Sending a bike from the Netherlands

Qualitymark · 02-07-2012 8:06am #1

Has anyone sent home a bicycle from the Netherlands to Ireland, and if so, what was the best and cheapest option?

The Netherlands has got rid of its government-owned postal service - if you want to send a letter or parcel or buy a stamp you go to your local convenience store. But sending something the size of a bicycle seems unfeasible this way.

Can anyone advise on how to do it - couriers? prices?

(It costs €70 to bring it as excess luggage with Aer Lingus, by the way - €20 for the bike box from KLM, who require that you use their bike box, and €50 for the bike's fare.)

Qualitymark · 02-07-2012 11:32am

Nobody's done this?

Super Freak · 02-07-2012 11:52am

Not done it my self but Parcel 2 Go is a good place to start.....

http://www.p2g.com/nl/

Qualitymark · 02-07-2012 12:07pm

Super Freak wrote: »

Not done it my self but Parcel 2 Go is a good place to start.....

http://www.p2g.com/nl/

I've emailed them a few hours ago; no answer yet, though.

Qualitymark · 03-07-2012 7:59am

And still no answer by this morning, from Parcel2Go or ParcelForce; FedEx replied with questions this morning but haven't come back to me yet.

Bluefoam · 03-07-2012 8:14am

Are you sending the bike, or travelling with it?

AerLingus used to charge €30 for a bike (as sports equipment rather than overvised baggage)...

iverjohnston · 03-07-2012 8:22am

A bit off the wall perhaps, but here in Cavan we have a few Polish and latvian grocery shops. Most have posters in the windows advertising Polish weekly couriers who will transport a package from Poland to Ireland for about €30, depending on size. Perhaps one of these outfits would be passing your location?
Nigel in Cavan

Qualitymark · 03-07-2012 8:26am

Very good suggestion, iverjohnston - I'll try my local Polish bike shop. Though this cheap transport probably means if you're buying a bike from them?

Bluefoam, Aer Lingus now charge €60 - €20 for the bike box you compulsorily buy from KLM, and €40 for carriage. Plus taking it on the train from Amsterdam to Schipol, another €10. And of course the return fare, around €150 on a 'cheap' ticket, which means a couple of months from now.

iverjohnston · 03-07-2012 9:34am

You have a local Polish bike shop? If its any use to you I will get one of these couriers numbers this afternoon and forward them to you. My line of reasoning was that their van would probably pass through the Netherlands on their way to Ireland. I know a local car repair bodyshop who get their paints this way. 30% of cost of the recognised distrubution network. The paint is made in Poland anyway!

Qualitymark · 03-07-2012 9:41am

iverjohnston wrote: »

You have a local Polish bike shop? If its any use to you I will get one of these couriers numbers this afternoon and forward them to you. My line of reasoning was that their van would probably pass through the Netherlands on their way to Ireland. I know a local car repair bodyshop who get their paints this way. 30% of cost of the recognised distrubution network. The paint is made in Poland anyway!

That sounds great! Thank you!

Seweryn · 03-07-2012 9:46am

Qualitymark wrote: »

That sounds great! Thank you!

If that fails, I also have a contact to a Polish courier that recently delivered something from Germany for my friend and for me in the past as well.

Qualitymark · 03-07-2012 9:49am

Fantastic! Looks like I may get my bike - was beginning to doubt it!

Qualitymark · 04-07-2012 1:36pm

Asked in local bike shops but they don't offer this service - the "Polish" one actually brings bikes in from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and I think he ships them in closed containers from what he said. Other one gets bikes shipped from Poland via Athlone - they gave me the number of a nice guy from Poland who does this, but he said he couldn't help me, and suggested that I try DHL, who should ship it for about €50. Don't know if this price is right - it may be the price for a lot of bikes, rather than a single one.

iverjohnston · 04-07-2012 3:04pm

Ok, Here is the guys details, www.jatransport.eu
086 1265931
Now I don't know him from Adam, he is just a guy who advertisws in the local Polish/Latvian food store. His route passes through southern Holland, and a bike would be €50 delivered to Dublin area, according to him.
Hope you get sorted!
Nigel in Cavan

iverjohnston · 04-07-2012 3:25pm

Just a thought, using bing tramslator, a "rower" is a bike, and their site advertises them at a charge of €35. Nigel in Cavan

kk2012 · 04-07-2012 3:44pm

hey qualitymark, what part of holland is the bike in? i work in a transport company and my depot is in Rotterdam and Gent. i can get the bike to Dublin(Blanchardstown) for you for 25 euro if any good to you

Qualitymark · 04-07-2012 5:52pm

iverjohnston wrote: »

Ok, Here is the guys details, www.jatransport.eu
086 1265931
Now I don't know him from Adam, he is just a guy who advertisws in the local Polish/Latvian food store. His route passes through southern Holland, and a bike would be €50 delivered to Dublin area, according to him.
Hope you get sorted!
Nigel in Cavan

Southern Holland? Ah, that's a pity - Amsterdam is in North Holland.

By the way, do the people in the shop know him?

Qualitymark · 04-07-2012 5:53pm

kk2012 wrote: »

hey qualitymark, what part of holland is the bike in? i work in a transport company and my depot is in Rotterdam and Gent. i can get the bike to Dublin(Blanchardstown) for you for 25 euro if any good to you

That would be fabulous - it's in Amsterdam. Is that far from Rotterdam/Gent?

By the way, I see that you've just discovered boards.ie...?

kk2012 · 05-07-2012 1:48pm

yea always been on it cos its great for info about cycling and golf which i do a lot of. Its a fair bit north of Rotterdam, if you dont have any way of getting it down to Rotterdam i could get my agents there to collect it but the min cost from Amsterdam is 25 euro so it would cost you 50 euro total. i dont make anything out of it, i just work in the office, but ive always tried to help out people who cycle when i can. they charge me 25 for the collection and 25 is the Min for the transport from holland to my depot in dublin. im new to this, can you private message on here and i can give you my company name and details. (the bike is obviously not flat packed is it? i assume its all put together and comes like that)

Qualitymark · 06-07-2012 1:35pm

Alas, alas, no need for help shipping it. My Goldilocks bike - perfect in everything I wanted, if a bit granular on the pedals - was stolen from outside the apartment in Amsterdam today.

iverjohnston · 06-07-2012 5:10pm

Go down to the station and get another one......................:D
nigel in cavan

Qualitymark · 06-07-2012 5:51pm

iverjohnston wrote: »

Go down to the station and get another one......................:D
nigel in cavan

Ha!

Considering the way I feel about bicycle theft, no thanks!

This was the perfect bike for me in every way: not only the perfect frame size, but *proportionally* right for a woman, which most English bikes aren't; it had a working dynamo, a comfy saddle, a skirt guard, handlebar-grip gears that worked perfectly, a kickstand, an inbuilt lock, it was light, and deliciously easy to handle. I cycled all over Amsterdam on it, and came home feeling as if I'd been taking a rest, with a glow of healthy exercise added.

These bikes - the Dutch Pelikan brand - don't seem to be available online, but maybe I'll be in Holland again and can get one and bring it home.

Actually they are - here's the modern version http://www.pelikaanfietsen.nl/index.php/en/bicycles/city.html (the CitySix); here's the one I had, with sturdy metal chain guard and mudguards and a nicer frame

/ http://www.pelikaanfietsen.nl/index.php/en/bicycles/city.html - going for €60 in this secondhand site http://www.westfriesebeurs.nl/artikelen/fietsen/25/ , but I don't know where it is in the Netherlands.

Sending a bike from the Netherlands

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