I have learned the hard way how to get my bike on and off a plane without it getting broken – so here are my golden rules

I recently returned from a tour of the Balkans. The plan was to land at Sarajevo, cycle to Split in Croatia, ride up the coast and across to Ljubljana to fly home.

But that isn't exactly what happened, because the airline mislaid my bike.

After a suspiciously long wait at Sarajevo airport for the cardboard box I'd carefully packed it in days earlier, I was told it was still in London.

Two frustrating days later, and Germanwings finally delivered a now very tatty box containing a travel-weary bike. The frame was dented and scratched, the rack bent, the gear lever minus its plastic end and my bell was broken.

And because of the delay I had to take two trains to catch up, so missed a lot of my planned riding.

Fear not, the trip was salvaged and I enjoyed lots of sun, sea and sightseeing, but it was slightly tarnished.

Annoyingly, this also happened the last time I flew with a bike – although that time the damage was limited to two chainrings and a set of handlebars.

So, keen to avoid another bill from the bike shop next summer, for myself and the readers of the Bike Blog, I have asked every keen tourer I know for tips on getting a bike from one airport to another, minus dents, delays or drama.

Firstly, if you are flying in and out of the same airport then you can use a hard case which offers a lot of protection. These can be expensive to buy but some bike shops, such as Luciano Cycles in London, will rent one for around £30 per week.

However, most bike tours involve riding from A to B and the cardboard boxes that new bikes come shipped in are the best choice. They can be popped in a recycling bin when you arrive and bought cheaply or had for free when you get to the other end.

So, without further ado, here's the collected wisdom of a big handful of cyclists. Please add any tips you have in the comments.

• Add extra layers of cardboard to the corners of your box and use plenty of Duct tape to hold it tight.

• Take extra tape in your hand luggage – customs may need to look inside the box, and aren't required to help you seal it up again.

• Take off pedals, wheel skewers and anything else pointy that may puncture the box.

• Use lots of padding – foam pipe cladding from a DIY shop is perfect for protecting your frame and very cheap.

• Change to the biggest rings at the front and back – this will take up as much slack as possible in the chain and tuck the derailleur in.

• Once you've removed the wheels, protect the frame by using the plastic clips that come attached to forks on new bikes – if you don't still have yours ask for some at the local bike shop

• Weigh your bike – if you're over the allowance weight you may be stung with a large surcharge. Bathroom scales are perfect for this – but make your life easier by boxing it up first, as it's not easy to balance a bike on one when it's built up.

• Mark your seatpost with a bit of tape – this will help avoid any fitting issues at the other end.

• Pop any small, loose items like pedals or skewers in a small sandwich bag and selotape it to the inside of the box. If there's a small hole then you could lose them.

• When booking your flight look carefully at bike surcharges, which vary hugely. For example, Iberia charges a €75 flat rate for every flight, so a return trip will cost €150. With KLM you get a 20kg allowance, and if a bike is under this it is carried free.

• Over-sized luggage can take a long time to check in, so arrive early or you may find your box has not made it on to your flight, even if you have...