Originally Posted by
jeneralist
So I've been daydreaming about the touring bike I'll get if I ever hit the lottery -- Rolhoff hubs, S&S couplers -- something reliable and durable that I could pack into a suitcase and take on a plane with me anywhere.
So, let's suppose that I fly to Switzerland for a tour down the Rhine, finishing up in the Netherlands. I get a ride from the airport to a hotel, re-assemble the bike, put the panniers on ...
... and then what do I do with the suitcase I brought the bike in? If I were doing a loop, I suppose I could ask to leave it at the hotel for a while. But for a one-way tour, how do you get your suitcase to meet you at the end?
You don't have to win a lottery to do a little trip to Europe:
http://www.machka.net/RTW_2012/RTW_Europe_Main_2012.htm
Get a part-time job over Christmas (or longer if necessary) and save the money.
As for a "suitcase" ... we don't use one. We have used cardboard boxes ... and cardboard boxes big enough for a full-sized bicycle. Scroll to the bottom of our story in the link above, and read what I've written about travelling around Europe by train, with the bicycles ... and what I've written about Heathrow, and bicycle boxes.
As for the bicycle ... I'd recommend a folding bicycle, especially if you've got any intentions of travelling by train. That'll increase your packing options.
As for airlines from the US, let me recommend British Airways. Whatever you do, don't go with a US airline!!
http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm