I might get myself a cheap Bic techno off ebay this year, do you know what's the best way to carry it across the Channel?

I'll go windsurfing in Brittany this summer, and I can either take a plane there then a cab, or take the Eurostar to Paris then a bus.

What would be the easiest way to transport the board? I'm thinking air companies at least know how to deal with boards, but it's not going to fit in a cab, and it could be a bit of a pain to carry around on the Tube in London. Then again the bus driver won't appreciate having a 3m piece of plastic upstairs with the travellers (no way I'll let it be crushed by bags).

I'm just taking the board and a fin or two, I'll find the rest down there (but they have no decent boards so I'm taking this one).

What dyu think?

Hi, having travelled with boards, I respectfully think you're totally nuts to attempt such a trip involving trains, buses and cabs!

I think you'll be far better off sourcing a board when you're out there sorting out the rest of your kit. The hassle factor just ain't worth it in my opinion.

I've been working on board Eurostar for 13 years and we take loads of kitesurfers, snowboarders, and skiers, and even a surfers but only with shortboards. Never yet seen a longboard or a windsurf board on board (how many times can you say the word 'board' in one sentence?) and if it's a busy train you won't be able to hog the overhead racks with it... assuming you could manouver it through the doors and around the corners.

My advice would be don't fly or transport your board with Lufthansa!!!

Flew back from Johannesburg to Frankfurt and then to Manchester Saturday evening.
Was checking in my baggage at Joburke airport when the woman behind the desk gos 'Is that a surfboard?' referring to my kiteboard in a silver surfboard type bag.

Anyway, I'd heard from reading the forums here that you should never declare your baggage to contain a surfboard so I said 'no its sports equipment.' Anyway she kept quizzing me and I made out it wasn't a surf board and told here it was a wakeboard. She classified this as a surfboard so I then had to pay an excess baggage fee of 40Euros which I was pretty shocked by. I ended up paying for it in the end and she explained to me the baggage would be dealt with separately to my other baggage being the kite and clothes.

Arrived in Manchester Sunday morning and then it was the dreaded wait at the carasels for the baggage to be picked up. My kite bag came through staright away so relief there and then 10mins later there was still no sign of my kiteboard so I enquired about it and it emerged the board was still in Jo'burg.
Naturally I was pretty pissed off after forking out 40 Euros for the supposedly excess baggage even though it weighed 3 kilos and was 1.3 metres long which was still smaller than a lot of other peoples luggage.
I was then promised it would be delivered Monday.

It actually got delivered today (Tuesday) 2 days after I've arrived back and to top it off, theres a big dint on the rail of the board so somethings whacked it extremely hard! Again disappointing since it had 'Fragile' stickers all over the bag! Think a phone call to Lufthansas on the cards.

40 euros for just an excess baggage? that's quite big amount for just an excess baggage.



vinlair