're going to pay at
least $65, though, if you want a decent bike.

Which is not recommended for shipping by a
delivery service, you can use a
soft bag, also. You won't be without your bike for the 2 to
6 days it takes when shipping by UPS. The advantages of carrying it with you on
the plane include the fact that you will have it with you
at all times. And might be the best choice depending on the
circumstances, shipping your bike in the airplane's cargo hold is a good
option.

The cost is around $40 each way. You can get
by with as little as taking off the handlebar and pedals. Disassembly of your bike is minimal, depending on what kind of packaging you use for the
shipment.

The bike is
delivered to your door. No packing it into the rental car, there
is no waiting in long lines in the airport baggage claim
area. The
biggest benefit here is the minimized hassle factor. You
can ship a bike from Miami to Chicago for around $30, for example. The cost is usually
less than carrying the bike on the plane, depending on the from-to locations. The option I like best is shipping via delivery service.

But for people who travel often it's worth the
investment, of
course, a good shipping carton is necessary. So you can keep informed about
the when and where of your bike's current position while
it's en route, you have a tracking number.

And pedals to
fit the bike into the case, seat, you have to take off both
of the wheels as well as handlebars, for these. And
it will last forever, you
can get a hard-sided bike suitcase for around $350 USD. Here is the run down of options for shipping cartons.

Removing the pedals and handlebar, you do have to do some disassembly of the
bike. And foam chocks, straps, both the waterproof
and cardboard rectangular box come with tie-downs. And only last for a handful of trips, around $150, i don't recommend the plain cardboard
rectangular boxes because they are expensive. You can get a waterproof bike box that is
very durable and has the advantage of being collapsible
when not in use, for around $200.

And hold them in place with the tie downs that are
provided, just use the quick release for the front wheel and
seat. Not even the bars because of the triangular
shape, you don't have to do any
disassembly. You can get a triangular
cardboard shipping carton, for about $80. There's one more shipping set-up that is a little less
expensive.

I assure you that it's
worth it, if you haven't taken
your bike with you on trips already. You'll be pleased to find that traveling with your own bike
is affordable and fairly hassle-free. Go on-line
and enter the term 'bike shipping' in any search engine, for details about carrying cases and shipping.