TRAVEL BLOG
Saturday, November 03, 2007
3 Coffees, 3 Countries, 1 Day
The combined size of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Benelux) is relatively small, less than the size of Austria or Czech Republic for example. Size is relative though, and being Australian you are asking the wrong person if you think this region is big. Australia has cattle stations the size of Belgium and I lived on a sheep station the size of Lichtenstein (though it sadly lacked castles and private banking facilities).
So having 3 coffees isn't as difficult as it sounds. I started the day in Luxembourg, got the train to Namur and Dinant in Belgium, then finished the day in Maastricht in the Netherlands. If I really wanted to I could have made it 4 coffees in 4 countries as Aachen on the German border is not far away from Maastricht.
I have already done 4 coffees in 4 countries once before though. Lake Constance in Central Europe is bordered by Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, and Lichtenstein is not far away. Using the efficient rail network of that part of the world it is very easy to visit all of them in a day (with a bus trip to Lichtenstein as they have no passenger rail service).
So having 3 coffees isn't as difficult as it sounds. I started the day in Luxembourg, got the train to Namur and Dinant in Belgium, then finished the day in Maastricht in the Netherlands. If I really wanted to I could have made it 4 coffees in 4 countries as Aachen on the German border is not far away from Maastricht.
I have already done 4 coffees in 4 countries once before though. Lake Constance in Central Europe is bordered by Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, and Lichtenstein is not far away. Using the efficient rail network of that part of the world it is very easy to visit all of them in a day (with a bus trip to Lichtenstein as they have no passenger rail service).
Labels: belgium, benelux, coffee, luxembourg, netherlands, train
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Benelux Rail Pass
If you are planning to travel in Belgium and the Netherlands then you may want to consider a Benelux rail pass. (Benelux stands for BElgium NEtherlands and LUXembourg).
For European residents there is the Benelux pass from InterRailg(16416160)a(392360))
, and for non European residents the Benelux pass is available from Rail Europe
. This pass can be bought at the international ticket department of major train stations, but it may be more convenient to order it before you travel to save time buying it when you arrive.
Plan Your Travel
As with any rail pass you should do some homework beforehand to make sure you will save money from buying a pass.
For example the Benelux pass Adult 2nd class is €139 and is valid for 5 days travels in 30 days. That works out at €27.80 per day of travel. Next you need to look at the map of Benelux to see where you would like to go. If you are only visiting a few places then it will not be worth getting a pass. If you plan to visit many towns and cities then the pass becomes worthwhile.
Next you need to plan how to make the most of the pass by planning your travel days. Making the most of your pass include doing your long distance travel in one day or visiting a few different small towns in one day that require lots of train travel.
Starting your Benelux Pass Travel
People arriving from outside Europe will most likely arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport or Brussels International. If you are coming from another point in Europe then it might work out better to start at on the edges of the region. Some starting points could be:
- Luxembourg Airport
- Charleroi Airport(known as Brussels South)
- Groningen Airport in the north of the Netherlands has flights from Ryanair.
- Maastricht Aachen Airport
visitors from the UK can also get the Dutch Flyer, which is a combined ferry/train ticket from London to Amsterdam for from £25 one way.
Ready to start my Benelux Pass at Gare Centrale Luxembourg
For European residents there is the Benelux pass from InterRail
Plan Your Travel
As with any rail pass you should do some homework beforehand to make sure you will save money from buying a pass.
For example the Benelux pass Adult 2nd class is €139 and is valid for 5 days travels in 30 days. That works out at €27.80 per day of travel. Next you need to look at the map of Benelux to see where you would like to go. If you are only visiting a few places then it will not be worth getting a pass. If you plan to visit many towns and cities then the pass becomes worthwhile.
Next you need to plan how to make the most of the pass by planning your travel days. Making the most of your pass include doing your long distance travel in one day or visiting a few different small towns in one day that require lots of train travel.
Starting your Benelux Pass Travel
People arriving from outside Europe will most likely arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport or Brussels International. If you are coming from another point in Europe then it might work out better to start at on the edges of the region. Some starting points could be:
- Luxembourg Airport
- Charleroi Airport(known as Brussels South)
- Groningen Airport in the north of the Netherlands has flights from Ryanair.
- Maastricht Aachen Airport
visitors from the UK can also get the Dutch Flyer, which is a combined ferry/train ticket from London to Amsterdam for from £25 one way.
Ready to start my Benelux Pass at Gare Centrale Luxembourg
Labels: belgium, benelux, luxembourg, netherlands, rail pass, train, train station
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Friday, November 02, 2007
Getting to Luxembourg
Luxembourg airport is 6km from the city. It is the home base for Luxair, the national flag carrier airline. There are flights from London by British Airwaysg(17066602)a(392360))
and VLM Airways.
The airport is a small regional airport so I was surprised to see 747's at an airport serving a city with a population of just over 75,000 people. These Jumbo's though are cargo airlines.
Luxembourg has positioned itself as a cargo hub and it is one of the worlds busiest. During the day you will see 747 cargo planes flying over the city.
Luxembourg Airport
Train
Luxembourg has its own state railway, CFL. There are direct international services from Brussels, Paris and Trier in Germany.
Gare Centrale Luxembourg
Bus
Luxembourg has international services by Eurolines.
The airport is a small regional airport so I was surprised to see 747's at an airport serving a city with a population of just over 75,000 people. These Jumbo's though are cargo airlines.
Luxembourg has positioned itself as a cargo hub and it is one of the worlds busiest. During the day you will see 747 cargo planes flying over the city.
Luxembourg Airport
Train
Luxembourg has its own state railway, CFL. There are direct international services from Brussels, Paris and Trier in Germany.
Gare Centrale Luxembourg
Bus
Luxembourg has international services by Eurolines.
Labels: airport, bus, luxembourg, train
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Luxembourg City
The City of Luxembourg is the capital of The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a pocket sized little country in Western Europe of just 82km long and 57km wide.
Luxembourger's are a linguistic lot, having three official languages: French, German and Luxembourgish. English is also taught at schools as well.
Luxembourg is famous for its private banking services and many international companies have offices here attracted by its tax haven status.
Luxembourg is a seat of several institutions of the European Union, including the European Court of Auditors, the European Court of Justice and the European Investment Bank.
There is more to Luxembourg though than business, banking and bureaucrats.
Luxembourg's eponymously titled capital sits on either side of a valley that splits the city in two. The river Petrusse flows here, where it joins the river Alzette. Down in the valley is the quarter called Grund.
Grund - Luxembourg
Above the valley is the old town, where the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) can be found. Also here is the Notre Dame Cathedral. While it's not the grandest cathedral in Europe it is close to the Place de la Constitution lookout, which gives you a spectacular view of the city looking over the valley.
Pont Adolphe
Cross the valley over Pont Adolphe and you travel down Avenue de la Liberte, which looks like Paris in miniature. This leads all the way to Place de la Gare where the train station is.
Luxembourger's are a linguistic lot, having three official languages: French, German and Luxembourgish. English is also taught at schools as well.
Luxembourg is famous for its private banking services and many international companies have offices here attracted by its tax haven status.
Luxembourg is a seat of several institutions of the European Union, including the European Court of Auditors, the European Court of Justice and the European Investment Bank.
There is more to Luxembourg though than business, banking and bureaucrats.
Luxembourg's eponymously titled capital sits on either side of a valley that splits the city in two. The river Petrusse flows here, where it joins the river Alzette. Down in the valley is the quarter called Grund.
Grund - Luxembourg
Above the valley is the old town, where the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) can be found. Also here is the Notre Dame Cathedral. While it's not the grandest cathedral in Europe it is close to the Place de la Constitution lookout, which gives you a spectacular view of the city looking over the valley.
Pont Adolphe
Cross the valley over Pont Adolphe and you travel down Avenue de la Liberte, which looks like Paris in miniature. This leads all the way to Place de la Gare where the train station is.
Labels: europe, luxembourg
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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