# Bike Racks in Portugal



## mike800966 (May 1, 2005)

According to my ACSI book I've just noticed that , 

"Carrying bikes on a bike rack behind the car is prohibited. You are permitted to carry them on a roof rack on the car, caravan or motorhome or behind the caravan."

We are presently in Granada, Spain and heading towards Portugal for the winter, does anyone now if this is true.??? I wonder where I can store two bikes for the winter???

Incidentally we have a plastic fiamma sign on which I have stuck our extra rear GB sticker, we had police cars behind us several times but we were never pulled over, I have stiffened it up by gluein it to a peice of thin ply, but still shouldn't make it legal. Will go and check which way the stripes are pointing.

Mike & Ann


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

mike800966 said:


> According to my ACSI book I've just noticed that ,
> 
> "Carrying bikes on a bike rack behind the car is prohibited. You are permitted to carry them on a roof rack on the car, caravan or motorhome or behind the caravan."
> 
> ...


Hi Mike & Ann,

If I remember correctly your OK with bikes on the back of the van as long as they do not stick out further than the width oh the van.

There are hundreds of vans in Portugal with bikes on the back.

Don


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

Mike and Ann, i agree with Don there are many hundreds of bikes on the rear of mhs in Portugal and as Don said as long as there is no over width you have no problems.

What they do not like is when they are on cars and therefore are wider and the number plate is obstructed.

Stay safe 

Bob


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## 107990 (Oct 30, 2007)

The Portugese police have much the same attitude to what might be against the law as the spanish, that is that as long as looks like they are not going to fall off it's fine. Anyway it's the least of your problems in Portugal. It did have the worst safety record on the roads in europe a couple of years ago. Don't know if that has changed but i can say that it is the only place in europe that i have been scared whilst driving. The rule seems to be there are no rules.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

DollarYen said:


> The Portugese police have much the same attitude to what might be against the law as the spanish, that is that as long as looks like they are not going to fall off it's fine. Anyway it's the least of your problems in Portugal. It did have the worst safety record on the roads in europe a couple of years ago. Don't know if that has changed but i can say that it is the only place in europe that i have been scared whilst driving. The rule seems to be there are no rules.


If you think it's bad in Portugal don't even think about going to Greece or your liable to evacuate your bowels 8O especially in Athens. 8O 
Don


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## mike800966 (May 1, 2005)

Many Thanks Chaps, Wot a system!!!

It seems that the law speaks of the distance from the back of vehicle is not to exceed 450mm, thats a pretty small bike.

Anyway at least I can rest asured that even there existence is likely to raise official eyebrows, they do generally seem to have bigger things to worry about. Like the ones that we saw having just crossed the pyrennes at Col de Portalet, suddenly we were stopped by a policeman whilst his mates down he road with automatic weapons were getting a stinger ready to deploy. Thats the nearest I want to get to that lost. Suspect since it may have been to do with ETA or something, anyway they didnt bother to count the contents of our firstaid kit fot the correct size of dressings!!!

mike& Ann


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

I thought that due to EU laws - as long as you were legal in your home country then the other EU countries have to accept this even if it is against their laws.

Can anyone confirm/correct?


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