Bikes on Trains out of London on a Bank Holiday?

In general my advice on any bike-train stuff is give yourself a big time buffer, so if you can’t get on your planned train, you have enough time to catch the next one (or one in another hour or so!).

No experience of southern/south western, but if it’s anything like northern/Transpennine express, who also don’t take bookings, you will probably be fine unless you aren’t, for any number of reasons (train too busy, too many bikes already on, bike store full of other non bike shit/luggage, conductor being an arse).

Really is as random as that. May the odds be in your favour.

There's some info on it here which - to my mind even as someone fairly used to the vagaries of train ticketing - is pretty useless because it requires you to know the class/type of train you'll be on and frankly who has time for any of that?!

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/travelling-with-us/travelling-with-a-bike

It's been a while since I used SouthWestern although they did always strike me as one of the more lenient operators.

I would triple check Bank Holiday though cos that's the usual time they have multiple closures and bus replacement services due to engineering works.

I got caught out by that once on a return journey from a 300km ride. First train OK (but rammed solid), second train had turned into a bus. Which meant a long old cycle ride across the Peak District in travel (rather than cycling) clothes. Not impressed.

Maybe avoid the late afternoon when people start to come home from London as it can be a bit busy on weekends (I've not come home on a bank holiday before and a long time since with a bike).

I'd allow time to miss one or even two trains but I'm quite cautious like that! Also be at Waterloo 20 mins before so you can get on as soon as the train is open for boarding.

My general experience of SouthWestern is guards are quite accommodating/ helpful.

More importantly check for engineering works.

A warning ... Portsmouth is not great for cycle theft so good locks and/or close by.

There are other places you can pedal to easily to eat / a bit of scenery easily.

I’d allow time to miss one or even two trains but I’m quite cautious like that! Also be at Waterloo 20 mins before so you can get on as soon as the train is open for boarding

⬆️ this

Also, if there is bus replacement on SW trains, you can use Southern from Victoria and get to Portsmouth via Brighton or horsham. Allow plenty of time if that it the case

I have winged it a lot over the years.  Head down when entering the station, head to the very end of said platform and be super polite and act a bit thick.  Always worked 🙂

I ran out of time riding back from Taunton last year (to near Surbiton), just got on a train, even had the wrong ticket that I had to upgrade when on the train.  A few weeks later I got a train to Andover (to ride back to Taunton - collecting my van) I think from Surbiton, I might have booked a bike slot?  Nope I couldnt, just checked.

Also, if there is bus replacement on SW trains, you can use Southern from Victoria and get to Portsmouth via Brighton or horsham. Allow plenty of time if that it the case

That's a good point and there may still be a direct service from Victoria that goes through Cosham and Portchester (Victoria to Southampton Central)  either of those would give you a sub 1 hour ride to the Ferry.

Bike box you can dispose of in Portsmouth and get the National Express?

Where are you coming from to go into London? Do you have to go via London or could you make use of (for example) Cross Country or Great Western and change at Eastleigh?

Bike in a box would go on the train, too.

I often use that line for the second half of the journey (Crawley to Portsmouth) and either uses the bike spaces (by the loos, unfortunately) or just stand by the doors with my bike.

This may not be so easy, all the way from London, depending on how comfortable you want to be.

The biggest issue, however, is the bike embargo, in or out of London, during certain hours on a weekday - look into this and avoid those hours

Nice one, cheers all for the comments.

I kind of had the same thought about getting to the station earlier incase I'm unable to get on several trains, but you guys have confirmed this now.

Will check on engineering works before pressing the button.

I'm coming from Halifax, so have other options,  but I have a mate who works for one of the East Coast lines so can get me a free ticket into London

Booking a bike spot is usually not a problem for trains between Southampton and Newport South Wales, NSW and Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury and Prestatyn.

Never affected me, but one exception was if there was a big game at Cardiff.

Does it have to be a ‘bike’ or can you stick it in a box, at which point it becomes ‘luggage’ which makes things are even more murky about what’s allowed on the train.  A conductor is simply going to look at it a allow it on if it’s a box.

Maundy Thursday is the real peak at Easter for most train operators. Good Friday is usually much quieter.

I took the london portsmouth train to go to iow, bottled it and took the brompton as its pretty high risk being denied boarding.  The waterloo train was packed at lunchtime to c Woking, then thinned out.

There was a medical emergency so we all had to change trains somewhere, so glad I had the brompton.

Last half of the journey was pretty quiet, loads of space.

Good Friday is classed as off peak. There are no restrictions in or out of London.

Don't bother with a box. Just get the train as you normally would as a commuter.

Southern and south western have bike/disabled carriages either with a bike marked on the side or red vertical door stripes (southern). Bikes lean against the inside of the train. There are no reserved spaces because it would be a wasted space in rush hour when there are normally no bikes (bar folding bikes) allowed.

If it's busy, cram on wherever you can by a door and be prepared to step on/off to allow people off.

I live in South London on the southern network and frequently travel with my bike.

Barring rail replacement works, you'll be fine.