Train from Belgium to Italy
Sep 17th, 2003, 04:01 PM
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Train from Belgium to Italy
I need some advice from seasoned European travelers.
My friends and I are going to the UK, then flying to Belgium and taking trains to Italy from there. Does anyone have any suggestions about 1)the best scenic routes, 2)good places to stop along the way and 3)the cheapest train tickets and how to book those?
I would really appreciate any response.
Grazie,
CaliItali
My friends and I are going to the UK, then flying to Belgium and taking trains to Italy from there. Does anyone have any suggestions about 1)the best scenic routes, 2)good places to stop along the way and 3)the cheapest train tickets and how to book those?
I would really appreciate any response.
Grazie,
CaliItali
Sep 18th, 2003, 01:39 AM
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There isn't a direct service between Belgium and Italy . The fastest route is probably via Brussel-Lyon-Milan.
Don't know about train fares but Virgin Express flies from Brussel to Milan for less then 60 € + tax and Ryanair from Charleroi to Bergamo for 30 € + tax.
Don't know about train fares but Virgin Express flies from Brussel to Milan for less then 60 € + tax and Ryanair from Charleroi to Bergamo for 30 € + tax.
Sep 18th, 2003, 02:57 AM
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Hi Caliitali,
It sounds like you're in no hurry to get to Italy and want to make stops along the way. Where in Italy is your destination? What type of sights are you interested in? This would help folks give you some answers.
You're also looking for the cheapest train tickets. The cheapest tickets will not be found if you make a lot of stops between Belgium and Italy. You'll have to decide on your itinerary and then look up the point-to-point ticket prices (thomas cook) and compare the individual prices to the price of a rail pass.
If you're more interested in getting to Italy, than in stopping along the way, flying would probably be your cheapest option. It would certainly save you lots of time. The train from Paris to Venice (for example) takes 12 or 13 hours.
Let us know more of your plans and we can help you more.
adrienne
It sounds like you're in no hurry to get to Italy and want to make stops along the way. Where in Italy is your destination? What type of sights are you interested in? This would help folks give you some answers.
You're also looking for the cheapest train tickets. The cheapest tickets will not be found if you make a lot of stops between Belgium and Italy. You'll have to decide on your itinerary and then look up the point-to-point ticket prices (thomas cook) and compare the individual prices to the price of a rail pass.
If you're more interested in getting to Italy, than in stopping along the way, flying would probably be your cheapest option. It would certainly save you lots of time. The train from Paris to Venice (for example) takes 12 or 13 hours.
Let us know more of your plans and we can help you more.
adrienne
Sep 18th, 2003, 03:07 AM
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Actually, there is a direct train, the EC 91, that leaves Brussels around 7 am and gets into Milan about 12 hours later (expect delays, though, as there is track work in Germany and border stops in Italy). It's a LONG ride, though, and better to break it up if you can.
Whereabouts in Italy do you plan to go? I have made the trip from Brussels to Milan several times by train and usually go from Brussels to Basel, stopping there either overnight or for a few hours, then Basel to Lugano (for another stop) or Basel straight to Milan.
The cheapest way would be to catch the early morning train to Basel (no need to buy a second class ticket more than a day in advance; get it the day you arrive in Brussels). For the train from Basel to Lugano, go to www.sbb.ch and purchase your ticket online--you can get a second class ticket for as little as 12 SFr (the normal fare is about 75 Sfr). A real bargain--and you print your ticket out at home, no need to arrange a station pickup or mailing. Be careful to follow the purchase procedure steps EXACTLY. Then buy a ticket from Lugano to Milan (you don't have to wait until you get to Lugano to buy your Lugano-Milan ticket, you could buy it in Belgium).
The train ride from Brussels to Basel is not the most exciting in the world, although it has some pretty bits through the Ardennes. From Basel to Lugano, it's quite scenic, as you go to Luzern, then head down past lakes and the Alps and also past some very scenic villages (sit on the right hand side as you head to Lugano after leaving Luzern for an especially picturesque view of a church on a hill in a charming village--have camera ready!)
Basel has an attractive and compact old town--go to Globus to get the makings of a picnic lunch for the train--and to Schiesser chocolates for some of the best chocolates in Switzerland (Schiesser is a small, family owned chocolate brand made only in Basel). Both on the Marktplatz. The cathedral (Munster) in Basel is also worth visiting, as are any of Basel's many museums.
Lugano also has several things to see and do. Albergo Pestalozzi is an inexpensive pensione in the heart of town.
BTilke (Brussels)
Whereabouts in Italy do you plan to go? I have made the trip from Brussels to Milan several times by train and usually go from Brussels to Basel, stopping there either overnight or for a few hours, then Basel to Lugano (for another stop) or Basel straight to Milan.
The cheapest way would be to catch the early morning train to Basel (no need to buy a second class ticket more than a day in advance; get it the day you arrive in Brussels). For the train from Basel to Lugano, go to www.sbb.ch and purchase your ticket online--you can get a second class ticket for as little as 12 SFr (the normal fare is about 75 Sfr). A real bargain--and you print your ticket out at home, no need to arrange a station pickup or mailing. Be careful to follow the purchase procedure steps EXACTLY. Then buy a ticket from Lugano to Milan (you don't have to wait until you get to Lugano to buy your Lugano-Milan ticket, you could buy it in Belgium).
The train ride from Brussels to Basel is not the most exciting in the world, although it has some pretty bits through the Ardennes. From Basel to Lugano, it's quite scenic, as you go to Luzern, then head down past lakes and the Alps and also past some very scenic villages (sit on the right hand side as you head to Lugano after leaving Luzern for an especially picturesque view of a church on a hill in a charming village--have camera ready!)
Basel has an attractive and compact old town--go to Globus to get the makings of a picnic lunch for the train--and to Schiesser chocolates for some of the best chocolates in Switzerland (Schiesser is a small, family owned chocolate brand made only in Basel). Both on the Marktplatz. The cathedral (Munster) in Basel is also worth visiting, as are any of Basel's many museums.
Lugano also has several things to see and do. Albergo Pestalozzi is an inexpensive pensione in the heart of town.
BTilke (Brussels)
Sep 19th, 2003, 03:18 PM
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Well, you all answered my questions in a lot of ways. I would love to make various stops through Europe, but the more I look at my budget, I think it would be cheaper to fly directly to Italy. I'm looking to stay fairly north in the country.
My ancestry is in Genoa and Turin, so I'll be there, Venice, Florence, and of course, Rome.
Any advice for traveling cheap inside Italy and any other transportation advice? I'm totally new to Europe.
Thanks so much for your help.
~Emily
My ancestry is in Genoa and Turin, so I'll be there, Venice, Florence, and of course, Rome.
Any advice for traveling cheap inside Italy and any other transportation advice? I'm totally new to Europe.
Thanks so much for your help.
~Emily
