Seattle Airport - bike packaging

[RealRedHair]

Hello,

7th August I fly out after 3 month of bicycling through the US. Started in Chicago, Route 66 to Saint Louis, Katy trail, Transam to Pueblo Colorado, Teton, Yellow Stone and then upto Glacier and Northern Tier to coast. Hope to go still to Vancouver Island and Olympic.

But then I have to leave to Holland. So I'm thinking on how to organise that. I think there is a train running to the airport. So I could take my bike with the train. But I still need a box and how do I go with a box and bicycle with panniers to the railwaystation? Maybe take a big Uber taxi and put in the box with bike into it. Any suggestions are welcome how to do this smoothly? I guess I could get a bicycle box maybe from a bicycle box.

Thanks

[davidbonn]

UberXL is probably a decent if expensive solution.

I'd call around to local Seattle bike shops (where you'll probably need to go to pick up the bike box anyway) and get their advice.  They've probably dealt with this before.

My understanding is that REI would sell you a bike box for $15.  There is an REI in Southcenter fairly close to the airport.  So you could stay in one of the hotels around Southcenter, pick up your bike box, pack your bike, and take the hotel courtesy vans to the airport.  I'd call both REI and the hotel to make sure you could pull that off.

Amtrak sells roll-on bike boxes at the train station, also for $15.  That's convenient because it is in downtown Seattle and you can catch light rail from there to the airport.  In theory with the rolling bike boxes it would be easier taking them on light rail.  Of course all of your other bags still need to be carried too...