Bunch of us riding from Geneva to Nice in September - any tips where we can get boxes for the flight home? There are numerous bike shops in Nice and it seems they can be bought (for €€'s) at the airport, but any tips for the budget conscious........
Cheers

Apparently Bouticycle nearish the airport, or had this from the airport:

Thank you for contacting Nice Côte d'Azur Airport.

The following bicycle-packing facilities are available :
Bike boxes for €30 at the Service Center, open from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm in the arrivals hall of Terminal 2. (Dismantling the pedals is recommended)

Plastic wrapping for €24 without warranty / 28€ with warranty / 34 € with return warranty at the SafeBag stand in the departure area :
Terminal 1 : open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Terminal 2 : open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (at the Service Center from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm)
Dismantling the wheels is recommended.

Also, Air France and KLM can propose to their passengers special cardboxes.

Chew and myself had CTC plastic bike bags when we did the TNR a few years ago. Bikes flew out in them, then we carried them so they could be used in place of a tarp. When we'd finished, bikes flew back home in them.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 9:05 pm Chew and myself had CTC plastic bike bags when we did the TNR a few years ago. Bikes flew out in them, then we carried them so they could be used in place of a tarp. When we'd finished, bikes flew back home in them.

I've read that the airlines don't accept those bags anymore Stu and that it's a box, or 'proper' bag.
I'm wondering if Safe Bag - "Plastic wrapping for €24 without warranty / 28€ with warranty / 34 € with return warranty at the SafeBag" - will wrap and look after it whatever.

When we did TNR a bunch of us bought boxes at the airport. There's a shop downstairs (I assume that's the service centre?).

Can't for the life of me remember what they cost though.

I’m remember the airport boxes being very flimsy.

Are you doing the Routes des Grandes Alpes? I'm doing that too in a week or two. Chamonix tomorrow is showing 24°C. But 3°C next Monday. I hope that is wrong.

We've planned a route loosely based on GR5, but taking in as much fun single-track descending as feasible. Mate in Morzine says dry and dusty just now - must check the weather before final packing.

Dave Barter wrote: ↑Mon Aug 21, 2023 8:37 am I’m remember the airport boxes being very flimsy.

Agree with Dave. I bought one at the airport and they aren't anywhere near as thick/study as a 'normal' box that a bike would arrive at the shop in. Think more cereal box thickness. Pretty sure I managed to put my finger through mine boxing it up.

Rasta wrote: ↑Wed Aug 23, 2023 10:44 pm Are you doing the Routes des Grandes Alpes? I'm doing that too in a week or two. Chamonix tomorrow is showing 24°C. But 3°C next Monday. I hope that is wrong.

Chamonix yesterday was +/-36°c - I mostly melted!

I wonder if you're looking at a ski forecast site as they often use higher altitudes to estimate temperatures etc... and will give much lower temp forecasts.

I'm in Les Houches (a few km from Chamonix) if you need anything last minute (pretty much full workshop in the garage) or fancy a pint and a BB nonsense chat - just yelp.....

boxelder wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 3:53 pm Bunch of us riding from Geneva to Nice in September - any tips where we can get boxes for the flight home? There are numerous bike shops in Nice and it seems they can be bought (for €€'s) at the airport, but any tips for the budget conscious........
Cheers

I find a shop (before my trip), ask if they can hold an old bike box 'till ETA. They always seem happy to help, no matter where on Earth. They never charge me, but I don't go without leaving a little present.

gairym wrote: ↑Thu Aug 24, 2023 11:15 am

Rasta wrote: ↑Wed Aug 23, 2023 10:44 pm Are you doing the Routes des Grandes Alpes? I'm doing that too in a week or two. Chamonix tomorrow is showing 24°C. But 3°C next Monday. I hope that is wrong.

Chamonix yesterday was +/-36°c - I mostly melted!

I wonder if you're looking at a ski forecast site as they often use higher altitudes to estimate temperatures etc... and will give much lower temp forecasts.

I'm in Les Houches (a few km from Chamonix) if you need anything last minute (pretty much full workshop in the garage) or fancy a pint and a BB nonsense chat - just yelp.....

I'm looking at xcweather.co.uk still showing a cold front on Sunday
https://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/Chamonix

And thanks for the offer.

Myself and a couple of mates recently rode from Calais to Cannes, and we flew home from Nice.
We arranged for a bike shop in Cannes to keep some of the boxes new bikes are delivered in back for us.
The shop we contacted was Veloland Cannes, they were happy to help. We did get a friend who is fluent in French to make the arrangements to save any confusion due to our limited French.
We arrived in Cannes on a Friday. On the Saturday one of us got a bus to Nice airport and hired a van, we used this to go collect the boxes and then drive to the airport on the Sunday returning the van before catching our flight.

Options I've used in Nice -
Dumpster-diving for cardboard
Going to a bike shop for some planned-ahead boxes, then taxi to train station (the Specialized store is good, turns over more bikes than most so has more boxes and they were happy to have help disposing of them)
Airport boxes, used 2 or 3x, but not left via the airport there for a number of years now so not sure if they're any less flimsy now.

All worked fine though. I did wrap the boxes in a mesh of tape as sometimes they get a hole or scuff-tear.

Thanks all. Airport boxes confirmed. If they are rubbish, we'll go hunting, as we'll have all day.

€37.50 for a box from the service desk at the far end of T2 in Nice airport. Sturdy enough and they provide lots of strong tape and a roller dispenser.
On the flight out from Edinburgh, the box I blagged from the local bike shop was too large and ended up being searched. They weren't bothered about clothing and other gear in there, but let my tyres down flat - luckily the seal didn't go and I could re-inflate with the little pump on arrival (tubeless).