I am a Kiwi used to minimal public transport at home and coming to Europe for the first time next month for the RWC. Am trying to finalise train reservations. Anyway I need to get from Brussels to Lille early morning Sept 7th and am booked on TGV 9832 arriving in Lille at 12:03pm. I am meeting my daughter who is coming from London on E 9116. (She arrives at 11:26. We both then transfer to TGV5115 to head off to Marseille. BUT I have 12 minutes to get from TGV9832 to TGV5115. I have NO IDEA how many platforms are at this station or how I find them. Is this 12 minute time-frame do-able??? Plus as I believe you can't walk through the train so how can I make sure I sit next to my daughter? PLEASE HELP!!!

Did you book the trip as one booking, Brussels to Marseilles? If so, the system should know if the connection is long enough. What are the platform numbers? I don't think it takes more than 5-10 minutes to transfer in any train station I've seen so far. You each have a reserved seat - trade car/seat numbers with each other. You can walk thru the cars on Thalys and I assume TGV is the same, how else could you reach a dining car or bar car?

Twelve minutes is not atypical. Everything is clearly marked, with overhead signs after you exit the first train directing you to the second. Worst-case scenario (and I don't know the Lille station, so can't be specific) is you'll have to haul luggage down a flight of stairs, through a corridor, and up another flight of stairs. And the conductors can help you.

If you and your daughter have TGV tickets, you'll have assigned seats, not necessarily next to one another unless you purchased them together and asked for that.

Hi JSGB,
I think I must be the only person on the Fodorite planet that actually enjoys seeing cryptic, intriguing headings such as yours.

I certainly don't find it inconvenient to open, have a quick look and decide whether I can help or not!(Sorry can't help you on this one)

Gee, some people are just so uptight! Chill out - life's short, stop complaining!

First of all my apologies for wasting your time Rex and forcing everyone to read my posting. Am new to this and unaware of Rex's obviously tight reading schedule. However I do appreciate the time you spent on your reply to tell me that I am rude. To the others, my apologies for not knowing the rules and thanks for your input.
The following is the email wording from the reservation company:
This train (from Brussels) joins at Lille to another train numbered TGV 5115 to make up a double set. Your daughter will already be sitting on this train having arrived at Lille earlier than you! You cannot walk through the train so you must get off and walk down the platform to the second bit of the train. You have only 12 minutes to do this. Your daughter could wait on the platform but you should not arrange to meet in the entrance hall or you may miss each other. Platform numbers at Lille are announced at least 20 minutes before departure.
(So how will I know the platform number if I'm not there in time to hear it?)
Further down he has added that they are now having extraordinary problems with train reservations through France and UK now with the RWC start only a month away and that non-rugby passengers are now being surcharged for train travel.

Thank you

Okay, I have not yet been to Europe, so I don't have any first hand information for you about the Lille-Europe station, but I read and re-read the email that you received from the reservation company, and I think maybe you are misinterpreting it. Hopefully someone else on this board will confirm what I am thinking.

This is the email that you posted earlier:
This train (from Brussels) joins at Lille to another train numbered TGV 5115 to make up a double set. Your daughter will already be sitting on this train having arrived at Lille earlier than you! You cannot walk through the train so you must get off and walk down the platform to the second bit of the train. You have only 12 minutes to do this. Your daughter could wait on the platform but you should not arrange to meet in the entrance hall or you may miss each other. Platform numbers at Lille are announced at least 20 minutes before departure.

As I understand it, your daughter will arrive at the station first. She will get on board TGV5115 in her assigned car and seat.

When your train from Brussels arrives, it will be physically connected to the train in the station that your daughter is on, making one big train (a "double set&quot. Where the two trains are hooked together, you cannot walk through, so you have to step out of your train car and walk down the platform to get onto the train car that your daughter is in.

That is how I interpret the email. If that is truly how it works, then I would think that 12 minutes would be adequate to walk down to another train car, provided you are prepared to exit your car immediately when the train gets into the station.

Can someone else confirm my line of thinking?

LMGSONIC that is exactly how I read the email too!
JSGB I don't think a change of platform is necessary, just a change of carriage. Because the engine is not removed you cannot walk through to the other train. If you ask the conductor on your train he will be able help you.
As suggested your daughter should wait by her carriage so you can see her and meet up easily. If this is the case then 12 minutes will be ample time, unless it is a very long train!

Hi JS,

Enter your Brussells to Marseills plan at www.bahn.de

They almost always tell you the numbers of the arrival and departure tracks.

Almost always the platforms are numbered as:
Station - 1.....2 - 3....4 - 5....

12 min should be sufficient, unless you have lots of luggage.

JSGB,
Sorry I don't have advice to help with your travel question,(I notice that several others did though-that's good) but I am amused to find that in spite the criticism of the wording in your title, I clicked on it anyway, exactly because it was mysterious and contained the word "possible". Vague titles don't bother me at all!

Personally, I like another recent thread expressing exasperation that it had been 5 hours since the person had posted his/her original question, and there were no answers yet! Get to work, people!

Anyway, I don't find vague titles rude, but I do think the less mysterious it is the more likely it will catch the attention of someone who can actually help. So, guys, you both win.

Thank you all VERY much for your help. I had no idea that one train hooked onto another. If thats the case I am sure 12 minutes is ample. If any of you ahve been to NZ you will realise that public rail transport (apart form Wellington) is minimal and the concept of vast railways stations with numerous platforms and no-one speaking English was daunting to say the least! I could see myself doing an excellent "headless chicken" impersonation. I will check out that link shortly and again, many thanks