When to purchase Eurorail tickets

[L. A. McDaniel]

When is the best time to purchase a Eurorail ticket? From the website in the U.S. or after arriving in Europe? We are going a few days early to Belgium and will need to get to the port in Rotterdam. I have been told that it is cheaper to wait and buy when there because there is an extra fee charged for a U.S. purchase. Does anyone know the answer to this question? I would appreciate your information. Thanks, Lindy

[ab0si]

I thought I answered this question yesterday. :)

 

Buy your ticket when you get to Belgium. Assuming you are leaving Brussels or Antwerp, you have a choice of IC trains (no reservations) or Thalys trains (seat reservation required, higher fares, faster by FIVE minutes).

 

If leaving from Bruges or Gent, you need to make a connection in Brussels or Antwerp . No reservation for these trains.

 

You can buy your tickets in advance when you get there if you wish. The only real advantage of 1st class over 2nd class s that it will be less crowded.

[L. A. McDaniel]

Thanks abOsi, I am a real novice on this and couldn't even find where my questions was moved. AND, didn't know where to post in the first place. It's a very helpful site if you know what you are doing....which I don't :o We will be traveling from Brussels to Rotterdam with another couple. The travel date will be a Saturday. Do you think it will be necessary to reserve a seat? This will be the later part of August. With all of the expense of the trip, we try to save whenever possible.

 

Again, certainly appreciate your help.

[ab0si]

Most of the trains do not even accept reservations .. only the Thalys do.

 

So there is no reason to pay extra to buy the tickets before you get there

[ab0si]

L.A. ...

 

sorry, I forgot to add:

 

If you take the normal trains (IC), you can board at Brussels Centraal or Brussels Midi (South). If you take the Thalys, you have to board it at Midi. The area around Midi is seriously ugly and your hotel is most likely near Centraal or Nord station (a few of the trains might stop at Nord, but most do not anymore. You can take a train from Nord to Centraal or Midi or grab a taxi, bus, tram.. whatever works for you.

 

It is <1:50 to Rotterdam Centraal. If you are on a IC, the stop before this is Dordrecht. If on the Thalys, the stop before the one you want is Antwerpen.

 

If you are catching the train from the Brussels airport, take the train to Centraal and pick up the IC there.

 

On Saturdays, there are ICs leaving Midi (a few minutes later for Centraal at

15 minutes after the hour. Thalys leaving at 8:52, 9:52, 11:52, 13:52 and 16:52 (I assume you ain't going later than that).

 

The ICs stop at Centraal for only a minute, so be prepared. You will only have a couple of minutes at Rotterdam to hop off. You will note that people start gathering their things together and move towards the door before the train has stopped. You want to do likewise (note the "stop before" information I gave you above).

 

Keep an eye on your luggage and enjoy the trip.

 

Are you spending time in Brussels pre-cruise? If so, check out A la Mort Subite (translation: Sudden Death). It is something of a tourist trap, but still worthwhile. It is a traditional Belgian bar which carries all the famous and quite a few of the not-so-famous Belgian brews (best in the world). This bar is close to Centraal and Grote Markt

[L. A. McDaniel]

Paul, thanks for the additional info. It is much appreciated and I will pass on the info to my friends. My husband in particular will like the beer suggestion. He is always up to trying a new one.

 

We will all have luggage with us.....hopefully not too much as we will have to lug it around. I found that in Japan, there was little accomodation for a piece of luggage on the trains. There will be four of us and I don't think I want to travel holding luggage in my lap. How about the trains in Europe? Yes, we are going a couple of days early to see Brussels. I saw it from the train window several years ago on a trip from Amsterdam to Paris. It really impressed me and I always thought I'd love to get back to see it. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. But, it did present a problem with getting from there to board the ship in Rotterdam. Trying to work out all of the logistics of this trip has become a difficult task. We did make reservations in Rotterdam for the night before the ship disembarks. Tried to give ourselves time for any unexpected glitches.

 

Again, thanks for the tips. Any more that you want to suggest will be appreciated. :D

 

Lindy

[ab0si]

Lindy:

 

There will not be a lot of room for luggage -- more than Japan, though! -- but with 4 of you, you will be fine. Just make sure someone is watching it at all times. There is a lesser problem with luggage theft there than in other places, but a watchful eye is a good thing .. it <2 hours, so it is not like you need to spend the night worrying about it.

 

I spend a fair amount of time in Belgium. Best cooks, best beer, and best chocolate in the world and cycling fanatics. I spend a lot more time in Bruges, Gent, and Antwerp than in Brussels.

 

A few pointers which might be of use:

 

1. there are 3 official languages: French, Flemish (Dutch) and German. You will street signs in both Flemish and French and almost all the cities have two spellings. Many, many Belgians speak English so life is rather easy for Anglophones.

 

2. If you are flying into the Brussels (BRU) airport, there is train service to the North, Central and South stations leaving every 15 minutes or so. If you are staying near the European quarter/NATO there is an express bus going there. Also local buses if feeling adventurous :) There is excellent public transportation within the city and to other parts of Belgium.

 

3. No idea what sort of thing interests you but something very Belgian is the Comic Museum: Centre Belge de la bande dessinée asbl at 20 rue des Sables. this is an easy walk from the Grand Place in a building designed by Belgium's most famous architect, Horta. It is closed Monday.

 

4. The Royal Museum of Central Africa is the only good that came out of Belgian rule of the Congo.http://www.africamuseum.be/ Also closed Monday.

[L. A. McDaniel]

I checked our lodging reservations for location. We are staying at the Holiday Inn Garden Court Brussels Expo......Avenue Imperatrice Charlotte 6. Are you familiar with this area? If so, can you tell me what is our best way to travel from there to the train station?

 

As for my interest, I would say probably many interest, but especially taking in the "flavor of the country". I am not a big shopper, nor am I interested in big cities with their hustle and bustle, instead I like to meet the ordinary people, talk with them and see what is their every day lifestyle. I love the interesting architecture, the quaint smaller towns, and the countryside. I probably need to get outside of Brussels to see this however. I love meeting and talking with people and learning more about them and their lives. But, my traveling companions may only want to stay in the city area. I do enjoy seeing historical sites and I'm sure there are many there so I should be quite satisfied. I have only been to Europe one other time and it was for a short visit. I loved it however, and felt I met many nice people. I am excited about going back. I am a planner and like to have as much information as possible before making the trip.

 

I hope this information helps you determine what help I need. Thanks again for all of the info you have given me. You are very kind to help.

 

Lindy