Belgiun Train Questions
 

Our family will be arriving Brussels Int'l Airport in June, 2011. We need to purchase six train tickets from the aiport to Brussels-Midi train station, then transfer to another train in that station to Brugge.

Four days later, we will be traveling by train from Brugge back to the Brussels-Midi station.

Do we buy the entire train trip on our day of arrival at the aiport or purchase separately the two different legs of the trip?

Is there an advantage either way? Will we be riding regional trains or intercity trains? (The web sites aren't giving me enough information.)

Does anyone know if there is a discount by purchasing tickets online in advance?

ttt - I know, I spelled Belgium wrong on the title.

It looks like the trains from the airport go to Brussels Nord and then to Brugge. You'll be taking either IC or IR trains. The trains do stop at Brussels Midi but the connection is at Brussels Nord.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/que...&rt=1&OK#focus

Whether you buy all your tickets at once at the BRU airport or not depends on several things.

How much time until the next train to Brussels, and how many people behind you in line.

There are only 2 windows open at that train station. The automatic machines don't take cash or non chip / pin credit cards, so many people need to line up to buy from a real person.

The last 2 times in BRU I've been rushed to catch the next train and the last thing I want is a long, complicated transaction by the person ahead of me. That's not your concern, I agree.

Were it I, I'd just buy the ticket to Bruges and get the other tickets later. I don't know about online purchases - I'll need to look into that myself for future trips.

IIRC all the trains that service Brussels airport are regional trains.

adrienne, your response surprised me...are you saying that we stop at Brussels Midi and continue on to Brussels Nord where we change trains? I will go onto the bahn web site tomorrow when I not as tired.

j62, good information, and Brugge is small enough for us to walk down to the train station and purchase the one-way ticket back to Brussels.

Appreciate the heads-up about the ticket windows. Thankfully, we have enough euros from our previous trip to buy the tickets with cash.

I will delve some more into finding out about purchasing these tickets online.

I don't recall being able to use coins at the ticket machines either. I always have euro coins on me as pocket change. Chip debit or credit card only as best I could tell.

That link timed out and no longer works so you need to start a new search.

What I said was you go from the airport to Brussels Nord and change. The train from Brussels Nord to Brugge stops at Central and Midi.

I wasn't sure why you were referencing the Midi station so I mentioned it as it's one of the stops in case there was some reason you needed to go there.

The Belgium train site shows the same information - airport to Brussels Nord and connect with the train for Brugge.

Trains run from Brussels to Brugge every half hour. Belgian trains don't have different types and fares like those in, say, Italy. There are no seat reservations. You just buy a ticket and get on any train. Tickets are valid on any train on the specified date.
www.b-rail.be

"Do we buy the entire train trip on our day of arrival at the aiport or purchase separately the two different legs of the trip?"
I would not buy the two legs on the day of arrival.

"Is there an advantage either way? Will we be riding regional trains or intercity trains? (The web sites aren't giving me enough information.)"
-Advantage: You cannot lose tickets you haven't bought yet.
-I wouldn't look for the labels of the train (IC, IR...) or the number of intermediate stops but more at the duration of the trip.

Does anyone know if there is a discount by purchasing tickets online in advance?
-No discount for buying in advance, however...:

-You could save some money with the Rail Pass at 74 euro for 10 single trips (2nd class). On top of this you pay per pax a surcharge for taking the train from the airport to Brussels called "Diabolo fee" of 2,4 euro.
-The normal one way fare (BRU-Brugge) is 16,40 euro per pax
-You could save +/- 75 euro this way.

The age of the pax is important for discounts.
E.g. are you 65+ y.o. ?

For some trains to Brugge you need to transfer in Nord/Noord, for others it's Midi/Zuid.

Hi Emro2,

Would you mind explaining further your statement "You could save some money with the Rail Pass at 74 euros for 10 single trips (2nd class)"? (I am missing something here or I am dense.) I agree saving 75 euros is a lot of money with the current exchange rate.

The ages of our family will be two seniors, 2 adults, 1 child 12 and one child 9. We probably would qualify for discounts on four tickets.

I guess I need more hand-holding. Sincerely do appreciate everyone's help.

A Railpass is good for 10 one way trips between any railwaystation in Belgium. It costs 74 euro.
Therefore we use it only for long trips, i.e. Oostende-Arlon, Antwerp-Liege, BrusselsAirport-Brugge...

But I was wrong.
I double checked on b-rail.be
There is another way.

1.Brussels airport to Brugge.

Child 9y travels Free when accompanied by fare paying pax.
No ticket needed for junior.(also no diabolo-fee)

Child 12 y buys a "Go Pass 1" (airport to Brugge) at 8,6 euro.(diabolo included)

Senior A (65 and older-travelling on weekdays after! 9am) buys "Senior ticket" at 5,2 euro. Plus diabolo-fee 2,1 euro. = 7,3 euro.
Senior B ditto.

Adult A buys full fare ticket at 16,4 euro (including Diabolo-fee)
Adult B ditto.

Total is 8,6 + 7,3 + 7,3 + 16,4 + 16,4 = 56 euro from Brussels airport to Brugge via Brussels.


2. Brugge to Brussels.

Child 9y Free.
Child 12 buys "Go Pass 1" at 6,5 euro.

Senior A buys "Senior ticket" at 5,2 euro.
Senior B ditto.

Adult A buys full fare ticket at 13,1 euro.
Adult B ditto.

None of the pax now pay a Diabolo fee because they are not going to the airport.
"Seniors tickets" are for 65 and older travelling on weekdays after 9am and on weekends w/o time restraints.
Total 6,5 + 5,2 + 5,2 + 13,1 + 13,1 = 43,1 euro.

Do let me know if the ages are wrong. Will recalculate.

3. What do you save ?
Six full fare tickets Brussels Airport to Brugge is 98,4 euro.
Six full fare tickets from Brugge to BrusselsMidi is 78,6 euro.
Total cost 177 euro, versus 99,1 euro.
You save 77,9 euro.

Enjoy.

Emro2,

Somebody pinch me! How did I ever get so lucky to have you helping me with these tickets. My husband and I will be paying for all costs associated with this trip for everyone, and I am so grateful for your unselfish assistance.

At the time of the first leg of travel, Sunday, June 19th, the ages of the children are correct. The ages of the adults will be 47 and 45, and the seniors 70 and 68.

If it has any impact on the fares, my DIL (45) has a European passport - the rest of us have U.S. passports. (As an aside, the currency exchange is reducing our purchasing power, as we all know).

Where do I buy these tickets? Online or at the BRU airport?

Wednesday, June 22nd, is our second leg of the trip: from Brugge to Brussels-Midi. I was early enough, and lucky enough to get a Smoove fare of 25 euro for adults and 15 euro for the kids from Brussel-Midi to Paris Nord on the Thalys hi-speed train.

You can buy the tickets on line at www.b-rail.be. Just don't make the mistake I did and get a round trip ticket instead of one-way. The tickets are not refundable if you make a mistake!

Some great sources for loads of info on Belgian and European trains in general I always highlight these fantastic IMO sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

i_am_kane, don't mention it.
I just happened to have the time to look into it.

Congratulations, you found the best fares to Paris !


Nationality has no impact on the fare.
Passports are essential to provide evidence of age.

"Go Pass 1" is only! available online, but not earlier than one month in advance.
http://www.b-rail.be/nat/E/tarifs/ti...ass1/index.php

"Senior ticket" is available online from one month in advance and at the counter.
This is always a return ticket on the specified date.
Because of your travel plans you are not using the return portion.
When you buy it online you have to choose "return" instead of "single".

Of course the standard ticket is available online and at the counter.
Never buy the tickets on the train. It's much more expensive and if you wait till the conductor walks by you pay a hefty fine.
15% of Belgian trains have a delay of more than 6 minutes.
In Q4 2010 2,5% of trains were cancelled. In Q1 2011 1,5%
Allow enough time to catch your Thalys to Paris.
Maybe even take one train earlier.

(Tickets bought on line are neither refundable, nor exchangeable.)

Emro2,

Thank you so much! I just logged on...am traveling from Florida back to Connecticut. Much appreciated.

Finally, back in Connecticut. Thanks for the train connection warning from Brugge-Brussels to catch the Thalys to Paris Nord. Either we take an earlier train from Brugge or a later Thalys train from Brussels Midi to Paris Nord.

MarePete and PalenQ...appreciate your input.

I may be wrong but afaik the cheapest smoove fare to Paris does not allow changing the booked train for an earlier or a later one.

I think you are absolutely correct, which leaves only one option: leave on an early train from Brugge to Brussels-Midi to allow for a delay.