We are thinking about a May 2007 vacation to Provence.

How long in time would the train trip be from Avignon to Brugge? I assume it would be TGV to Gare de Lyon (?) then Thalys to Brussels, local train to Brugge.

Any specifics on this route would be appreciated. Also, is mid-May a good time to visit Brugge?

Thanks.

Avignon has two stations. Most high-speed trains use Avignon TGV which is outside the town. You can check schedules on www.bahn.de, but there are TGVs from Avignon TGV to Brussels, and other connections via Paris. Wherever you change trains, the total journey time from Avignon TGV to Brugge is about six and a half hours.

Much better route: TGV Avignon to Lille, then local train to Bruges - no changing in Paris and much much quicker and avoid Thalys trains and their higher fares. If you are doing much train travel in France and Belgium you could consider the France-Benelux railpass, good for rail travel in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, including TGVs and Thalys, though on TGVs you must pay a 3 euro Reservation fee with the pass, which covers train fare, and on Thalys a supplement of about $12 in 2nd class and about $30 in 1st class as you usually get a decent meal with the supplement. But you don't need to bother with Thalys on Avignon-Bruges trajectory. The France & Benelux Flexipass starts at 4 days of travel over a two month period - a flexipass where you chose in that two-month period which days you want for unlimited travel midnight to midnight as you go along. On a Saverpass, for 4 days of travel in 2/mo p.p. $225 in 2nd class and $260 in 1st class - 5, 6, 8 and 10 days available at about $30/day added on. (Youthpass under 26 $198 for 4 days.) This pass is not sold in Europe and marketed in U.S. by RailEurope (www.raileurope.com) - as always i recommend BETS (800-441-2387; www.budgeteuropetravel.com), a RE agent for their expertise and willingness to answer questions, etc. That said if your only trip is Avignon-Bruges forget the pass and go to www.voyages-sncf.com and check fares for Avignon-Lille TGVs and look for PREM's fares - deeply discounted fares that you must often book far in advance to get - certain number on each train. Check full fare as well for walk up ticket prices at stations in France. If you need flexibility then go for full fare - the pass's beauty also is that it provides you with flexibility as it can be used on any train anytime, subject of course to seats being available - TGVs on this line can be quite full so you could reserve if you buy a pass in U.S., but pay more, or if you'll be in France some days before your trip. Probably could reserve right up until time of train many times. But if you are doing other train trips then look at the pass. As for Lille-Bruges those tickets are best bought at the Lille station - these trains don't even offer reservations and you should not have any trouble finding seats - lots of trains at least hourly. For scehdules Avignon-Bruges i'd go to the www.bahn.de German rail sight which is the best i've seen for schedules all over Europe - voyages-sncf i think would give you only the Avignon-Lille schedules but not the connecting Belgian train to Bruges. A good way to access the www.bahn.de English schedule page is to go to the home page of BETS i referenced above and on the home page click on the link "All European Railway Timetables" or some such wording and this links you right to the English schedule page where you just put in Avignon-TGV (not Avignon-Ville, in the center of town) and Bruges and you'll get the schedules. The BETS' home page also gives several valuable tips on using the www.bahn.de site as well. That said the bahn.de site may route you via Brussels and Thalys - in this case put in via Lille for that option.

bookmarking

Bob, Geof,

Thanks. Exactly the information I was looking for.

Bob,

I did call BETS and agree with you this is a first rate operation. If we decide to go we will buy the 4 day France- Benelux Pass.

Palenque


I could not find any no-train-change schedules from Lille to Bruges (I use bahn). There is a change in Brussels. Am I doing something wrong?

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

i use bahn.de too and just checked and there are hourly rail connections Lille Flandres to Bruges - a few are direct with no change but most involved a change at Kortrijk - from one platform to another. I've taken this route, the change is a snap - but a few a day direct. Oddly enough the direct train takes a few minutes longer than those involving a change at Kortrijk even though you have ten minutes between trains there. From Lille you certainly would not want to go via Brussels, either time-wise or cost-wise of course.

The Rennes to Lille train arrives at Lille Europe, and the Lille to Bruges non-stop leaves from Lille Flandres. I assume that those stations are not close to each other - is that correct? Also, the train departs from Lille before my train from Rennes arrives (I'm traveling on Sunday & there is not an early morning Rennes to Lille train that day, unless summer schedules are different from current ones).

Stu Dudley

I've done this route in May and didn't haven't to switch to a Thalys at any point. I've taken the TGV directly from Avignon to Brussels...from there it's an easy change to Bruges.
It is the same TGV that stops in Lille, but I found it much easier to on to Brussels because most trains from Lille to Bruges require a train change and often more than one. The ride from Lille to Brussels is pretty fast on the TGV.
A friend who was in Kortrijk two weeks ago said there will be some major work in the area next year which may impact the train schedule. FYI, the train station at Bruges is currently undergoing massive renovation work and it looks awful at the moment. Could be disheartening to the first time visitor, but it should be finished or almost by next May.

If you need to change between stations in Lille, Lille Europe is about ten minutes' well-signposted walk from Lille Flandres, or it's one stop on the metro.

I agree with BTike that taking the Nice-Avignon-Brussels TGV then changing for Bruges may be more convenient than going via Lille. But i think this train may run only once or twice a day and there may be more TGVs that terminate at Lille so it may depend on the time of day.

Powell- mid-May would be a great time to visit Bruges - and around the 20th they stage one of Europe's finest pageants - the Parade of the Holy Blood where 1000s of locals dress up in Crusaders outfits and escort the vial of Holy Blood from a local church thru city streets - the blood of course mysteriously congeals every year on this day!

Bob, Might you recommend a small hotel or B&B in Bruges for May 20 or so? In 125/150e area.

powell: No i cannot as i don't know diddly about hotels, but i'm sure if you pose a new post entitled Looking for xxxxx in Bruges many Fodorites will respond with their favorites - i've read many such in posts here before.

The Holy Blood procession is helt every year on Ascension day, a national holiday in Belgium, and always on a Thursday, on the 40th day after Easter (well, Easter should be day 1 to make the calculation fit).

In 2007 this will be the 17th of May.

Stu
"The Rennes to Lille train arrives at Lille Europe, and the Lille to Bruges non-stop leaves from Lille Flandres. I assume that those stations are not close to each other - is that correct?"

20 min. on foot

Says this right on the schedule die bahn for a thursday itinerary.

You can see each station from the other - it can't be more than a half mile on the dedicated walkway between the two stations. There are no trains to Bruges or Kortrijk from Lille Europe, i think, which was built mainly for Eurostar trains on the Brussels/Paris-London route. Some TGVs use Lille Europa to provide easy connections with Eurostar trains.

Brugge Hotels: We recommend Hotel Erasmus (one block from main square) very nice, newly remodeled. Or a wonderful B&B Absolut Verhulst with amazing owners and the best breakfast you will ever eat.

If thinking of going for the bloody Holy Blood thing then be sure to book a room far in advance as this pageant draws thousands and hotels can be hard to get. But Bruges is so exceptional that no matter when you go you'll love it. Actually to me the best part of Bruges lies well away from the Grote Markt, or main market square dominated by the tall slender campanile (be sure to climb to its top for sweeping views for miles around, including over the nearby North Sea coast) and in the many quiet Amsterdam-like canals with facades dating back to days when Bruges was one of Europe's largest and most important cities - before the harbor silted up, leaving it a backwater - the old warehouses lining these canals were once a hubbub of activity with boats coming and going, bringing in wool for its weavers to make exquisite tapestries and spice and exoctic stuff from the Orient.

I didn't realize the walk between Lille Europe and Lille Flandres took that long. Another reason I'd TGV it to Brussels and then transfer to Bruges there...the walk from your TGV track to the Bruges train should take about 5 minutes tops (example: the TGV would arrive on track 6 and the Bruges bound train would leave on track 15) and you stay in the same station. Escalators, of course. Plus, the trains serving Bruges from Brussels happen to be the nicest in the Belgian rail system.

I agree - seems all TGV trains Avignon to Lille go to Lille-europe station, then a walk to Lille Flandres and then to Bruges usually with a change at Kortrijk - so BTike's suggestion about better to TGV to Brussels then change for Bruges seems to way to go.