http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Tag: train - Recent Posts en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:54:05 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-305010 Fri, 19 Apr 2019 23:17:56 +0000 the canuck 305010@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>i've walked the camino del rey in El Chorro, so it doesn't look too scary. :) given how out of practice i am, i may change my opinion when i see it. :)</p> <p>i'm getting negative vibes from the other half, who, to be fair, has been on his bike about 4 times in the past year... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-305001 Fri, 19 Apr 2019 17:06:39 +0000 panyagua 305001@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd second Cyclingmollie, but a slight alternative route (and a lovely cycle in its own right if you don't mind a few hills) is to go from Cupar via Ceres and New Gilston, joining the B941 at Largoward. There's a nice wee cafe in Ceres if you want to avoid the crowds in Elie. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-305000 Fri, 19 Apr 2019 16:58:35 +0000 Cyclingmollie 305000@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sounds like a great day out. The Chain Walk is fun. It's not quite as bad as it looks in the pictures. </p> <p>Personally I'd get off at Cupar and follow the B940 and B941 to Elie. It's a bit hilly though but usually quiet - it's in part the way I go when I cycle to my mum's in Crail. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-304982 Fri, 19 Apr 2019 08:42:58 +0000 ejstubbs 304982@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Absolutely the right approach. Take your time to enjoy the surroundings, and look out for wildlife - quite likely to be seals bobbing around off the headland. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-304973 Thu, 18 Apr 2019 21:51:24 +0000 the canuck 304973@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks for the tips on better stations, and time zones--i hadn't thought to check that!<br /> i've read an hour to do the walk and then about an hour to get back to the start along the cliff top. i'm not out to break any time records. :) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-304963 Thu, 18 Apr 2019 17:43:11 +0000 ejstubbs 304963@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yep, full moon at the moment =&gt; spring tides.</p> <p>Beware that tide tables usually quote GMT. According to Easytide, high water on Sunday will be <a href="http://www.ukho.gov.uk/easytide/EasyTide/ShowPrediction.aspx?PortID=0233&amp;PredictionLength=7">16:37 BST at Elie</a>, <a href="http://www.ukho.gov.uk/easytide/EasyTide/ShowPrediction.aspx?PortID=0232&amp;PredictionLength=7">16:52 BST at Methil</a>.</p> <p>Agree on the time the chain walk itself is likely to take. We enjoyed the walk back over the headland to Elie/Earlsferry from Shell Bay. Looks like it should be grand weather for it. An ice cream as a reward for the effort would probably be in order. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-304955 Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:39:18 +0000 slowcoach 304955@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I haven't cycled there but I did enjoy going along the chain walk. The chain and rocky part could take less than an hour one-way without hurrying, and then you could come back same way or via path above cliffs.<br /> We got wet feet as the tide was in (at the west end) and we hadn't realised this mattered when we started (at the east end). There are to be big tides this weekend with high tide around 3 pm. One guide suggests "The latest you should set out is two hours before high tide." </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-304954 Thu, 18 Apr 2019 12:22:33 +0000 Frenchy 304954@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I can't actually answer either of your questions, but if it were me I'd consider getting off the train at Cupar, Markinch or Kirkcaldy instead of Thornton. </p> <p>The route from Cupar is (mostly) on back roads, which might be preferable to the coastal path or the main roads from Thornton.</p> <p><a href="https://cycle.travel" rel="nofollow">https://cycle.travel</a> suggests that the shortest route is from Markinch. It also looks like there's shared use pavements along most of the main roads it suggests you take.</p> <p>If you do want to take the coastal path, Kirkcaldy would probably be a better starting point. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19564#post-304952 Thu, 18 Apr 2019 11:53:15 +0000 the canuck 304952@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>We're thinking of trying the Elie Chain Walk this weekend, which is supposed to be about two hours?</p> <p>I'd really like to make it a car free day, and am putting together a pitch. Train to Glenrothes with Thornton, get on the coastal path asap (Google maps wants us to go mostly on roads, pfft), do the walk, return.</p> <p>we are fit-ish, but not used to beasting it on the bikes over long distances.</p> <p>--is this a tough bit of path?<br /> --anyone have experiences getting cycles on this train on weekend?</p> <p>many thanks! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250387 Wed, 17 May 2017 13:02:21 +0000 Ed1 250387@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When I went to Dundee last year, I avoided virgin as did not want to book, gladly in my opinion scot rail did not require any booking, not a fan of booking as encourages tourists frivolous trips at expense of commuters ( my trip was frivolous) , virgin a couple of pound less but seemed a lot more agro. I found no issue going to Dundee and avoided the bookable trains even though I think marginally cheaper and quicker.</p> <p>The price on scotrail was standard fixed prices its only on the long distance trains that use demand management pricing that really need to book on as have to take a set train on those so need to book or lose ticket. Last year the Dundee open return lasted a month I think and could use on any off peak train. The single and return fair had standard fixed journey prices not the variable prices that limit to one train. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250384 Wed, 17 May 2017 12:59:25 +0000 c30c60 250384@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh dear, there's more. Here's what Scotrail customer service has emailed:</p> <p>"I can confirm that we only require cycle reservations to be made on longer and infrequent routes. As the train between Edinburgh and Dundee is a frequent train service, it is therefore not possible to reserve a cycle space."</p> <p>Of course, when I book online I only know that the train goes to Dundee. I don't know whether it's an Ed-Abdn service and therefore is bike-bookable. This is where all the confusion arises, I think. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250379 Wed, 17 May 2017 12:31:59 +0000 chdot 250379@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Scotrail replied on Twitter that for Ed-Dundee it's "always best to book when possible"</p> <p>They do know that means 'but not on ScotRail'?? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250365 Wed, 17 May 2017 11:45:08 +0000 c30c60 250365@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks to everybody who's contributed to this thread so far.</p> <p>For what it's worth - Scotrail replied on Twitter that for Ed-Dundee it's "always best to book when possible. Give our reservations team a call on 0344 811 0141". So booking not obligatory, but places not guaranteed when I need them.</p> <p>For those I know who habitually use a car, this won't convince them to put their bike on a train. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250353 Wed, 17 May 2017 10:56:13 +0000 chdot 250353@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"This might not appear if there aren't any spaces left."</p> <p>Ah... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250352 Wed, 17 May 2017 10:54:53 +0000 chdot 250352@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Used to have an option of bicycles under number of passengers."</p> <p>That's ridiculous, I mean progress. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250351 Wed, 17 May 2017 10:54:07 +0000 steveo 250351@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em> I may have been missing something.</em></p> <p>No you're not. Used to have an option of bicycles under number of passengers. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250348 Wed, 17 May 2017 10:52:08 +0000 Frenchy 250348@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I may have been missing something.</em></p> <p>When you select your ticket price and train, click "Buy Now". On the next page, you can click a tiny little button saying "bicycle space", which brings up the bike reservation option. This might not appear if there aren't any spaces left. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250346 Wed, 17 May 2017 10:44:52 +0000 chdot 250346@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I meant on trains with reservable spaces"</p> <p>I know you did, I'm not so sure about the person on the ScotRail phone.</p> <p>I had a look last night at the East Coast site and couldn't get a bike booking without logging in and paying for a ticket but I may have been missing something. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250344 Wed, 17 May 2017 10:39:06 +0000 steveo 250344@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Problem is, I don't think that is true - or possible.</em></p> <p>I meant on trains with reservable spaces, on the old platform you could book on VTWC from the old EC site or Scotrail trains but it looks like its changed. Sadly. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250341 Wed, 17 May 2017 10:23:10 +0000 chdot 250341@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"But there's no way to get an overview of which services have bike spaces, every journey has to be checked individually."</p> <p>That would be nice/useful, but never happened before and seems more unlikely now -</p> <p>"East Coast used to use an older one which let you book bikes on any route but it apparently been upgraded."</p> <p>"Spoke to a friendly chap who says that Ed-Dundee bike spaces *should* be booked."</p> <p>Problem is, I don't think that is true - or possible.</p> <p>I hope to be corrected. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250333 Wed, 17 May 2017 09:37:54 +0000 steveo 250333@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Looks like all the web operators have standardised on the same booking system. East Coast used to use an older one which let you book bikes on any route but it apparently been upgraded. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250332 Wed, 17 May 2017 09:31:30 +0000 c30c60 250332@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I called Scotrail. Spoke to a friendly chap who says that Ed-Dundee bike spaces *should* be booked. But there's no way to get an overview of which services have bike spaces, every journey has to be checked individually. </p> <p>He advises phoning Scotrail and asking them to help make bike bookings: 0344 811 0141 then press *2 then *1.</p> <p>UtrechtCyclist: your advice matches my previous experience. As I can't make a bike booking for the cheaper services anyway, I might as well buy the cheaper tickets and hope I can get the bike on. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250321 Tue, 16 May 2017 23:08:50 +0000 chdot 250321@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Basically you can't book on ScotRail trains between EDB and DEE.</p> <p>You <em>should</em> be able to get on (see above).</p> <p>IF you want a guaranteed place, hope there is an East Coast train at a time you want. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250319 Tue, 16 May 2017 22:45:49 +0000 UtrechtCyclist 250319@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Also, once when I had advance tickets and I missed my train because I was late, I just got on the next one and told the guy that I couldn't get on my original train because the bike spaces were full. He was fine with this. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250317 Tue, 16 May 2017 22:41:17 +0000 UtrechtCyclist 250317@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Booking is possible, if a bit of a hassle. I did return this journey (well, I did Edinburgh - Leuchars) about 500 times between 2014 and 2016, always at the busiest times of day, and didn't ever book. I failed to get a space twice, both times on the way home. Once was when the forth road bridge was closed. If you are getting on at Dundee it really should be fine. I occasionally saw other people fail to get on, but it's extremely rare.</p> <p>If you are getting on at Waverley and arrive more than five minutes early you will get on for sure. If you are worried then arrive ten minutes early for each train, this will be less hassle than trying to deal with the scotrail people on the phone.</p> <p>Most conductors are very nice and will allow six bikes per train rather than four. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250315 Tue, 16 May 2017 22:12:59 +0000 Greenroofer 250315@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@DrAfternoon. I booked a bike space on the Scotrail website a couple of weeks ago. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250314 Tue, 16 May 2017 22:11:27 +0000 Frenchy 250314@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When you managed this previously, was it perhaps on an East Coast train? Fairly sure there are no bike reservations on "local" services. At least, this is what I was told when I asked about a bike reservation to Glasgow. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250313 Tue, 16 May 2017 22:03:09 +0000 c30c60 250313@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hi, thanks very much for your replies. </p> <p>I should have said that I have recently managed to book a bike on this route for another trip. But this time I've had no success at all - I've tried the seat booking thing, I've chosen some fairly unsociable hours to travel, and I even tried a different browser. </p> <p>For the past decade or so I've just turned up and assumed I'd get on, but now I'm trying to be organised and book tickets in advance. I'm concerned that if I can't get the bike on, I'll then have to pay the full ticket price for a later journey, which is pretty steep. </p> <p>Going to the station is a good idea. Or I'll try to phone Scotrail. Life was so much simpler in the old fare-dodging days! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250312 Tue, 16 May 2017 21:47:08 +0000 DrAfternoon 250312@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm fairly sure the Edinburgh to Dundee line doesn't do bookings. Most trains have four bike spaces and I've never had trouble just turning up and getting on, so long as it's a Scotrail train. </p> <p>For the Scotrail trains that do book (definitely includes Edinburgh to Inverness, and the west highland line from Glasgow to Oban, Fort William, Mallaig etc) you can book bikes from the Virgin East Coast (and possibly others) website. Scotrail annoyingly did away with online bike booking on their own site when Abelio took over. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17747#post-250310 Tue, 16 May 2017 21:44:12 +0000 Rosie 250310@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>And it was round about 5:15pm when I asked the info chap... </p>