Is it a good idea to simply use the original cardboard box? Should I buy one of those $300+ hardboxes? I was going to originally get couplings on it, but the guy at my LBS recommended I just get a hard box instead. What do people generally do with these boxes after they land?

My plan is to fly from Los Angeles to Rome and then bike to Barcelona, when I will then fly around for a few weeks (probably not biking), then do another few weeks around the Greek isles where I will again probably(although not certain) not be biking, then fly to Bucharest and fly out of there. How would you guys recommend I deal with my bike during all that?

Edit: Corrected an error in original post - we probably will NOT be biking after flying out of Barcelona/Ibiza for at least a few weeks. A major question is what to do with our bikes during this time. Do airports generally have storage facilities that would fit our needs?