TRAVEL BLOG
Saturday, November 17, 2007
What do the Belgians really think of the British?
To promote the new Brussels - London Eurostar service some advertisements have gone up all around Brussels which have caused a stir - the dream of every advertising agency.
The one that has most tongues wagging is one of a football thug relieving himself in a cup of tea.
London now just around the corner
Other advertisements include an Alfred Hitchcock and a John Cleese impersonator. While the football thug might not be in the best taste, the ads show how universal these British characters are. There is no parralel ad campaign in London for Brussels. After all that old saying Name a Famous Belgian still rings true.
I thought this ad though sums it up positively for Britain. Apart from the USA, how many other countries could have their last three leaders so easily impersonated and recognised?
Eurostar - British Prime Ministers
The one that has most tongues wagging is one of a football thug relieving himself in a cup of tea.
London now just around the corner
Other advertisements include an Alfred Hitchcock and a John Cleese impersonator. While the football thug might not be in the best taste, the ads show how universal these British characters are. There is no parralel ad campaign in London for Brussels. After all that old saying Name a Famous Belgian still rings true.
I thought this ad though sums it up positively for Britain. Apart from the USA, how many other countries could have their last three leaders so easily impersonated and recognised?
Eurostar - British Prime Ministers
Labels: advertisement, belgians, belgium, british, brussels, eurostar, london
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Equine Espresso
Horse having coffee - Brussels Midi Station
Labels: belgium, brussels, coffee, horse
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Friday, November 16, 2007
London to Paris and Brussels: Train v Plane
Eurostar has a market share of about 71% of the London-Paris and 64% of the London-Brussels air/rail routes, so it has proved to be the most popular of the two options.
Travel Time
For overall travel time the Eurostar is the quicker option once you factor in travel time to and from airports and minimum required time before flight departure.
There is less hassle to travel on the Eurostar as well. You pass through both countries customs before you board. Clearing customs and baggage screening takes no longer than 20 minutes and you only need to be there 30 minutes before departure.
As you carry your bags onboard and you have already cleared customs, once you reach Paris or Brussels you can walk off the train and straight out of the station.
Wireless
The St Pancras departure lounge has a good laptop work area. Never mind Europe's longest Champagne bar, this may be Europe's longest laptop work bench.
Laptop Work Desk
I was soon to be disappointed though as there is no free wireless service on offer. So far none of London's 5 airports offer a free wireless service and there are currently no airlines that are capable of offering wireless inflight (yet).
Surely Eurostar could strike a blow to their airline competition by offering free wireless in the departure lounges and on the train. If a bus can offer WiFi, then why not a train.
Complimentary Newspapers - Eurostar Departure Lounge
Ticketing
This is where Eurostar, and British trains in general, are way behind the pricing reforms that have swept through the airline industry since the low cost boom. Ticket prices are still structured like the airline tickets of old, where a one way ticket can cost more than a return.
Looking for tickets on the UK site I found one way tickets for £150. Then I searched for a return ticket using the same start date and the total price was £60. So it is more economical to buy a return and not use the return half if you want to travel one way.
The one way price is different again on the US version, and there are price discrepancies, as reported by the Independent, where the same ticket is cheaper if you live in Europe rather than Britain (though cheaper prices in Europe than the UK won't come as a surprise for British readers).
In this age of DIY travel booking, it is easy to travel to one destination and leave from another, so it would be a good option to be able to book a one way train ticket, and return via air from another destination.
Finding cheap Eurostar tickets is easy enough. If you book in advance you can find return tickets for £59.
Eurostar
Note: London-Brussels travel was provided by Eurostar.
Travel Time
For overall travel time the Eurostar is the quicker option once you factor in travel time to and from airports and minimum required time before flight departure.
There is less hassle to travel on the Eurostar as well. You pass through both countries customs before you board. Clearing customs and baggage screening takes no longer than 20 minutes and you only need to be there 30 minutes before departure.
As you carry your bags onboard and you have already cleared customs, once you reach Paris or Brussels you can walk off the train and straight out of the station.
Wireless
The St Pancras departure lounge has a good laptop work area. Never mind Europe's longest Champagne bar, this may be Europe's longest laptop work bench.
Laptop Work Desk
I was soon to be disappointed though as there is no free wireless service on offer. So far none of London's 5 airports offer a free wireless service and there are currently no airlines that are capable of offering wireless inflight (yet).
Surely Eurostar could strike a blow to their airline competition by offering free wireless in the departure lounges and on the train. If a bus can offer WiFi, then why not a train.
Complimentary Newspapers - Eurostar Departure Lounge
Ticketing
This is where Eurostar, and British trains in general, are way behind the pricing reforms that have swept through the airline industry since the low cost boom. Ticket prices are still structured like the airline tickets of old, where a one way ticket can cost more than a return.
Looking for tickets on the UK site I found one way tickets for £150. Then I searched for a return ticket using the same start date and the total price was £60. So it is more economical to buy a return and not use the return half if you want to travel one way.
The one way price is different again on the US version, and there are price discrepancies, as reported by the Independent, where the same ticket is cheaper if you live in Europe rather than Britain (though cheaper prices in Europe than the UK won't come as a surprise for British readers).
In this age of DIY travel booking, it is easy to travel to one destination and leave from another, so it would be a good option to be able to book a one way train ticket, and return via air from another destination.
Finding cheap Eurostar tickets is easy enough. If you book in advance you can find return tickets for £59.
Eurostar
Note: London-Brussels travel was provided by Eurostar.
Labels: brussels, england, eurostar, london, paris, st pancras, train, train station
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
Eurostar moves to St Pancras
On the 14th of November London's Eurostar terminal moved from Waterloo to St Pancras. Eurostar began operations in 1994 but it has until now never been able to travel at high speed when in Britain. A new tunnel was dug under the east of London to enable high speed train travel all the way to the English channel.
The move to St Pancras means that travel times to Paris have been reduced from 2 hours 35 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Travel to Brussels has gone from 2 hours 20 minutes to 1 hour and 51 minutes.
St Pancras comprises two remarkable Victorian era buildings. The front of St Pancras is a classic London landmark, the former Midland Grand Hotel, built in the Gothic revival style by Architect Gilbert Scott.
This part of the station is being converted into apartments, St Pancras Chambers, which is currently being advertised as 66 luxury apatments and 1 unique £10 Million Penthouse.
Behind this grand frontage is the train shed of the Engineer William Barlow. This enclosed area consists of single span arches that measure 74.8m (243 ft) across, which at the time it opened was the largest single span structure in the world.
The Midland Grand Hotel was closed in 1935 and St Pancras went into a slow decline to the point where it was threatened with demolition in the 1960's. Fortunately the building was saved, and in in 1996 the building's fortunes changed when the government approved the new high speed rail link that would put 20 kilometres of tunnel under London, bringing the Eurostar service to St Pancras.
The building was then carefully renovated and modified to accommodate the new high speed service along with the existing mainline services that operate to the Midlands. A modern extension has been added to the arched train shed to accommodate the 400 metre long Eurostar trains. The basement of the old station, which was once used as a cellar to store beer brought to London from the Midlands, is now used as the Eurostar departures area.
Eurostar operates around 50 services a day between the UK and France/Belgium. Eurostar trains are 400 metres long and comprise 18 passenger carraiges and two power cars. There are 750 seats on each train, almost equivalent to the capacity levels of two Boeing 747 planes.
Eurostar
The move to St Pancras means that travel times to Paris have been reduced from 2 hours 35 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Travel to Brussels has gone from 2 hours 20 minutes to 1 hour and 51 minutes.
St Pancras comprises two remarkable Victorian era buildings. The front of St Pancras is a classic London landmark, the former Midland Grand Hotel, built in the Gothic revival style by Architect Gilbert Scott.
This part of the station is being converted into apartments, St Pancras Chambers, which is currently being advertised as 66 luxury apatments and 1 unique £10 Million Penthouse.
Behind this grand frontage is the train shed of the Engineer William Barlow. This enclosed area consists of single span arches that measure 74.8m (243 ft) across, which at the time it opened was the largest single span structure in the world.
The Midland Grand Hotel was closed in 1935 and St Pancras went into a slow decline to the point where it was threatened with demolition in the 1960's. Fortunately the building was saved, and in in 1996 the building's fortunes changed when the government approved the new high speed rail link that would put 20 kilometres of tunnel under London, bringing the Eurostar service to St Pancras.
The building was then carefully renovated and modified to accommodate the new high speed service along with the existing mainline services that operate to the Midlands. A modern extension has been added to the arched train shed to accommodate the 400 metre long Eurostar trains. The basement of the old station, which was once used as a cellar to store beer brought to London from the Midlands, is now used as the Eurostar departures area.
Eurostar operates around 50 services a day between the UK and France/Belgium. Eurostar trains are 400 metres long and comprise 18 passenger carraiges and two power cars. There are 750 seats on each train, almost equivalent to the capacity levels of two Boeing 747 planes.
Eurostar
Labels: brussels, england, eurostar, london, paris, st pancras, train, train station
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Sunday, November 11, 2007
The Great Grote Markt Market
If I have learnt one thing about Belgium it is they have cornered the great Grote Markt market. Belgium has some of the best preserved Town Squares (Grote Markt) in Europe.
Grote Markt - Brussels
Grote Markt - Mechelen
Grote Markt - Leuven
Grote Markt - Kortrijk
Grote Markt Cafes - Bruges
Grote Markt - Brussels
Grote Markt - Mechelen
Grote Markt - Leuven
Grote Markt - Kortrijk
Grote Markt Cafes - Bruges
Labels: belgium, bruges, brussels, kortrijk, leuven, mechelen, town square
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Brussels Bike Hire
These bike hire stations can be found in locations all over Brussels. You have to register and pay to use this service. While it is only a small fee, I prefer the system in Copenhagen where you you only need to put a coin in a deposit slot, like in a supermarket trolley.
cyclocity.be
Cyclocity Brussels
cyclocity.be
Cyclocity Brussels
Labels: belgium, bicycle, brussels
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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In honour of the future victims of Swedish-made weapons
An anti-war message in front of a war memorial at Place Poelaert near the Palace of Justice in Brussels.
If Swedes are wondering why Belgians have singled them out it is because the installation is by Swedish artist Fia-Stina Sandlund.
In honour of the future victims of Swedish-made weapons
If Swedes are wondering why Belgians have singled them out it is because the installation is by Swedish artist Fia-Stina Sandlund.
In honour of the future victims of Swedish-made weapons
Labels: belgium, brussels, war
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Manneken Pis - Brussels
Manneken Pis is one of the most well known places of Brussels. Some say it's also the most disappointing tourist attraction of Europe. But as it is one of those things you "have to see", people crowd around this diminutive statue.
Mannekin Pis Tourists
Manneken Mascot
Manneken Pis is the unofficial symbol of Brussels. Every tourist shops contain Manneken Pis related items.
Not the most appropriate statue to have near seafood
Other Pis Statues
Continuing the toileting statue theme, there are two more statues to see, the Jeanneke Pis and this one of a dog.
Dog Pis - Rue Des Chartreux
Mannekin Pis Tourists
Manneken Mascot
Manneken Pis is the unofficial symbol of Brussels. Every tourist shops contain Manneken Pis related items.
Not the most appropriate statue to have near seafood
Other Pis Statues
Continuing the toileting statue theme, there are two more statues to see, the Jeanneke Pis and this one of a dog.
Dog Pis - Rue Des Chartreux
Labels: belgium, brussels, statue
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Chocolates and Waffles
Belgians are master chocolatiers. There are chocolate shops all over Brussels. They also claim the waffle as their own, so if you have a sweet tooth then you will enjoy wandering around Brussels.
Belgian Chocolates
Belgian Waffles
Belgian Waffle - Grand Place
Belgian Chocolates
Belgian Waffles
Belgian Waffle - Grand Place
Labels: belgium, brussels, food
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Tuesday, November 06, 2007
The grandest place in Europe
The Grand Place (French: Grand Place, Dutch: Grote Markt) is the main square of Brussels, Belgium. Most of the European Union's institutions have headquarters in Brussels, giving Brussels its title of European Union capital. It is fitting then that the "Capital of Europe" has the grandest town square in Europe as well.
Grand Place / Grote Markt
Grand Place / Grote Markt
Labels: belgium, brussels, europe, grand place, grote markt, town square
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Monday, November 05, 2007
Bruxelles - Brussel - Brussels
Brussels is a real surprise packet of a city if you don't know anything about it other than being the so called capital of Europe. It's a cosmopolitan city with a mix of old and new Europe. Belgians don't seem to be a boastful lot, perhaps this is why Brussels isn't as visited as it should be.
Language
Belgium is split into three linguistic divides. Flanders, the northern half of the country is Flemish (Dutch) speaking, Wallonia in the Southern half speak French, and there is a German speaking pocket in the east of the Country. Brussels is in the Brussels-Capital Region, which is in the Dutch speaking Flanders region, but officially Brussels is bilingual, French and Dutch. This is why all the street signs in Brussels are in both languages.
Language
Belgium is split into three linguistic divides. Flanders, the northern half of the country is Flemish (Dutch) speaking, Wallonia in the Southern half speak French, and there is a German speaking pocket in the east of the Country. Brussels is in the Brussels-Capital Region, which is in the Dutch speaking Flanders region, but officially Brussels is bilingual, French and Dutch. This is why all the street signs in Brussels are in both languages.
Labels: belgians, belgium, brussels
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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