CDG train Brussels
 

If our plane arrived at 9 a.m. at Terminal 2 at CDG, do you believe an 11:45 from Terminal 2 to Brussels would be safe. If not, there's one in the 1 0'clock hour. Merci.

It depends from where your flight is arriving.

"It depends from where your flight is arriving."

LAX - CDG Air France. Thanks.

Looks like an 8-minute walk to TGV from Terminal 2E

Here's what I wrote in 2009 notes, maitaitom:
"We did make the 45 minute connection from DC to Paris to Rome. We hot-footed it and jumped to the front of the passport control line (saying "sorry sorry sorry") and made it with 10 minutes to spare. Everything hinged on the DC plane being on time and it was."
That was in kinder times. How much of a PITA would it be to get the next flight should you not make it?

I am not experienced in arriving at CDG so won't comment on that aspect. However, I guess you are thinking of catching either the Eurostar to Brussels (formerly Thalys), or a TGV, and future-proofing yourself by booking tickets early, with the problem that if your plane comes late, you were booked on a specific train. There is another train option. While the Eurostar and TGV tickets are fixed to particular trains, I believe (and please correct me if I am wrong in your experience), there is another way using slow trains, which never sell out. You just roll up on the day and buy tickets when you get to the station because they do not have that dynamic pricing that the other trains have, the price is fixed and cheap. The downside is that you have to change trains twice, once in Mauberge and once in Charleroi Central. It also takes 4h30 :( , while the Eurostar is 1h22 or 1h23. (You also find that travelling from Amsterdam, if that is a flight option for you, that you have the choice of Eurostar (fixed seat, fixed time, fixed day), or any Dutch IC train, where again you just buy your ticket on the day and hop on any train.) So you needn't be hamstrung by not being able to catch the right train, but the trade-off is a long slow journey and a milk run. Bring a sandwich or you will starve, local trains don't have food.

Lavandula

I forgot to mention that this combination leaves from Paris Nord, so that would make 3(!)stops if you are coming from CDG. Why not just see if you can take a much later Eurostar or TGV? Have a longer comfort stop in the station and catch the faster trains, unless you are really risk-averse, when you have the fallback of the milk run. Good luck!

Lavandula

Thanks Lavandula, I guess we'll end up booking the 1:07 TGV, and have lunch at the airport

I think that's a good choice :)

Lavandula

Sorry, Tom, I missed TGV!

I wouldn't have a problem with it myself, it's never taken me that long after arrival from US. But this way you won't have to worry, sure.

There are no TER trains from Paris to Brussels, if that is the reference to a slow train. TER trains are not always what I'd call cheap, either, it depends on time of day. During popular times, they can be fairly expensive, I think, relatively. I mean double or triple the cost at a cheap time (which is usually middle of day). And if it is crowded,you may have to stand, which I don't think you want, because they can oversell tickets.

That's correct, the TER train is from Paris Nord to Mauberge, then a Belgian regional train across the border from Mauberge to Charleroi Central, then a Belgian IC train from Charleroi Central to Brussels. You may have to book them separately, but for the Belgian portion of the trip you would use www.belgiantrain.be.

Lavandula

Sorry, I have been misspelling it: Maubeuge. And again, if you can catch that TGV or Eurostar it's a much better alternative.

Lavandula

Will you consider adding a rail and fly ticket to your air France booking?

Brussels station airport code is ZYR.

That will allow you to take any trains if there is a flight or luggage collection delay.

"Will you consider adding a rail and fly ticket to your air France booking?"

We already purchased our airline tickets last month when Air France had a two-day sale. Can you add on? Thanks for the idea.

Check with air France customer service. Hope they won't charge you lots 😄