Hiring a Car for a Cycling Trip? Here's What Actually Fits a Bike Box

The Bit Nobody Warns You About: Getting From The Airport With Your Bike Box:

If you've ever flown somewhere with a bike box, you'll know the anxiety starts before you've even landed... will a taxi actually take it? Will there be room for the rest of the family and the suitcases too? It's not a small worry when you're stood at arrivals with a box the size of a small wardrobe.

We looked at a private transfer first. Quoted at over €90 each way for a 20-minute journey, near enough €200 for the return trip, before we'd even got a car.

In the end, we went with Sicily by Car, who offer a free transfer service from the airport, taking around 10–15 minutes. One catch: their shuttle couldn't take the bike box, so it had to stay behind with someone while the car was collected, then we drove back to the airport to pick it up. (If it had just been one of us travelling solo with a single box, a regular car with the back seats down would have done the job without any of this faff.)

The car itself cost €280 for two weeks. Once you take off what the private transfer would have cost, that's an extra €80 for a fortnight's hire, which, weighed against the stress of hoping a taxi turns up big enough, felt like an easy decision.

Bike Box Alan Triathlon Aero Easyfit and tomtoc 28L under seat (EasyJet) bag.

Coming home was simpler: we dropped everything at the airport, used a free 15-minute drop-off window, then returned the car to the rental desk, which opened at 7am and was quiet at that hour. Thirty minutes later and we were all back at the airport.

The Rental Car That Could Fit A Bike Box And Passengers:

We hired a Citroën Berlingo, a compact MPV-style hire car, not a huge estate, not a van, just a sensible family-sized option that turned out to be one of the better travel decisions of the trip.

The Bike Box:

For reference, this was a Bike Box Alan Aero, measuring:

• Length: 134cm
• Height: 94cm
• Width (handlebar end / widest point): 50cm

• Width (narrow end): 40cm

   

If you're comparing against your own box, these numbers should give you a like-for-like reference point.

If you're comparing against your own box, these numbers should give you a like-for-like reference point.

Four Ways We Packed The Bike / Bike Box, Depending On The Day:

This is the bit that's genuinely useful, because the answer isn't just "yes it fits" — it depends what else you're carrying and how many people need to sit in the back.

Boxed, one-third seats down (outbound): On the way from the airport, we ran with just one-third of the rear seats folded. It fit, but there's a catch worth knowing: this car only has one rear door (passenger side), and the one-third seat happens to be on that same side. That meant a rear passenger had to climb round the box to get in and out — workable, but not ideal on a long journey.

Boxed, two-thirds seats down (return): On the way back, we folded two-thirds of the seats instead. Same box, same luggage, but with much more room to work with, and the remaining rear passenger could get in and out easily without any climbing involved. If you've got a choice, two-thirds down is the better option purely for ease of access.

Two bikes, built up, in a downpour: On one occasion, we'd just finished a ride when the rain came down fast. No time to box anything up — we needed to get the bikes in and get moving. With all the rear seats folded down, both bikes went in fully built, front wheels down into the footwells either side, frames running up and over towards the boot. Not elegant, but it worked, and crucially it was quick. The boot itself doubled as a bit of shelter while we got everything loaded. Both bikes were then secured in place using the rear seatbelts.

One bike, no faff, seats left up: For a quick solo trip out, we didn't bother folding anything at all. The bike went in fully built, laid diagonally across the back seat, front wheel resting up near the front console, saddle and bars tucked against the far door. Bags just sat on the remaining seat alongside it. Not a configuration for four people, but for one bike and one rider popping out, it took seconds to load and needed no adjustment to the car at all.

Two Practical Tips For the Citroen Berlingo And Your Bike:

A couple of things that made a real difference and aren't obvious until you're doing it:

• The rear seatbelts can double as straps to hold the bike and box securely in place, no need to bring your own.
• The parcel shelf slides forward and works as a partition between the box and any rear passengers, keeping things tidier and stopping the box shifting into the seating area.

Why this matters

If you're trying to plan a cycling or triathlon trip and searching for "hire car bike box fit," "airport transfer with bike box," or "car big enough for bike box," you're likely finding the same gap I did, plenty of general hire car reviews, nothing specific to bike boxes and race travel. Hopefully this saves someone else the guesswork, and the anxiety.

Quick Bike Box / Car Hire Summary:

• Private transfer: ~€90+ each way (~€200 return) for a 20-minute journey
• Hire car: €280 for two weeks (Sicily by Car), effectively €80 more than a return transfer
• Car: Citroën Berlingo
• Bike box: Bike Box Alan Aero (134cm L x 94cm H x 50cm/40cm W)
• Outbound: 1/3 seats down, boxed (rear passenger needs to climb round box — door is on same side as folded seat)
• Return: 2/3 seats down, boxed (easy access, more room)
• Short trip option: bike built up, front wheel in the rear footwell, seats left up
• Extras: rear seatbelts double as straps; parcel shelf slides as a partition

If you're planning your own trip and want to compare notes, feel free to get in touch, always happy to talk through the logistics side of race travel.

Check Out These Vacancies:

A few vacancies with businesses connected to cycling and motorsport, if you're in the market:

https://jmco.uk/job/jo0000001082-sales-and-marketing-assistant-part-time

https://jmco.uk/job/jo0000001113-business-development-manager-field-based-project-sales