Service from CDG to BRU (ZYR)
Jun 11, 2005, 3:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: PBI
Posts: 754
Service from CDG to BRU (ZYR)
I am planning a trip to Belgium in September and found a fare from DTW to BRU for $597 on AF, which I think is quite reasonable.
Since all connections between CDG and BRU are via train, the connection is on Thalys to Brussels Midi Station.
My ultimate destination, however, is only about 20 minutes south of Lille, and I would prefer to take the TGV to Lille in order to shave a couple of hours off my travel time (since I'm traveling with an almost 3 yr old)
I assume Thalys is non-stop between CDG and ZYR and does not stop in LIL.
Is it possible to pay a premium at CDG to switch seats and take the TGV to Lille Europe instead of having to go to Brussels on Thalys and then make another connection to my final destination (Kortrijk/Courtrai) ?
Fare to CDG is around $650 and fare to LIL is around $750, so the cheapest option for me is to book to BRU.
Just wondering if there is any way around having to go to BRU?
Thanks in advance for any help
TWC
Since all connections between CDG and BRU are via train, the connection is on Thalys to Brussels Midi Station.
My ultimate destination, however, is only about 20 minutes south of Lille, and I would prefer to take the TGV to Lille in order to shave a couple of hours off my travel time (since I'm traveling with an almost 3 yr old)
I assume Thalys is non-stop between CDG and ZYR and does not stop in LIL.
Is it possible to pay a premium at CDG to switch seats and take the TGV to Lille Europe instead of having to go to Brussels on Thalys and then make another connection to my final destination (Kortrijk/Courtrai) ?
Fare to CDG is around $650 and fare to LIL is around $750, so the cheapest option for me is to book to BRU.
Just wondering if there is any way around having to go to BRU?
Thanks in advance for any help
TWC
Jun 11, 2005, 4:09 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Brussels
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What I would do is to take that ticket, and instead of taking Thalys AF to Brussels direct, there is a non AF Thalys going to Brussels through Lille.
I work there so I did it frequently (although I live in Brussels) to pass by the office. There are as many indirect than direct, and usually even more so you don't have to wait so much.
If anybody says anything, you just explain you were told to take the Thalys to Brussels, which is the case, and that's it. In the worst case, you pay the ticket fee (in Europe, you may enter the train without ticket and pay in the train).
Good luck.
I work there so I did it frequently (although I live in Brussels) to pass by the office. There are as many indirect than direct, and usually even more so you don't have to wait so much.
If anybody says anything, you just explain you were told to take the Thalys to Brussels, which is the case, and that's it. In the worst case, you pay the ticket fee (in Europe, you may enter the train without ticket and pay in the train).
Good luck.
Jun 11, 2005, 4:31 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2005
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You are correct that Thalys is indeed non-stop between CDG and Brussels. However, your ticket would only be valid to Brussels and you won't be able to pay to change your ticket for the TGV service because the TGV fare from CDG to Lille is cheaper than the Thalys fare. Ask if the ticket is exchangeable for the TGV service on this route as you would need to change trains in Lille when taking the indirect TGV. I know that Thalys services aren't all that frequent and TGV services via Lille make up for this shortfall.
Jun 12, 2005, 2:02 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Kortrijk is indeed much closer to LIL than ZYR however if taking the train
LIL-KOR is much harder because you have to connect from Europe to flanders
i suppose you are planning to take the 7:43 out of CDG wich arrives in ZYR at 9:03
then you wil have to wait untill 9:45 for the connection to Kortrijk and with Very old and dirty equipment
http://www24.brinkster.com/passaelec/AM%2080.htm
out of Lille your train would look like this
http://www24.brinkster.com/passaelec/AM%2096%20bi.htm
you can also travel ZYR-Ghent-Kortrijk giving you a combination of both
LIL-KOR is much harder because you have to connect from Europe to flanders
i suppose you are planning to take the 7:43 out of CDG wich arrives in ZYR at 9:03
then you wil have to wait untill 9:45 for the connection to Kortrijk and with Very old and dirty equipment
http://www24.brinkster.com/passaelec/AM%2080.htm
out of Lille your train would look like this
http://www24.brinkster.com/passaelec/AM%2096%20bi.htm
you can also travel ZYR-Ghent-Kortrijk giving you a combination of both
Jun 12, 2005, 6:19 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2001
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AF passengers are travelling in a specific car of the CDG-ZYR Thalys, and tickets are not "normal" TGV Tickets.
It is in this respect different from TGV tickets given on normal TGV as a connexion (this is done by various airlines, such as CX, for the domestic connexion in France).
I doubt it will be possible to make such a change.
Anyway do not overestimate the time you can save by going through Lille.
Assuming the CDG Thalys schedule mentioned by Airfrancefan you will be in ZYR at 9:03.
From there you can arrive at Courtrai at 10:17 if you accept a connection in Gent, or at 10:44 if you wait for the direct train (I took train schedules for mid-september).
If you go through Lille you will leave CDG at 8:25, arrive in Lille-Europe at 9:15, walk (5-10 min) to Lille Flandres and take the Courtrai train leaving at 10:09 and arriving at 10:38.
So you see you can arrive faster passing by ZYR with a connection in Gent, and 6 minutes later if you wait for the direct train from ZYR.
I don´t think it justifies trying to change your ticket !
It is in this respect different from TGV tickets given on normal TGV as a connexion (this is done by various airlines, such as CX, for the domestic connexion in France).
I doubt it will be possible to make such a change.
Anyway do not overestimate the time you can save by going through Lille.
Assuming the CDG Thalys schedule mentioned by Airfrancefan you will be in ZYR at 9:03.
From there you can arrive at Courtrai at 10:17 if you accept a connection in Gent, or at 10:44 if you wait for the direct train (I took train schedules for mid-september).
If you go through Lille you will leave CDG at 8:25, arrive in Lille-Europe at 9:15, walk (5-10 min) to Lille Flandres and take the Courtrai train leaving at 10:09 and arriving at 10:38.
So you see you can arrive faster passing by ZYR with a connection in Gent, and 6 minutes later if you wait for the direct train from ZYR.
I don´t think it justifies trying to change your ticket !
Jun 12, 2005, 7:09 am
#6
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Especially since the comfort in the CDG-ZYR Thalys is better than the one in regular TGV. You'll get a free breakfast to boot.
Jun 12, 2005, 8:27 am
#7
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Originally Posted by TGV
AF passengers are travelling in a specific car of the CDG-ZYR Thalys, and tickets are not "normal" TGV Tickets.
It is in this respect different from TGV tickets given on normal TGV as a connexion (this is done by various airlines, such as CX, for the domestic connexion in France).
I doubt it will be possible to make such a change.
Anyway do not overestimate the time you can save by going through Lille.
Assuming the CDG Thalys schedule mentioned by Airfrancefan you will be in ZYR at 9:03.
From there you can arrive at Courtrai at 10:17 if you accept a connection in Gent, or at 10:44 if you wait for the direct train (I took train schedules for mid-september).
If you go through Lille you will leave CDG at 8:25, arrive in Lille-Europe at 9:15, walk (5-10 min) to Lille Flandres and take the Courtrai train leaving at 10:09 and arriving at 10:38.
So you see you can arrive faster passing by ZYR with a connection in Gent, and 6 minutes later if you wait for the direct train from ZYR.
I don´t think it justifies trying to change your ticket !
It is in this respect different from TGV tickets given on normal TGV as a connexion (this is done by various airlines, such as CX, for the domestic connexion in France).
I doubt it will be possible to make such a change.
Anyway do not overestimate the time you can save by going through Lille.
Assuming the CDG Thalys schedule mentioned by Airfrancefan you will be in ZYR at 9:03.
From there you can arrive at Courtrai at 10:17 if you accept a connection in Gent, or at 10:44 if you wait for the direct train (I took train schedules for mid-september).
If you go through Lille you will leave CDG at 8:25, arrive in Lille-Europe at 9:15, walk (5-10 min) to Lille Flandres and take the Courtrai train leaving at 10:09 and arriving at 10:38.
So you see you can arrive faster passing by ZYR with a connection in Gent, and 6 minutes later if you wait for the direct train from ZYR.
I don´t think it justifies trying to change your ticket !
in Gent-St-Pieters not all platform are elevated
it is faster thru Ghent
but if you have alot of lugage it would be easier to take the direct
Jun 12, 2005, 8:38 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: PBI
Posts: 754
thanks everybody for your replies.
I should have been more specific in my OP. I do not plan to take the train from LIL to Kortrijk. My folk will pick us up at Lille Europe so we wouldn't have to do the transfer from LIL Europe to LIL Flandres and on to KJK.
It would be alot easier and faster for us to go to Lille Europe than to have to go to ZYR in which case we would take the train back to KJK.
My folks are older and I don't want them to have to drive to pick us up at ZYR.
I think I'll just get the ticket on AF to ZYR, and ask if I can exchange it (as suggested before) from Thalys to TGV. If not, I'll just buy a RT TGV ticket from CDG to LIL which would still be cheaper as compared to buying a DTW-LIL or DTW-CDG ticket.
I assume we would pick up our bags at CDG and then take them to the train ourselves ? Because if they are tagged to ZYR and get transferred, my little plan wouldn't work. But am I correct in assuming that we go through customs at CDG since I'm sure they're not set up at ZYR for this.
Thanks again to all for replying.
Jan
I should have been more specific in my OP. I do not plan to take the train from LIL to Kortrijk. My folk will pick us up at Lille Europe so we wouldn't have to do the transfer from LIL Europe to LIL Flandres and on to KJK.
It would be alot easier and faster for us to go to Lille Europe than to have to go to ZYR in which case we would take the train back to KJK.
My folks are older and I don't want them to have to drive to pick us up at ZYR.
I think I'll just get the ticket on AF to ZYR, and ask if I can exchange it (as suggested before) from Thalys to TGV. If not, I'll just buy a RT TGV ticket from CDG to LIL which would still be cheaper as compared to buying a DTW-LIL or DTW-CDG ticket.
I assume we would pick up our bags at CDG and then take them to the train ourselves ? Because if they are tagged to ZYR and get transferred, my little plan wouldn't work. But am I correct in assuming that we go through customs at CDG since I'm sure they're not set up at ZYR for this.
Thanks again to all for replying.
Jan
Jun 12, 2005, 8:44 am
#9
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You'll have to collect your bags at CDG, as they don't do Thalys transfer. On the other hand, the CDG-ZYR leg will count as a flight, and a no-show on this flight would, as I understand it, cancel your whole trip (so you risk not having a return flight).
Jun 12, 2005, 8:48 am
#10
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Location: PBI
Posts: 754
Originally Posted by Richelieu
You'll have to collect your bags at CDG, as they don't do Thalys transfer. On the other hand, the CDG-ZYR leg will count as a flight, and a no-show on this flight would, as I understand it, cancel your whole trip (so you risk not having a return flight).
That's what I was afraid of. Thanks Richelieu.
Time for a Plan B, I guess
Sep 2, 2005, 6:34 pm
#11
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If checking in for an EU connection from ZYR, will they print boarding passes for onward flights? do you have to undergo security again in CDG? is there any service on the train for midday trips? im assuming you can earn DL sky miles for AF coded train segments too.
Sep 6, 2005, 4:54 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 4,281
Originally Posted by SkyTeam777
If checking in for an EU connection from ZYR, will they print boarding passes for onward flights? do you have to undergo security again in CDG? is there any service on the train for midday trips? im assuming you can earn DL sky miles for AF coded train segments too.
Yes, you will have to undergo Security in CDG. However in ZVR, there are no security to go through. Remember to collect your bag at the CDG train station to drag it to the counters for rechecking in if you need too.
As for service on the train, the only service is you get to choose a small snack and a drink. I am not sure if there are more service for specific trains that leave at lunch/dinner time.
Yes, I am quite sure you will get your miles with SkyMiles for these segements as they are considered air segements.
Hope the answers were useful.
Enjoy your trip.
