Will be in Paris in May and wish to visit Belgium.Does anyone know the cheapest train fare for 2 persons round trip.Please help if you have any info.Thanks

Hi Jane<BR> You can take the TGV to Lille Europe and connect for Brussles or the THALYS train which is faster and direct. <BR> See http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

The cheapest Thalys RT fare is the &quot;mini&quot; ticket, about $50. It's a second class ticket, non refundable and non exchangeable. So be very sure about your schedule before buying one. Only a limited number of mini tickets are available for each Thalys trip, and they tend to sell out quickly, especially for week-end travel.

Hi BTilke,<BR>Thanks for the info.Is this a round or one way trip ticket and per person? Can I purchase it when I arrive at the CDG?Also thinking of taking the euroline bus which is cheap.Plan to stay a night in Brussel before taking the train down to Luxembourg for 3 days and then making my way to Brugge for about 4 days.Wish to make a day trip to Dover while in Brugge.Will there be any ferry connections from Oostend.I have to make my way back to Paris from Brugge and I'm thinking of going to Calais to take a train to Paris and will have 2-3 days before flying home.Please help me with my planning or give me suggestion and advise as with regard to the route.Will not drive and so depending on local transport.Wonder if I should buy a Belgium railpass as I will be travelling quite abit..hoping to cover Gent and Antwerp as well or the 50%discount card.Hope you can give some advise.Arriving Paris on 10thMay and departing on 22ndMay.Search the sncf website but a little confused on the different type of fares.Anyone have some ideas for me is most welcome.

Excerpted from http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&amp;tid=34386504<BR><BR><BR>= ========================<BR> <BR>Author: Paul ([email protected])<BR>Date: 12/29/2002, 07:42 pm<BR><BR>Message: EUR 23.50-31.50 <BR><BR>Inquiring minds want to know, where do you get a fare like this?<BR><BR>----------------------------------------<BR> <BR>Author: bru ([email protected])<BR>Date: 12/30/2002, 07:38 am<BR><BR>Message: Try:<BR><BR>www.telesales.b-rail.be<BR><BR>If you are in the Thalys site, you have to click Belgium and then buy online.<BR><BR>----------------------------------------<BR> <BR>Author: Jim Rosenberg ([email protected])<BR>Date: 12/30/2002, 07:47 am<BR><BR>Message: I'm not sure that the mini fare can be purchased from the U.S., nor that tickets can be purchased directly from the Thalys site if you are coming from the U.S. (or is that for pickup at the station once you are there?). For tickets to be delivered prior to leaving:<BR><BR>http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm<BR><BR>----------------------------------------<BR> <BR>Author: bru ([email protected])<BR>Date: 12/30/2002, 08:10 am<BR><BR>Message: If you purchase the ticket through the Belgian rail telesales, you can get the Thalys Mini fare (EUR 50 roundtrip) depending on availability. You buy the tickets from the telesales website with a credit card and can pick them up at Midi station before you board the train.<BR><BR>If you are coming from Paris to Brussels (and not the other way round), you may be able to buy the tickets through the telesales website and have the tickets mailed to your hotel in Paris. When you get to the delivery webpage, you can ask for the tickets to be mailed to you if it is far enough in advance. I assume that they will not mail them to the States, but it might work to put an address in France for the delivery details. <BR> <BR>===============<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Jane,<BR><BR>Since your trip originates in Paris, you will need to purchase your tickets from the French railway company (SNCF), not the Belgian one (SNCB or B-Rail).<BR><BR>Go to:<BR>www.sncf.com<BR><BR>Assuming you live in N. America, you must choose ticket pickup in FRANCE (they will not mail them). Just book the cheapest fare available (the earlier you book the cheaper the fare), prepay with your credit card and pick up your tickets anytime before your trip at any train station or &quot;boutique SNCF&quot; in France.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

for Jane<BR>

I went searching for this thread, thinking that it was about deep discount fares for Eurostar (I guess it actually only references Tlahys fares) - - but without my going pecking through the site listed above, does anyone know if it is relevant for fares on Eurostar from Brussels? from anywhere else?<BR>

Resurrecting this two-years old thread, to ask BTilke if the reference to &quot;telesales&quot; is still relevant for discounted train fare between Paris and Brussels...