What to sort out before you go
Bring your bike or rent one, flying with your bike, hand luggage, rules of the road, triathlon and a packing list, every rule with its source.
Bring your bike or rent one
Your own bike fits you; a rental saves the bike box, the airline fee and the build on the first evening. A rental is charged per day, your own bike once each way: the longer the trip, the more it pays to bring your own. What the airlines charge for a bike is in the next section; the bike rentals for each town are on every base town page under “Where to stay, get your bike fixed and rent”.
What to send the rental shop beforehand
- Your height and the frame size of your own bike
- Saddle height and the distance from saddle tip to handlebar, measured on your own bike
- The groupset and gearing you want
- Whether pedals, bottle cages and a helmet are included; ideally bring your own pedals, saddle and shoes
Flying with your bike
Every airline has its own bike policy. The table shows what each airline states on its own website; “unknown” means it does not state the value. Prices marked “from” depend on route or zone and show the lowest amount for flights from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France or Italy to the regions, never a domestic fare.
| Airline | Weight | Dimensions | Online | At the airport | Airline page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian | 32 kg | L+W+H up to 280 cm | 80 EUR | 80 EUR | Bike policy |
| Binter | 23 kg | 40 × 137 × 94 cm | unknown | unknown | Bike policy |
| Condor | 30 kg | 200 × 40 × 100 or 300 × 40 × 60 cm | from 59.99 EUR | from 120 EUR | Bike policy |
| easyJet | 32 kg | unknown | unknown | unknown | Bike policy |
| Edelweiss | 23 kg | L+W+H up to 275 cm | free | free | Bike policy |
| Eurowings | 32 kg | unknown | from 50 EUR | unknown | Bike policy |
| Iberia | 23 kg | unknown | from 45 EUR | from 75 EUR | Bike policy |
| ITA Airways | 23 kg | L+W+H up to 300 cm | 95 EUR | 105 EUR | Bike policy |
| Lufthansa | 32 kg | L+W+H up to 280 cm | unknown | unknown | Bike policy |
| Ryanair | 30 kg | unknown | 60 EUR | 75 EUR | Bike policy |
| SWISS | 32 kg | Length up to 350 cm | unknown | unknown | Bike policy |
| Transavia | 23 kg | L+W+H up to 300 cm | 55 EUR | 55 EUR | Bike policy |
| Volotea | 32 kg | unknown | 60 EUR | 60 EUR | Bike policy |
| Vueling | 32 kg | Length up to 270 cm | unknown | unknown | Bike policy |
| Wizz Air | 32 kg | 149 × 119 × 171 cm | unknown | unknown | Bike policy |
Almost all of them require a bike box or a padded bag and registration before the flight. Eurowings also requires the handlebar turned parallel to the frame and the pedals removed (Eurowings, sports and special baggage).
Hand luggage
In the cabin
- Shoes, pedals and saddle: if your bike arrives late you can rent one, but shoes with matching cleats are hard to find (GCN, Top 10 Training Camp Tips).
- Spare batteries and power banks only in hand luggage, never in checked baggage (IATA, Table 2.3.A).
With rules
- CO2 cartridges: up to 4 cartridges of 50 ml each, equal to 28 g, in hand luggage and checked baggage, but only with the airline’s approval (IATA, Table 2.3.A; ICAO, Table 8-1). Some airlines set out the rule themselves, for example Transavia: pack the pump and cartridges separately (Transavia).
- Tools with a blade or a shaft longer than 6 cm, such as screwdrivers, are not allowed in the cabin and belong in checked baggage (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1998, Attachment 4-C).
On the road
A revised version of Spain’s traffic rules has been in force since 1 October 2026: a helmet is mandatory outside built-up areas without exception, and anyone overtaking a bike outside built-up areas must drive at least 20 km/h below the speed limit (BOE, Reglamento General de Circulación). The table shows the rules of the four countries, each with its source; an empty cell means we have not read an official source.
| Rule | Spain | Portugal | France | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helmet | mandatory outside built-up areas, no exceptions (RGC Art. 118) | not mandatory (Código da Estrada, Art. 82) | only under 12 (Code de la route, R431-1-3) | not mandatory (Codice della strada, Art. 171) |
| Riding two abreast | two abreast; single file on blind stretches, in congested traffic and at night (RGC Art. 36) | at most two; not in poor visibility or heavy traffic (Código da Estrada, Art. 90) | at most two; single file at night and when a car wants to overtake (Code de la route, R431-7) | always single file outside built-up areas (Codice della strada, Art. 182) |
| Passing distance | 1.5 m; 20 km/h below the limit outside built-up areas (RGC Art. 85) | 1.5 m and slow down (Código da Estrada, Art. 38) | 1 m in built-up areas, 1.5 m outside (Code de la route, R414-4) | 1.5 m where the road allows (Codice della strada, Art. 148) |
| Lights | at night, in poor visibility and in tunnels, front and rear (RGC Art. 98) | when lights are required, such as at night (Código da Estrada, Art. 93) | at night and in poor visibility, front and rear (Code de la route, R313-4) | at night and in tunnels during the day (Codice della strada, Art. 153) |
| High-visibility vest | outside built-up areas at night, a reflective item visible from 150 m (RGC Art. 118) | not mandatory (Código da Estrada, Art. 88) | outside built-up areas at night and in poor visibility (Code de la route, R431-1-1) | in tunnels and outside built-up areas at night (Codice della strada, Art. 182.9-bis) |
| Tunnels | lights mandatory (RGC Art. 98) | lights and vest mandatory, even during the day (Codice della strada, Art. 182.9-bis) | ||
| Headphones | prohibited (RGC Art. 18) | prohibited, a single earpiece allowed (Código da Estrada, Art. 84) | prohibited (Code de la route, R412-6-1) | prohibited (Codice della strada, Art. 173) |
Triathlon when travelling
Wetsuits under the World Triathlon Competition Rules 2026, section 4.2, for age-group athletes; a wetsuit must not be thicker than 5 mm anywhere.
| Age group and distance | not allowed from | mandatory at or below |
|---|---|---|
| up to 55-59, up to 1,500 m | 22 °C | 15.9 °C |
| up to 55-59, 1,501 m and over | 24.6 °C | 15.9 °C |
| 60-64 and older, all distances | 24.6 °C | 15.9 °C |
Open water: in Spain, without markings, a 200 m strip off beaches counts as a bathing zone (Reglamento General de Costas, Art. 73). In France the mayor regulates bathing in the 300 m strip off the coast (DIRM Méditerranée). On the Trentino shore of Lake Garda only sailing, rowing and pedal boats may use the 300 m strip (L.P. Trento 9/2001, Art. 12). None of these sources requires a swim buoy.
The sea temperature for each month is in the year at a glance of every base town by the sea; pools and other training venues are on the base town page under “Where to stay, get your bike fixed and rent”.
Time trial bike: no airline states a rule of its own, but several require the handlebar turned or parallel to the frame (Eurowings, Wizz Air). Before booking, check whether your bike box will be accepted with the aero bars fitted.
Packing list
Bike and tools
- Multi-tool, tyre levers, mini pump
- Spare tubes or tubeless kit, quick link
- Derailleur hanger for your frame, charger for electronic shifting
Clothing
- For any weather: gilet, arm warmers, leg warmers, rain jacket
- Sun cream and lip balm
Documents
- ID and health insurance card
- Bookings for your accommodation and rental, a photo of the frame number