Getting up to Scotland

The black art of moving from A to B on foreign soil
moto al
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by moto al »

HI theirs plenty of companys who transport your bike at a reasonable cost,im sure if you ask your local dealer he has a list of no,s .cheers .AL
moto al
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Snaf MKII
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by Snaf MKII »

Oop North John wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:44 am
Snaf MKII wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:15 pm One way hires, you'll pay a premium but probably work out cheaper because you're off hiring the van when you're riding.
That would be my suggestion too. Just need to have an address in Scotland that you can send them to eg a friend / dealers / relative / bike friendly hotel (Buccleuch Arms in Moffat? https://www.buccleucharms.com/ )

Then, how do you get up there? Train means no parking problems for you there, but will it align with the bike transport.

I'd be booking accommodation ASAP as the staycation boom has made getting a bed for the night problematical, especially in the tourist hotspots eg the NC500.
I meant one way self drive van hire. Hire a van one way to get you there, off hire it when in Scotland and rehire it for the return, no worries or risk as to where to park it. Flights and trains to Scotland from Devon have become a little more expensive and time consuming of late.
Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

In the good/bad old days of British Rail, you could stick a motorbike in the baggage container on an InterCity 125. I think it travelled for 1/2 your ticket price (passenger trains carried express parcels for Red Star then).
I got a crashed motorcycle from Sheffield to Dorset that way once. You had to sit on the bike to stop it falling over!
SteveWat
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by SteveWat »

“You had to sit on the bike to stop it falling over!”
[/quote]
…shame you didn’t adopt that tactic in the first place :D
Sorry….I couldn’t resist.
fatowl
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by fatowl »

Richard Simpson Mark II wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:19 am In the good/bad old days of British Rail, you could stick a motorbike in the baggage container on an InterCity 125. I think it travelled for 1/2 your ticket price (passenger trains carried express parcels for Red Star then).
I got a crashed motorcycle from Sheffield to Dorset that way once. You had to sit on the bike to stop it falling over!
Yes, back in the day, I did this many times, but when I asked recently, they shat a brick, saying "oh it's got PETROL in it - it'll explode". yeah, of course it will, bikes and cars are spontaneously exploding all over the place all the time. not.

Thanks to everyone for all the replies, i'm investigating a few ideas.
Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

SteveWat wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 7:38 pm “You had to sit on the bike to stop it falling over!”
…shame you didn’t adopt that tactic in the first place :D
Sorry….I couldn’t resist.
[/quote]

LOL!

I was sitting on it at a red light, then some prat drove into it. A crash, and I wasn't even moving.
Oop North John
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by Oop North John »

fatowl wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 8:30 pm Thanks to everyone for all the replies, i'm investigating a few ideas.
I'd be interested in what solution you use, as I'm in the north of Scotland and fancy using the ferry to Spain, and it's nigh on 600 miles of boring UK dual carriageway / motorway there, and the same to get back home :cry:
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Elmer J Fudd
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by Elmer J Fudd »

Oop North John wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 10:09 pm
fatowl wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 8:30 pm Thanks to everyone for all the replies, i'm investigating a few ideas.
I'd be interested in what solution you use, as I'm in the north of Scotland and fancy using the ferry to Spain, and it's nigh on 600 miles of boring UK dual carriageway / motorway there, and the same to get back home :cry:
Have you considered going via Ireland?
Oop North John
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by Oop North John »

Elmer J Fudd wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 11:10 pm
Oop North John wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 10:09 pm
fatowl wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 8:30 pm Thanks to everyone for all the replies, i'm investigating a few ideas.
I'd be interested in what solution you use, as I'm in the north of Scotland and fancy using the ferry to Spain, and it's nigh on 600 miles of boring UK dual carriageway / motorway there, and the same to get back home :cry:
Have you considered going via Ireland?
Yes, but unfortunately I don't think it saves much time / money. If I was not so time constrained, then wandering down through Ireland would be a great start to the trip. The other problem with Ireland is that it tends to be wetter than even England / Scotland, and ideally I'd jump straight to the sun kissed shores of Spain without sampling the variables of northern Europe's weather.
McVicar
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Re: Getting up to Scotland

Post by McVicar »

Sounds like you need to fly and hire a bike
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