traveling from Brussels to Provence
 

Hi All:

We will be in Brussels for a business conference the week of June 17 until June 20. We would then like to visit Provence. Does anyone have suggestions for the best way (fastest and cheapest) to get from Brussels to Provence (most likely staying near Avignon)? It looks too long to drive and not sure if it would be better to fly or take a train. We would be flying back to the US via Paris, so would take a train form Avignon to CDG.

Thanks!

A few years ago we took a really cheap Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels to Marseille, and then picked up a hire car at the airport, to drive north past Aix - really simple, easy flight. But I expect you will need to pay a bit for that fare at this point (ticket prices increase as you get closer to the travel date), and also given it's in the summer season in June. If you have some time, you could also catch the Thalys fast train from Brussels to Paris, then change stations to take the TGV fast train to Avignon. But once again at this late stage for booking, they will not be cheap fares, and will chew up an entire day in transit, I suspect. So biting the bullet on a direct air ticket might be easier in the end.

You can get a Thalys straight to Avignon; only just over 4 hours from Brussels.

Well not a Thalys I believe but a TGV train that yes goes direct Brussels via Paris CDG Airport to southern France. www.voyagfes-sncf.com for fares and online discounted tickets that to guarantee you must book months early - as they are sold in very limited numbers - full fare would cost a lot lot more.

Much better IMO than taking a Thalys train to Paris-Nord station then the hassle of changing stations in Paris (to Gare dy Lyon) but like tulips says only every four hours or so. Also check www.tgv.com for fares and schedules.

If doing the Thalys to Paris and TGV to Avignon you have two separate fares and probably twice as expensive perhaps so the optimal way is the direct TGV train Brussels-Midi to Avignon TGV. If renting a car pick one up at Avignon TGV station.

For lots of great info on French trains I always spotlight these fab IMO sources - www.seat61.com - good info on online discount fares); www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. The early bird gets the worm so book those tickets very early.

Train:
Brussels dp June 21st 7.05 - Avignon ar 11.44, 58 EUR, Tarif Prems, rapidly exhausted
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

Planes:
June 20th
Brussels dp 17.10 - Lyon Satolas ar 18.40, Fares start at 60 EUR with 1 piece of checked in luggage
June 21st:
Brussels dp 19.45 - Lyon Satolas ar 21.15, Fares start at 65 EUR with 1 piece of checked in luggage
http://www.easyjet.com
Charleroi dp 18.45 - Marseille ar 20.30, Fares start at 85 EUR with 1 piece of checked in luggage
http://www.ryanair.com/
Strasbourg dp 13.25 - Montpellier ar 14.45, Fares start at 40 EUR
http://www.volotea.com/en

There are PREMs available for direct trains from Brussels to Lyon on the 17th that take 3:45.

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-t...=HZU#journey_4

I see that Brussels-Avignon direct with Thalys is only on Saturdays in July and August - sorry, not much use for you!

Thanks for your help!

There are PREMs available for direct trains from Brussels to Lyon on the 17th that take 3:45.>

And from Lyon then you can take a regional train direct to the center of Avignon instead of taking a TGV from Lyon to Avignon-TGV station a few miles outside of town - regional trains pretty much have a flat fare I believe and are cheaper than TGVs - check fares at sncf.com of course.

Hi All:

We ended up choosing the train option from Brussels Midi to Avignon TGV, departing at 7:05 AM and arriving at 11:44 on 6/21. Going to CDG for our flight home: Avignon TGV to CDG2 TGV, departing at 17:51 on 6/27 and arriving at 21:02. Total price for two adults, $320 USD. Probably not the best price, but it seems reasonable and fits our schedule.

Thanks for your help and suggestions!

How did you book those tickets? Curious?

I tried sncf website, but was concerned that I couldn't read the French well enough not make a mistake, so clicked on the UK link in the sncf site to get English, which took me to the Rail Europe site, which I didn't want. Then got fustrated and went to the Rail Europe US site.

thanks katie - I wonder what the prices you saw on the sncf.cpom site were vs ones REurope booked. $320 total for 4 long train trips is about $80 per ride or about 58 euros - does not seem so bad to me even though the mantra is that RE charges exorbitant prices - RE is largely owned by the SNCF!

Hi PalenQ:

The prices were slightly less on the SNCF, but not enough to make me risk making a mistake in the French translation-maybe 10 euros or so.

My husband trained from Brussels to Amsterdam for business recently and paid about 50 euros for a much shorter ride, so we are happy with this price.

Thanks for help!

Is there a reason you didn't use the Belgian train website?

The prices were slightly less on the SNCF, but not enough to make me risk making a mistake in the French translation-maybe 10 euros or so.>

So the Fodor mantra that RailEurope always outrageously rips off folks is not always true? And it is not always or nearly always true - but folks who never investigate their pricing will hear someone else here say it and repeat it as fact.

Say it enough and others will repeat it as the gospel truth.

Is there a reason you didn't use the Belgian train website?>

does trhe Belgian site give the same discounts as the French one?

does trhe Belgian site give the same discounts as the French one?>

does anyone know?

thanks in advance.

>>>So the Fodor mantra that RailEurope always outrageously rips off folks is not always true? And it is not always or nearly always true - but folks who never investigate their pricing will hear someone else here say it and repeat it as fact.<<<

It's not only the RE mark-up, but also the fact they don't show all trains and prices. Additionally, using the trains websites of each country, you usually having the option of printing your own ticket. RailEurope says they have to mail you most tickets (which of course isn't true and is a way for them to tack on charges) and charges you an $18 mailing fee. So the person above would be paying the 10€ extra (about $13) and the $18 mailing fee so $31 more .

I priced some Thello tickets comparing Thello and RE and RE was $100 more.

Hi kybourbon:

I didn't price tickets using the Belgian site, since we are traveling mostly in France.

Rail Europe does have a print your own ticket option, which I used, so didn't receive an additional charge for mailing.

you usually having the option of printing your own ticket. RailEurope says they have to mail you most tickets>

outdated information?

yes isolated examples of $100 more can be had but you are comparing apples to oranges as RE's tickets are generally full-fare fully flexible tickets and the one you are comparing them to are probably non-changeable non-refundable and must be booked months in advance to get - well that is what I suspect is the case here - they are not the same type of tickets. RE sells full-fare tickets and compare those to full-fare tickets to see what the difference is.

>>>So the Fodor mantra that RailEurope always outrageously rips off folks is not always true? And it is not always or nearly always true - but folks who never investigate their pricing will hear someone else here say it and repeat it as fact.<<<

I'm always curious about the RE markups so I've looked this up. RE does offer a print your own ticket on this train (not all). The fee is $7.95.

This ticket could have easily been booked on the Belgian train website without a fee in English (under Netherlands you can select four different languages on their website). While the markup isn't huge on this particular ticket, one ticket I looked at last week had a markup of $100 on RE.

Here's the breakdown for the 7:05am TGV Brussels Midi to Avignon.

RE:
Ticket - $80
RE Fee - $7.95(when you check print at home option)
Total - $87.95

Belgian website:
Ticket - 58€ = $75.85 (current exchange rate)
Belgian Fee - 0
Your credit card exchange fee - $.76 (most credit cards charge 1% as mine does)
Total - $76.61

You've paid RailEurope $11.34 more to book on their website (about 15% for this ticket).

The Belgian website:

http://www.b-europe.com/Travel/Booki...stepTravelWish

I only priced one ticket. I don't know if RE charges the fee per ticket or for the entire order.

But what about my other ticket from Avgnon to Paris? Assuming that I would still need to book that through SNCF or RE.

I'm okay with $11 to be able to one shot book and have less chance for things to get screwed up.

I'm okay with $11 to be able to one shot book and have less chance for things to get screwed up.>

yes all of 11 euros! - You'd probably spend a few hours actually trying to book online - well worth the time IMO though some will say even if you spend one euro more and have to spend hours doing it you should!

(most credit cards charge 1% as mine does)>

all mine charge 3% as many IME do

and what exchange rate did kybourbon use - if it's the one in the paper's business page then that is not the actual effective rate your credit card company would have - meaning that there for some at least nearly no difference in pricing - anyway the normal traveler would happily pay $11 then navigating unfamiliar web sites, which can, to wit many Fodor posts, be time-consuming and frustrating - oh well to save the price of a cup of coffee in Europe some folks will spend hours!