Luggage Storage, Cycle & Phone Rental / Hire, etc.
We offer several services to facilitate European travel, whether or not you are travelling on one of our cycle trips.
Luggage Services
Bicycle Services
Travel Services
Communication
How to Make Reservations (and Cancellation Terms), for Services on This Page
Other services we offer are the object of dedicated pages:
Prices on this page are in €uros
For your convenience, this currency converter will allow you to convert them to other currencies.
Luggage / Parcel / Bicycle Check (Storage) in Paris
We have a luggage room in our Paris office, located 4 blocks from the Châtelet - Les Halles métro station, and linked by direct métro lines to both Paris airports and to 6 of Paris’ 7 rail stations. Instructions on reaching us from all are linked here. Here is a street map of our location. And here are our opening hours.
You may use our storage service even if you are not participating in one of our trips.
For storage periods of longer than 3 days, and for any group (6 bags or more) reservations are recommended, though walk-ins are welcome if space is available (our storage room can fill, especially during school holidays).
• See the bottom of this page for information on how to make reservations.
• Reservations are neither necessary nor available for storage periods of 3 or fewer days, unless you are depositing 6 or more pieces, or unless you wish to ensure our presence in the office during our off-season. See our office opening hours for details.
Prices
Luggage storage prices, per piece of “normal” weight and dimension (or for a “regular,” unboxed bicycle), are below. Whichever rate is more advantageous to you will automatically apply.
- Short term: 5 € per piece for the first day, 3 € per piece per additional day.
- Long term: 20 € per piece (fixed charge) + 1 € per day of storage.
- A 25% discount on the total storage price applies to any client who has also purchased a railpass through us.
- A 50% discount on the total storage price applies to guests who, at the time of storage, are booked to travel (or who have already travelled) on one of our overnight cycle or train tours in the same calendar year.
-
The “long term” rate is advantageous for storage periods 10 days and longer.
- For the purposes of pricing, “days” run midnight to midnight. A piece dropped off at 5p on Tuesday, and picked up on Wednesday morning, is charged for two days.
- A bicycle inside a bicycle case or carton is charged as two, regular-sized items.
-
An empty, hard-sided bicycle case is charged as 1.5 items, unless it fits within the dimensions shown below.
- A “group” discount of 10% applies to deposit of 6 or more pieces, reserved at least one week in advance and left for at least 3 days. This discount increases to 20% for deposit of 10 or more pieces. Additional pieces added subsequently, or at the time of deposit, do not qualify for the discounted rate. For the purpose of cancellation, each piece is considered to be deposited separately.
- Access to baggage during its period of storage is not possible. If you must add or remove items from your stored luggage, you must remove it from storage, and start a new storage period. To access pieces reserved at long-term rates, a days' notice is required, as they are stored off-site.
Weight and Size
The above prices apply to:
- Luggage and parcels no larger than 24 x 24 x 36 inches / 61 x 61 x 92 cm, and weighing no more than 50 lbs. / 23 kilos)
- “Regular,” unboxed bicycles with no luggage attached (bicycle luggage is stored and charged separately).
- Empty bicycle cases, regardless of dimensions or weight (a bicycle inside a bicycle case is charged as two regular-sized items, as is a bicycle case containing belongings).
- Pairs of skis, bagged or not, neither short dimension greater than 12 in / 31 cm.
Oversized and / or heavier pieces, with any or all of the following characteristics:
- At least one dimension between 36 and 48 inches / 92 and 122 cm
- 2 or more dimensions between 24 and 36 in. / 61 and 92 cm
- Weight between 50 and 75 lbs. / 23 and 34 kilos...
...cost an additional 50% to store.
Pieces that are any of the following can only be stored by prior arrangement. If accepted, they are charged as two pieces.
- Any dimension greater than 48 in / 122 cm
- 2 or more dimensions greater than 36 in / 92 cm
- Pieces weighing over 75 lbs. / 34 kilos
- Tandem bicycles
Higher rates may apply to exceptionally large, awkward, or heavy pieces, or to pieces which smell bad or have irritating bumper stickers on them (we’re joking! Lighten up...).
Payment
Storage charges must be pre-paid at the time of luggage drop-off (or at the time of reservation, if the service is pre-reserved), by cash or credit card. If luggage is left for longer than anticipated, the balance due can be paid upon pick-up.
Articles and their contents left for more than 30 days beyond their paid storage terms will be sold to pay for their accumulated storage charges.
Opening Hours
Luggage may be dropped off and picked up during our regular office opening hours.
From October to May we recommend making an appointment to drop or pick up luggage (by e.mail, paris@bluemarble.org). For a drop-off appointment, pre-payment is required. We are a small business, and this is not our primary line of work. While we usually respect our opening hours (and always during our touring season, May to October), operating concerns can lead us to be absent for an hour or two during our off season for supplier meetings, administrative formalities and similar. If we know you are coming in, we will be sure to organize such absences with your schedule in mind, and to have an agent present for you....
Drop-off or pick-up outside of these hours is generally available (by reservation only), but the additional cost of bringing one of us in to receive you (50€) is prohibitive for individuals. If this service is required, its cost must be pre-paid. It may be available without charge to guests starting out on, or returning from, our cycle trips (notably if the trip coordinator is travelling on the same schedule as the guest).
Security
Luggage is subject to inspection upon drop-off, and a passport or other official identity card must be shown. Illegal, flamable, or other dangerous articles cannot be stored. Nor can live animals (especially squirrels) or plants. And don't even think about storing dead animals.
Luggage is stored in a baggage room which is only accessible to our staff, but which is not otherwise locked. The storage charges shown on this page include 300 € worth of insurance. This insurance is valid if the entire piece is stolen, or if a locked piece has had its lock forced, and contents removed. Plastic security seals are not considered locks, as they can be inadvertantly torn off if the piece is moved. The fact that the piece was locked must be attested on the claim receipt given to you at the time that the piece is left. The contents of unlocked pieces are not insured.
Additional insurance is available at a rate of 10 € per 300 € of insured value. This additional insurance must be subscribed when luggage is deposited.
We are not otherwise responsible in the event of a theft of any sort, of your luggage or its contents. It is probably worth mentioning that, in 20 years, we have never had one. But since you will probably be the first victim, we suggest you not leave objects of high value in your luggage....
Articles and their contents left for more than 30 days beyond their paid storage terms will be sold to pay for accumulated storage charges.
Getting to Our Office
Instructions on reaching us from airports and rail stations can be found behind the links below. We can also pick up and deliver luggage at airports and rail stations.
From Airports
From Paris’ 7 Railway Stations:
- Gare d’Austerlitz
Local (bike-carrying) trains from the Loire Valley, all trains from the Limousin and the Dordogne Valley (Souillac, Rocamadour), overnight trains from all points in France, and from Spain.
- Gare de Bercy
Overnight trains from Italy, trains from northern Burgundy (Auxerre, Chablis, the Yonne).
- Gare de l’Est
Trains from Alsace, Champagne, and eastern France in general; southern and central Germany, German and Italian-speaking Switzerland, Luxembourg.
- Gare de Lyon
Trains from southeastern France: Lyon, the Alps, Burgundy, the Jura, Provence, the Côte d’Azur, the Cévennes, Longuedoc, Cataluña. Daylight trains from Barcelona, Italy, and French-speaking Switzerland.
- Gare Montparnasse
Trains from southwestern France, Brittany, Chartres, Granville and the Channel Islands. Daylight trains from Madrid and San Sebastian. TGV services from the Loire Valley (Tours).
- Gare du Nord
Trains from Flanders, the Low Countries (Belgium, Holland), from northern Germany, and from England.
- Gare St.-Lazare
Trains from all points in Normandy except Granville (see Gare Montparnasse)
European Luggage Shipment, European Cycle Shipment
Under some circumstances, we can ship luggage and / or bikes within continental Europe. This is always an expensive service, but it may be less expensive than, say, travelling from Florence to Paris to pick up your baggage at the end of your European holiday....
We can ship within what used to be called “Western Europe” only, and only on the continent. We do not offer shipment between Europe and other continents, nor to or from the British Isles or Ireland. Exception: we can ship to (but not from) London St.-Pancras station.
Ask for a quote if interested. Parameters that influence cost include:
- Urgency.
The longer you give us to ship the piece, the lower the cost of doing so.
- Delivery conditions.
The service is more expensive if we have to hand the bag to you, in person, at a precise time, than if we have a place to deliver it to during a less-precise time band (for instance, “to thus-and-such hotel any time on Tuesday or Wednesday”).
- Size and weight (in the case of luggage only).
- Boxed or not (in the case of bikes).
Surprisingly, shipping unboxed, and thus rollable, bikes is generally less expensive.
- Distance of the shipment.
- Season.
Shipments outside of France are typically less expensive between May and October than otherwise, as our volumes are higher, and we can pass along lower bulk rates. Within France, and also between France and some neighboring countries, seasonality has no influence on price.
Additionally, shipping costs are generally lower if Paris is a start or end point of the shipment, and / or if the origin / destination is in the immediate vicinity of a railway station.
Paris Pick-up and Delivery of Luggage or Cycles
To / From Airports, Rail Stations, Hotels
If you would like your cycle or luggage transferred between an airport, rail station or Paris hotel, and our office or another central Paris location (hotel, rail station...), we can do so.
If you are arriving in Paris, we will meet your flight or train, take your luggage off your hands as you come through customs or off the train, and deliver it to the Paris location of your choice.
If you are leaving Paris, we make the Paris pick-up you request, and deliver to your transport hub at the time you request.
Service is by reservation only, and subject to availability at the time of the reservation.
Prices
Base cost, for pick-up or delivery in normal business hours
Includes the first piece of luggage, or the first unboxed (rollable) bike. Add 20€ for a boxed bike.
Normal business hours are 9a - 7p Monday - Saturday, excluding legal French holidays. See below for off-hour charges.
- From or to either major Paris airport (Orly or Charles de Gaulle), or international suburban rail station (Massy-Palaiseau or Chessy / Marne-la-Vallée / Disneyland): 80€
- From or to an airport hotel at Orly or CDG: 90€
- From or to Beauvais airport: 120 € (airport hotel at Beauvais: 140€).
- From or to central Paris rail stations or hotels, to another central Paris location: 50€
Paris rail stations are Austerlitz, Montparnasse, St.-Lazare, Nord, Est, Lyon and Bercy
Additional pieces transferred at the same time are charged as follows:
Bikes
- 60€ per additional boxed bike up to 4.
- 40€ per additional unboxed bike up to 4 (10€ to or from city railway stations).
- 20€ per bike beyond 4, whether boxed or unboxed (10€ to or from city railway stations).
Luggage
- 20€ per additional piece, up to 4 (5 total pieces).
- 10€ per piece of luggage beyond 5 pieces.
A 25% discount on these rates is available to participants in our cycle trips (does not apply to the extra charges listed below).
Additional charges apply as follows:
- Waiting time / no-show charges.
- Waiting time is charged if you do not respect an arranged meeting within 30 minutes: 10€ per indivisible 15-minute increment. Additionally...
- If we are delivering to you, and you are more than 2 hours late, the articles will be returned to our office at your expense. A payment for our waiting time (previous term) will also be due for 60 minutes.
- If you are giving things to us, for transport to Paris or elsewhere, and are more than 2 hours late, the meeting will be abandoned by us, and no refund will be due.
If you are seriously delayed, be sure to call our office, to limit extra charges, or to ensure that we are still waiting, as appropriate!
- Off-hour meets. These extra charges apply per meeting, regardless of the number of bags or cycles.
- Between 6:30a and 9a or between 7p and midnight Monday - Saturday, all day on Sunday and legal French holidays: +50€.
- Between midnight and 6:30a, any day of the week: +75€.
- Paris storage charges apply if delivery is to our office, and the article(s) is / are not claimed the same day.
- Oversized and / or heavier pieces can be transported at the following prices:
- Pieces with one or more dimensions between 31 inches / 80 cm and 110 cm; and / or weighing between 50 lbs. / 23 kilos and 75 lbs. / 34 kilos, are subject to a 50% surcharge.
- Pieces with one or more dimensions greater than 110 cm, and / or pieces of over 75 lbs. / 34 kilos, can only be transported by prior arrangement (write to our Paris office, paris@bluemarble.org). When they can be transported, they are typically charged as two pieces.
- Higher rates may apply to exceptionally large, awkward, or heavy pieces, such as pianos or double bases.
Prohibited Articles in Luggage
The following articles are prohibited in transported luggage. Most of these are solidly in the “duh” catagory, but note the proscription on prescription medication.
- Any type of gun, firearm, ammunition, explosive, or weapon.
- Incendiaries, including flammable gases, liquids and fuels.
- Large, sharp objects such as axes, ice picks and swords.
- Corrosive or dangerous chemicals or materials, such as liquid bleach, tear gas, mace, radioactive and harmful bacteriological materials.
- Batteries with acid that can spill or leak.
- Fragile and/or valuable items, including but not limited to electronic equipment. Laptop computers and handheld devices may be packed, but we accept no liability for damage, and they are not insured for transport.
- Animals.
- Prescription medication. Again, such medication may be packed, but we accept no liability for damage, and such medications are not insured for transport or against late delivery.
How to Make Reservations (and Cancellation Terms)
Bicycle Rental / Hire
We rent road touring cycles out of our Paris office (more on the bikes below).
These are a rarity: designed for actual travel by bicycle (long-distance, non-competitive, riding, on paved lanes and roads of varying quality).
They are not ideally suited to running about Paris, nor are they light-weight racing / “training” cycles, which crumple at the first pothole, and can’t carry more than a pocket handkerchief as luggage.
Our pricing structure is designed to encourage longer rentals: since we thoroughly check every bike for mechanical problems before sending it out, with the attendant mechanic time, we are not a good source for a one-day rental....
To guarantee availability, cycles must be reserved in advance.
Prices (per bike, per rental)
- 40€ for the first day, all or part.
- 10€ for each additional day, 2 through 7.
- 5€ for each additional day, 8 through 14.
- 3€ for each additional day, 15 and more.
- For the purposes of pricing, “days” run midnight to midnight. A bicycle picked up at 5p on Tuesday, and returned on Wednesday morning, is considered rented for two days.
- Upon request, and exchange for a cash deposit, cycles can be equipped with hand pumps, summary tool kits / patching equipment / spare inner tubes, and a cable (combination) lock.
- A 20% discount on the above rates is available to participants in our “long” cycle trips (4 or more nights), for pre- or post-trip rentals.
- An additional charge applies for pick-up or return during hours when our office is not normally open.
- A Maintenance Contract is available for all rentals: we repair / replace any parts (not the frame or headset) damaged in Paris, for any reason, and without cost. And we reimburse any replacement parts purchased, or service performed, outside of Paris (a valid reciept must be supplied, with the name and contact information of the merchant, and the TVA / VAT number). The cost of the Maintenance Contract is the same as the cost of the rental (in other words, double the rental cost to obtain the whole price of rental plus Maintenance Contract).
- Cycle Insurance is available to insure against theft or irreparable 3rd party damage (some idiot runs over your bike in his SUV, hopefully with you not on it). See our “Bicycle Home Page” for details.
Related Equipment and Services
We also offer child seats, burley-style child trailers, and luggage carrying trailers.
Prices are a flat 20€ for child seats, 50% of the cycle rental cost per trailer if the trailer is rented along with a bike, 100% if it is rented alone.
We can equip cycles with front racks, city-worthy locks (U-locks that are very difficult to break), or lighting systems, for 20€ per cycle per rental.
Lighting systems are high-quality LED systems. The rental cost includes the first set of batteries. It should be noted, however, that bike lights are notoriously fragile: probably no more than half of the lights we send out are returned to us in working order. Replacement cost is 12€ per light (front or rear): on average, you should additionally budget this amount if you ask that the bike be equipped with lights.
Paniers, handlebar bags, and summary rain gear are also available (a complete list, with prices, is available here). So are services like train station or airport pick-up or drop-off....
How to Reserve
See information on reservations at the bottom of this page. Please also tell us your size information (height, inseam measurement if known), the type of bike you desire, and whether you need any additional equipment (immediately above).
Dates of a rental can be modified until the day prior to the reserved pick-up for a 10€ administrative charge per cycle, if we have availability on the new dates.
About the Bikes
Our bikes are both better and worse than those available elsewhere, and in any event they are unusual.
We are proud of them. They are professionally maintained by a former pro racer (TdF, Paris - Roubaix, Liège - Bastogne - Liège...): a genius mechanic, and who loves the machines.
They are designed for road touring: a good combo of (relatively) light weight, frame strength and rigidity (we use steel frames), and road equipment like mud guards, back racks for carrying paniers, and cruising brakes (which do not pose legal problems in Europe, and which touring riders find convenient).
But... they are a rental fleet. That means that (a) they don't look like much, and (b) they use technology selected for robustness, not for style, and less still for being on the “cutting edge.” An example: they carry 7- or 8-ring rear cassettes, not the 9- or more that have become common. Experience has shown that it is easier for non-mechanically-inclined guests to keep 7’s aligned on longer trips, and that, frankly, 21 speeds is enough. Components are Shimano Acera, Shimano Alivio, or equivalent. Our recommended handlebars are classic ram’s horn, or “drop” bars, not aero bars (upright bars are also available, as are women's frames).
At no additional cost, they are equipped with pumps, light-weight cable locks, water bottle holders, patch kits, and the wrench set needed for seat adjustment....
So... if this is what you want, we have it. But we are the first to say that our cycles are neither the cheapest, nor the fanciest, nor the best-suited to all purposes. They are, on the contrary, precisely designed for the use we make of them: distance riding on paved roads and lanes, often with saddlebags....
A more thorough discussion of our bikes can be found here, on our Bicycle Home Page.
Other Conditions, “Fine Print”
- Security Deposit. A 300€ / bike (or the equivalent in your currency) security deposit is required, payable when you pick up the bike(s).... The deposit can be made by credit card (or, of course, in cash), and is returned to you when you return the bike. No deposit is required of participants in our cycle trips of 4 or more nights, who rent our cycles to extend their travels on either side of their trips. Note that this security deposit is not a limit of liability. The cycles are valued at 750€ each. In the event of the loss, theft, or total destruction of an uninsured cycle, your liability will be 750€.
- Maintenance and repair are not included in rental charges, unless you subscribe to our Maintenance Contract.
Thare are no “wear and tear” exceptions.
Our bikes rent for as little as 3€ per day... we can’t include many extra services for 3€. But we spell this out just in case, as we are always surprised by expectations in this domain. The following are all real life issues we have had to face, in which our reaction disappointed our customers, sometimes bitterly.
- If you get a flat, and bring the bike in to have us change it for you, our normal mechanic rates apply, and we will charge you for the new inner tube.
- If you lacerate a tire on a piece of glass (or if the tire “mysteriously disintegrates”)... if you rub a sidewall bare scraping against a curb (or simply notice, 3 days into your ride, that the sidewall is bare)... we will charge you for a new tire when you bring the bike in, even if you managed to get to the office on the damaged tire, and even if you are absolutely convinced that you did nothing to damage the tire. Ask yourself how you would feel receiving a tire like that when you picked the bike up. Not so good, eh? Well, we will replace the tire before we send the bike back out. But the one you left with had also been replaced, and a new tire was not included in the price of the rental....
-
If your wheel rim suddenly buckles (often linked to going over a curb, a pothole, or a railway line), you will have to buy a new wheel. Even if you believe, “there must have been something wrong with the wheel, I should not have to pay,” and even if you do not know how you damaged the wheel.
- If you park the bike in the street, and some idiot backs over it in his SUV, you are responsible (or he is — good luck with that).
- If bolts work themselves loose over a week’s ride, and your baggage rack collapses onto your back wheel, you may need to fund a new wheel, a new rack, and a hospital bill!
In sum, bikes are fragile. They can be ridden more or less intensively, and with more or less care. And the parts and mechanic time in keeping a cycle running properly are more (far more) than the capital cost of the cycle.
When you receive your cycle, check it over. Look in particular at fragile components like the tires and the wheels. Note any flaws, and point them out to us. And please, feel free to test ride around our block. Despite our careful preparation and inspection (and in spite of satisfactory test rides), probably 30% of our renters report discovering, always “on the first day,” a mechanical problem with their cycles, the repair of which they feel should be deducted from their rental charge. Interestingly, the cycles that go out on our escorted trips, sourced from exactly the same fleet, have a “pre-existing problem” rate approaching zero.
Be sure that the emergency tool kit we give you is complete (if wrenches or tubes are missing at the end of the rental, you will be expected to pay for them). And bring your own, more comprehensive tool kit, if you know how to use it!
To be clear, in a 2-week ride, you should expect to spend 50€ or so on replacement parts, and 50€ more in mechanic time / repair if you don’t know how to attach them yourself. More is bad luck. Less is good luck. But you should factor in at least this sum to the cost of your rental. - Re-stocking fee. We professionally size your bike, based on the sizing information you supply. And the geometry of a cycle can be adjusted one size up or one size down, for almost any rider.
However, if you ride a mis-sized bike at home, or are not used to touring cycles (which have different geometry than, say, city bikes or mountain bikes), you may be surprised at the fit when you come to pick up the bike.
We will swap bikes for you on the spot if a bike meeting your new criteria is available. However, since each bike is specifically prepared for its rider, and checked over immediately before it goes out, a 25€ “re-stocking fee” will apply. If you are particularly attuned to this issue, you may wish to budget this charge from the start, and get us to prepare two cycles for you, in different sizes.
You are, of course, free to come in (by appointment only) at least 48 hours prior to your rental, to size the bike, and make sure it meets with your approval. If it does not, you may change size or style at that point without cost.
2nd-Hand (Used) Bicycles for Purchase
We sell cycles that we have retired from our fleet, generally for 175€ / bike.
To see what our bikes look line, follow this link. Large cycles, 60 cm frames and bigger, cost 210€, when they are available.
Bikes come equipped with front and rear mud guards, and with a rear rack good for 25 kilo loads (rated higher, but our experience suggests....). They are not pre-equipped with lights, pumps, helmets, locks, nor bicycle luggage, though you may purchase all of those things in addition if you wish.
They are in good working order when sold, and are mechanically reviewed before being put up for sale. They are, however, sold “as is.” Once you drive it around the block to make sure it works, and then drive it away, it is yours. While we will continue to service the bike as long as you have it, it will be at our regular mechanic rates (next chapter), even if the first service call comes in 24 hours!
To be clear, we do not intentionally sell any cycle that we do not believe has a couple of thousand maintenance-free kilometers in it. But the reason that they are being sold is that they have attained a stage in life when part fatigue becomes a possibility. Thus we are not sure that they are up to the rigours of a full, 10,000-kilometer “road season,” which is what they would face in our fleet. Typical individual use is less intensive. So, you are getting a 750€ bike for 200€, give or take. In exchange, you may have to replace a couple of things in the course of a long trip.
If you are interested, write us with your size information and style preference, and we will tell you if we have what you are looking for. Common sizes are generally available in the fall, with availabilty declining as spring approaches..... You may actually make the purchase using any of our usual payment methods.
Re-stocking fee. We professionally size your bike, based on your height and inseam measurements, which you supply (inseam is measured crotch to the top of your foot’s arch). Additionally, the geometry of a cycle can be adjusted one size up or one size down, for almost any rider.
Please do not simply tell us that you want, say, a “56 cm bike,” without also specifying precisely what this measurement corresponds to (for example: “center of the pedal axle to center of a straight top tube, measured along the back tube”). Different manufacturers use different criteria to determine this measurement. Your height and inseam measurements are of more use to us than your bike size.
If you ride a mis-sized bike at home (probably the case for a majority of riders), or are not used to touring cycles (which have different geometry than, say, city bikes or mountain bikes), you may be surprised at the fit when you come to pick up your bike. Though “touring fit” has its logic, we are not your Mom. We will happily swap bikes for you on the spot if a bike meeting your new criteria is available.
However, since each bike is specifically prepared for sale, and checked over immediately before it goes out, a 25€ “re-stocking fee” will apply. You are, of course, free to come in (by appointment only) at least 2 business days prior to picking up your purchase, to size the bike, and make sure it meets with your approval. If it does not, and a bike better meeting your criteria is available for sale, you may change size or style at that point without cost. Otherwise, you may cancel the purchase, also without cost.
Other Bike-Related Services & Equipment
Cycle Assembly and / or Tuning, Mechanic Time
Our central Paris workshop can re-assemble and tune boxed bikes, disassemble and box using your carton, and perform general tuning on a reservation-only basis. Costs vary with tasks performed, but our expert mechanic time is 52€ / hour, charged by the quarter hour, with a 26€ minimum. Our mechanic is the right combination of good and fast. His intervention is by reservation only.
Bicycle Luggage and Equipment
We offer a road-worthy child trailer for hire, for the same price as cycle rental. Also a Hamax brand, “Kiss” child seat, rated for up to 22 kg. (48 lbs.), for one fourth the cost of cycle rental. Otherwise, please see our list of Equipment for Rent or Sale.
Cycle Shipping
See above.
Getting Bikes on Trains in Europe
Getting on European trains with your bike can be complex. Not all fast trains accept bikes. Those that do severely restrict the number that can board a given train, and often sell out their cycle spaces far in advance, especially on weekends. Reservations for cycles on trains are not generally available outside the country of travel.
This is a domain of expertise for us. If you would like information on making a trip with your bike or bikes, we offer our consulting services for a flat fee of 20€ per trip.
For the same fee, we will instead provide general information pertaining to a specific country. If you then wish detailed schedules for a particular trip, however, an additional charge will apply.
Simply submit your request in writing, along with your name, e.mail, a phone number where you can be reached, and a postal address. One of our advisors will reply with the details of bike transport on the route or routes you are contemplating.
Satisfaction is guaranteed regarding the quality of our information, not regarding the quality of the railroad services on offer. In other words, if we cannot reply fully and accurately, no payment is due. If cycle transport by train is simply impossible on your route (this is very rare), no payment is due. However, if we reply with the method, and you do not like it (the railroad requires that you travel by local train when you would have preferred an express, for instance), our consulting charge is nonetheless due.
Payment. Riders on our cycle trips need not pay in advance, we well add the charge(s) to your trip account statement. Otherwise, advance payment is required. To pay by credit card: fill out and e.mail (as a pdf) or fax this authorization. You can pre-pay by check / cheque if you prefer, but then you have to wait for the info while your check wends its way through the post.
We can also reserve bike spaces aboard continental European trains which require such reservations.
Bike reservations on trains are not always required, but where they are, they must be purchased simultaneously with the rail tickets. Please do not buy your tickets or railpasses elsewhere, and then ask us to reserve bike spaces for you. It will sometimes be possible, and when we can do it, it will cost you far more than it would have to book both together. For information on having us reserve your bike travel, please see the relevant sections of our train travel page (concerning reservations, and our fees).
Storing Your Cycle in Our Paris Office
See above.
Paris Airport Train Tickets
If you are flying into either of Paris’ two major airports (Orly, or Charles de Gaulle), we can send you tickets for the appropriate airport train into the city center, along with detailed instructions on how to find it and ride it. The tickets include a métro ride within Paris, so you can reach (or depart from) any point in the city without buying any further ticket.
The cost is 10 € per ticket from either airport (or the equivalent in $), 7€ for children 11 and under.
There are several advantages to pre-purchasing your airport train tickets:
- You avoid long lines at the airport rail station, and can catch the next departing train.
Since most foreign credit cards are bizarrely unable to operate the ticket machines, this can save up to an hour in any sort of peak travel season.
- We send a step-by-step sheet that explains how to find and ride the train.
This should be a simple matter, n’est-ce pas? Well, the train works fine once you figure it out. But it is so much not a simple matter that a new, more user-friendly airport train is being built at a cost of a few billion euros. You’d think that they could just re-do the signage, but apparently not. Our instruction sheet takes you directly to a variety of Paris locations: rail stations, our office, hotels we commonly use... and our tickets include a connecting metro trip if one must be made to complete your journey.
- Pre-purchase eliminates the need to exchange currency at userous airport rates prior to your arrival in the city center.
- You avoid risks inherent in post-flight-stupor airport transactions (pickpockets, sleep-induced abandonment of personal belongings at ticket windows...).
To order tickets, e.mail us (info@bluemarble.org from outside Europe, or paris@bluemarble.org from within Europe), or call. If you are on one of our organized cycle trips, you may mark your request on your “Access Package” order sheet.
Be sure to tell us...
- ...the number of tickets you would like,
- ...from which airport, Orly or Charles de Gaulle, you would like tickets (most intercontinental flights arrive at Charles de Gaulle, but if you are coming from elsewhere, or if you change planes within Europe, your connection could bring you to either), and...
- ...whether any travellers are children 5 - 11 years old.
Tickets will be sent to you by regular post, at no additional cost. The cost of the tickets themselves will be added to your account.
Day Trip to Versailles
Many bus tour operators offer trips to Versailles. They get you to the right place, and especially allow you to cut the ticket line, which can be HUGE (an hour’s wait is common). But traffic can be bad, the trip is ugly, you feel like a sheep, the cost is high, and you are subject to someone else's schedule.
We have put together a flexible, go-when-you-please package, using the fast and frequent trains that run to Versailles from all over the city. Catch your train to Versailles without having to spend an hour figuring it out, or waiting on line for a train ticket. Go straight into the chateau without waiting on line. After your visit, return to anywhere in the city. All on whatever schedule you please: the trains operate every 15 minutes throughout the day. Our package includes...
- ... métro / city bus ticket, to get you to the train to Versailles.
There are 5 railway stations around town from whence you can catch the train to Versailles, so this is sometimes unnecessary: you may be able to walk to the closest one. If you are starting from our central Paris office, or staying in one of our guest apartments, we provide detailed instructions for the trip to the train.
- Tickets for the train to Versailles, via your selected route.
Three different rail lines serve Versailles from Paris: we offer tickets via the line of your choice, which will depend on where you are starting from in Paris (we explain the choices as part of the package). You may even return to the city via a different line.
- A step-by-step instruction sheet that explains how to find and ride the train, where to get off, and how to walk to the chateau.
We even tell you which side of the train to sit on for the views during the trip.
- Ticket for entry to the chateau and gardens, OR to the gardens plus Marie Antoinette’s Trianon pavilion.
- Our “base” tickets include entry to either the chateau or the Trianon pavillon (the one you choose must be specified at the time you order), since this is usually enough for one day. But a “passport” good for both is available at additional cost. Or you may buy the Trianon tickets locally, generally without the lines of the main chateau.
- Tickets do not include entry to the gardens during the grandes eaux musicales, a music-and-fountain display staged once or twice per week during the spring, summer and fall, and lasting 2 hours. But these, too, can be purchased at additional cost, or at the chateau, without waiting on the main line.
-
Other special events may restrict access to one or another part of the gardens or apartments at specific times, but the place is so huge, you can’t get to it all in one day, anyway.
- A train ticket back to Paris, including a connection via métro or city bus to your final destination within the city.
Prices
- 30€ for the first adult (château audioguide included). 16€ for train and route guide only, no chateau entry. 20€ for château entry and route guide only, no train.
- 25€ for each additional adult 18 and older (audioguide included). 10€ for train only, no chateau entry.
- +8€ for a ticket valid for entry to both the chateau and the Trianon pavilon.
- 10€ for “youth” 12 - 17, accompanied by an adult (audioguide can be rented at the chateau for +8€).
- 6€ for children 4 - 11 (audioguide can be rented at the chateau for +8€).
To order the package, e.mail us (paris@bluemarble.org), call, or stop by our Paris office. Here is where to find us.
Be sure to tell us...
- ...the date of your visit. Château tickets are date-specific, and must be ordered at least a day in advance.
- ...the number of tickets you would like,
- ...how many of each type of passenger you are (adult, youth 12 - 18, child 4 - 11), and...
- ...where in the city you will be starting from (and returning to, if different). This lets us select the appropriate rail route.
The package can be picked up in our Paris office, or sent to you by regular post at your risk, at no additional cost. If you wish traceable delivery, please add 10€ to the total price.
Car Rental / Hire
We offer discount auto rentals in association with rail travel (in other words, pick up the car at a train station, drop it off at that station or another within the same country). Our service makes local touring by car economical for guests who prefer to travel long distances by rail. And we select rental car companies with pick-up and drop off local to the station.
We do not arrange one-way international rentals, which are generally fantastically expensive.
Cell Phone Rental / Mobile Phone Hire
Want to stay in touch with the folks? To berate your bike Trip Coordinator for the failings of the route sheet? To make lunch plans with a fellow traveller? Or maybe just to irritate the other passengers in the “Quiet Car?” Why not rent a cell phone?
Plague or benefit in society as a whole, cell phones can be fun on a bike trip, especially if you are trying to organize lunch with people spread across the landscape like random data points. We also rent to people passing through Paris, who have no desire to do anything related to a bicycle.
We rent European standard phones, and pre-program them with the amount you tell us.
Or, if you have a standard GSM phone, we can rent the SIM chip only, which you then use in your own phone.
Prices
- 26€ for the first (indivisible) week (16€ for SIM chip only, without the phone)
- 2€ / day for days 8 through 14 (1€ / day for SIM chip only)
- 1€ / day for days 15 and beyond (0.50 cts. / day for SIM chip only, rounded up to the nearest whole €)
Additionally, you may have us pre-load the amount of “calling power” that you wish, to the phone / chip.
Details
See this page for information regarding calling costs, buying calling power, claiming and returning the phone, how to reserve a phone, etc.
Fax Reception (or Transmission) in Paris
5€, plus 1€ per page beyond the first.
Faxes should be sent to +33 (0 — dialed only within France) 142-369-281.
Faxes should be clearly labeled “[your name], care of Blue Marble Travel.” They will be held for two months from date of reception, and must be called for in person by the person (or by one of the people) to whom the fax is addressed, or by someone presenting a legible photocopy of that person’s ID (passport, for instance).
We take no responsibility for legibility. You may confirm reception by calling +33-142-360-234 during our regular business hours (no charge).
You may confirm detailed readability for an additional charge of 1€ per page. We are, of course, happy to take a quick look at the thing (without charge) and make sure it approximately came thru.
Payment is made by the person receiving the fax. If a readability check is required, and / or the person receiving the fax is not a guest on one of our trips, both reception and readability must be paid at the time of transmission, by credit card. An authorization form is here, and should be faxed along with the transmitting fax (no charge for this page).
You may also send a fax. The price for guests on our trips or staying in our apartment is 2.50€ fixed charge, plus 0.5€ per page, including communication costs. Otherwise, 5€, plus 1€ per page. Sender must be present at time of sending.
Reservation, Cancellation Charges for services on this page
Exception: cell phone reservation and cancellation is discussed on this dedicated page.
Reservations
Reservations allow you to guarantee that the service you desire will be available for you on the date you want it.
We guarantee the provision of a service only once we have accepted payment for it (we will simultaneously confirm its availability to you).
To reserve one of our Paris services, please write our Paris office, paris@bluemarble.org. Tell us...
- ...what you would like to reserve (baggage storage, airport pick-up, etc.)...
- ...and for what dates.
- If you are reserving a rental bicycle, tell us your height, inseam measurement if you know it, the type of bike you prefer, and any extra equipment you require (lighting systems, city locks, front racks...).
- If you are coming to see us in our off season, or outside of our regular opening hours, we advise that you make an appointment. Criteria for doing so are here: making (and guaranteeing) an appointment.
Appointments can be made without charge during our regular opening hours. They are also available outside of these hours, but carry an extra cost in this case.
- Please also join your credit card authorization form. It can be faxed, posted (in this latter case, you may also pay by cheque), or sent as a pdf attachment to an e.mail.
We do not recommend sending credit card information in html format, as we do not have encripted e.mail.
For amounts under 50€, you may also communicate your credit card information by phone.
We will promptly acknowledge receipt, and confirm the service’s availability to you.
If the amount of your authorization is either more or less than the cost of the service you have requested, we will not charge your card at all. Instead, we will write to you to verify the exact service you desire, and your acceptance of its price. If you have authorized a lesser amount, a new authorization will be needed. If you have authorized more, no new authorization is needed; we will, of course, debit only the amount of the requested service, not the higher amount you have authorized.
If you wish to pay by check / cheque, you may do so. The reservation is confirmed when you inform us that the check / cheque has actually been posted. Provided the post-mark on the envelope is that day or the following day, the reservation is honored.
Cancellation
Cancellation charges for all services on this page (except 2nd hand cycle purchase — see below for those), are as follows:
For individual travellers (not participating in our cycle trips).
- At least one week in advance: whichever is greater of 5€, or 10% of the service contracted.
- Between 6 days and the day prior to the date of the reserved service: whichever is greater of 10€ or 50% of the service contracted.
- No refund can be made if the contracted good or service is not claimed / used on the date for which it was contracted.
Services which are discounted for travellers on our cycle trips are subject to the same cancellation terms as the trips themselves. Those conditions may be consulted here. Non-discounted services carry the cancellation terms specified above.
Services charged by the day, such as Luggage Storage and Cell Phone Rental, are considered to be single, unified services, regardless of the period contracted. Conversely, cancellation penalties apply based on the real period reserved, or on a 5-day period, whichever is shorter. Example: a bag reserved for storage for 30 days, and for which storage is canceled the day prior to drop-off, would have its cancellation cost based on a 5-day storage period: 50% of the total cost of 5 days‘ storage.
For the purposes of cancellations and refunds, days are indivisible.
In the event of a “no-show” (you simply do not arrive on the pre-arranged date to claim a service you have reserved, nor do you cancel the service), services charged by the day, such as Luggage or Cycle Storage, or Cycle Rental, are considered to be canceled on the day following the first date of the reserved period. Conversely, the reserved service is still guaranteed to be available on that date. You may thus arrive a day late without warning us of your late arrival, and without risk of losing your reserved service.
Example: luggage storage reserved from April 15th would be considered to be cancelled on April 16th if you did not arrive by the end of that day. No refund would be due for April 15th or 16th.
Cancellation charges for whatever period follows, starting on the 17th, would be the greater of 10€ or 50% of the rental or storage cost as calculated from the 17th, and for a maximum of 5 days.
Exception: if you purchase a 2nd hand bike sight unseen, and are not satisfied with the bike when you come to claim it for any reason that does not imply our error, your purchase price will be refunded, less a 25€ restocking charge. If we have made an error (supplied a size or style of bike that is not the one you requested, for instance), your purchase price is, of course, refunded in full.
The following internet search terms all refer to luggage storage in Paris, discussed above.
bag deposit in paris
bag deposit paris
bag storage in paris
bag storage paris
baggage deposit in paris
baggage deposit paris
baggage storage in paris
baggage storage paris
parcel check in paris
parcel check paris
parcel storage in paris
parcel storage paris
left baggage in paris
left baggage paris
left luggage in paris
left luggage paris
luggage deposit in paris
luggage deposit paris
luggage storage in paris
luggage storage paris
paris baggage deposit
paris baggage storage
paris left baggage
paris left luggage
paris luggage deposit
paris luggage storage
paris short-term storage
paris suitcase deposit
paris suitcase storage
short-term storage paris
suitcase deposit paris
suitcase storage paris
The following internet search terms all refer to bike rental, discussed above.
Road bike hire Paris
Road bike rental Paris
road bicycle hire france
road bicycle hire paris
road bicycle rental france
road bicycle rental paris
road bike hire france
road bike rental france
road cycle hire france
road cycle hire paris
road cycle rental france
road cycle rental paris
touring bicycle hire france
touring bicycle hire paris
touring bicycle rental france
touring bicycle rental paris
touring bike hire france
touring bike hire paris
touring bike rental france
touring bike rental paris
touring cycle hire france
touring cycle hire paris
touring cycle rental france
touring cycle rental paris
Paris Airport Train Tickets for Sale
Buy Paris Airport Train Tickets
Above
|
|
