hello everyone,

I am hoping for assistance from this forum. Two friends (me travelling from Paris), and my friend (travelling from London Gatwick, arriving there 0800 Aug. 28th) are trying to organize travel to meet in Eindhoven on August 28th to be met by a third party! Obviously we would like to arrive with in a few hours of each other.

Have looked at Ryan Air - she must go to Stanstead, then fly to Eindhoven. I must go to Marseilles, then fly to Eindhoven. Regular airlines eat up our entire budget.

Trains also seem to go north to get south.

Are buses available from these two destinations? I can find tour buses, but unsure about regular highway buses.

Any assistance you can provide would be much appreciated.

Thanks from Jan in sunny Vancouver, BC

You can get to Eindhoven from Brussels by train. You get the train to Roosendaal, then Roosendaal to Tilburg and Tilburg to Eindhoven. A bit convoluted but doable. Or from Brussels to maastricht and Maastricht to Eindhoven.
You could get a train from Paris and your friend one from London, meet in Brussels and continue together to Eindhoven with a bit of planning. Of course it does take longer than flying (two and a half to three hours from Brussels by train).

First, do understand that no-one else except Philips management (who use the corporate jet) or football fans (who get cheap charters) wants to go to Eindhoven from either of Europe's two major cities

From Gatwick, it's probably easier to get an Easyjet to Amsterdam, then a train to Eindhoven, than to get buses to Stansted, then fly.

From Paris, trains (via Amsterdam or Brussels) must make more sense. Certainly as far as cash and carbon emissions are concerned - and probably for elapsed time.

www.bahn.de is the best way to check trains.

heitismij:

I'm sure I've taken a direct train from AMS-Centraal to Eindhoven. From Schiphol it's a painless cross-platform connection, if there aren't direct trains.

And I'm sure using trains is quicker than faffing about getting from Gatwick or Paris to an airport with direct Eindhoven flights

Flanner, yes you can do it that way, but you are doubling back on yourself coming from Paris. Makes more sense to get there from Brussels. It takes nearly two hours plus to Amsterdam from Brussels, then another hour and twenty minutes to Eindhoven.

Makes sense for the London based friend maybe.
Not every train is direct - every other one involves a change at Utrecht. They could get the train straight from Schiphol. It takes an hour and a half then.

Thanks for all your suggestions. Indeed, it seems to make the best sense to meet in Brussels, then travel to Eindhoven.
Jan