I am going over to Italy to ride this summer and need to rent a car and have been looking at the Volkswagen Touran but I was wondering if anyone on the board has one or has rented one and if you can fit two bike boxes in the thing while only putting down one side of the back seat?

Any other suggestions? Renting a full size van is a last resort as I have done this on a previous trip and the cost of the full size ones is crazy these days.

I am pretty sure this will fit. Will you remove both wheels? I can even fit 2 bikes in my peugeot 206, without taking out the back wheel...

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Bianchi EV3, Master Olympic, Pinarello Asolo

Well I have no idea what the car your renting looks like, but fitting a box like the Trico Ironcase might be possible. Question is are you renting the car from the airport? And are you going to be staying at one hotel or traveling to other areas with the car? I'd say your best bet is to try and find a place that will hold the box for you throughout your trip and pick it up on you r way back. Of course I don't know the logistics of your trip so I am just trying to throw some suggestions out. I guided some trips in Tuscany last Sept. and Oct. and was able to keep my case at one hotel the entire month, they are pretty helpful over there with this stuff.

M

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Massim

If rentals there are like in the US you'll tell them in advance you want one kind of car and show up at the rental place and they'll have a completely different kind of car.

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This board and the world in general would be a much nicer place if everyone could just take themselves a little less seriously.

I dont think I can fit two bike boxes in the back of the Puegeot. I had a Puegeot 306 wagon last summer in Switzerland and the boxes fit fine in there but I had to put both seats down and this time, with my son coming along, I can only fold one side of the back seat down. I am planning on sliding in the two boxes if possible.
The bikes will have the wheels off inside the boxes. If I had somewhere to store the bike boxes, it would be easy but I don't have anywhere to store the bike boxes when I arrive in Munich, at this point at least. Is there anywhere by the airport you can store items such as the bike boxes?

The Touran looks like this:


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Are we talking carboard boxes here? If so then I say you flatten them out once you arrive and try to put them in the car like that. The bikes should fit with the wheels off + your luggage. AS for storing the boxes at or near the airport? I can't help you there, having never been in Munich. Is traveling by train to your final destination an option? At least you can then get to the hotel and leave the boxes there, then get a rental car.

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Massim

I did that last time I went to Italy but that time, I rented a small RV and they were more accommodating in holding out boxes. I might be able to put the bike boxes at a storage place in the Munich airport I guess. Are there any Munich people on this board?
When we go, we usually just bomb straight down to the Dolomites so we can start riding pretty quickly so I dont plan on staying in a hotel when I arrive in Munich. Seems like there has to be somewhere in the airport you can store items for reasons similar to this. Input?

The Chrysler Grand Voyager houses 4 plastic bike boxes and 4 adults. You slide them in vertically. Wonderful van for travelling in.

Not carboard. They are boxes like these:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=23199&subcategory_ID=4415
[/img]

Thanks. I am trying not to go that route as the cost to rent something like that over in Germany is around $1300 for 10 days! If I have to, I will but man that is a lot for a car that is going to sit around for most of the trip.

Any way to tell how big the inside of the car your renting is? Personally I'd go for the train then rent a car once I'm at the final destination, you will probably need to buy tickets for the bikes but at least you won't have to worry if the bikes are going to fit in the car with luggage. Do a search online for a Euro pass and you will be able to buy the tickets for the train online. I guess it's either that or you rent a van. Hey if you take the train, you might not even need to rent a car! Bonus!! Have a great trip!

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Massim

Agreed! Can you rent a roof rack?

We were in France last July for La Marmotte and we rented a Mecedes Van from Europcar. It was only slightly more than the cost of a full size car (mind you we had 6 boxes)!

I think you'll be fine with any mid to large hatchback car. Bring some bungy with you in case the boxes protrude slightly out of the back.

Gepäckraum / Lugguage Space
Länge, Sitzbank aufgestellt / umgekl., mm 1145 / 1744
Length, Rear Seats Up / Down, mm
Größte Breite, mm 1050
Width, mm
Breite zwischen den Radkästen, mm 1050
Width between the wheel aches
Höhe, mm 571
Height

So put that into inches.....

Length seats up 45.03 inches
Width 41.33 inches
Between the wheel aches 41.33 inches
Height 22.48 inches


And the case is:

49.6”x 33.5 x 12.6”

So it is too long, just. However the Touran I last drove had three seperate rear seats. If you fold down two, the two boxes will go in side by side and you will still have a seat in the rear.

Rich

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http://worksrider.wordpress.com/

+1 on the roof rack. I rented a car in Germany back in 04 and was able to get a rack for the VW Bora I had rented. I have the performance hard case as well.

I have done this many times, until I finally got a bike with S&S couplers.

I used to use a hard shell bike box and have never had an issue strapping it to the top of the car. If you have not bought the box yet I would highly recommend a soft bag, I have one from http://www.pikapackworks.com/ Before I got my S&S bike I would fly 3-5 times a year with my bike in their soft case and never had an issue. It folds down when not in use.

With the hard shell you can usually strap at least one box to the top, and hopefully the other in the back. I bring some Thule straps with me, I have never had to use a rack but I usually bring some small towels or T-Shirts that when rolled up protect the roof.