TRAVEL BLOG
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
St Pancras Photos
Eurostar International Foyer.
Eurostar train at St Pancras.
The Meeting Place. That's the name of the statue and the place.
Pancras Road.
Europe's longest Champagne bar.
Depatures to Paris and Brussels.
Visitors from Paris and Brussels can then connect from St Pancras to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. Lucky them.
Labels: england, eurostar, london, st pancras, train, train station
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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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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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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Sunday, October 28, 2007
The lure of European Trains
Whenever I pass a grand European train station I can't help but have a look inside and see what possibilities are on offer. Even though I am in one of the great cities of Europe and not in any hurry to leave, the lure of European train travel is always strong.
Budapest has three main train stations, of which Keleti palyaudvar receives most of the international arrivals and departures.
Keleti Palyaudvar
One afternoon when I wandered past there were trains waiting on the platform for Moscow, Zurich and Venice, with a train for Bucharest listed on the departure board.
Budapest Keleti Departure Board
Moszkva Train
Venezia Train
Zurich Train
Budapest has three main train stations, of which Keleti palyaudvar receives most of the international arrivals and departures.
Keleti Palyaudvar
One afternoon when I wandered past there were trains waiting on the platform for Moscow, Zurich and Venice, with a train for Bucharest listed on the departure board.
Budapest Keleti Departure Board
Moszkva Train
Venezia Train
Zurich Train
Labels: budapest, europe, hungary, train, train station
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Tokyo Subway
Tokyo is well known for its crowded subway system. If you are arriving to Tokyo around peak hour and are thinking of using the subway system, then it might be better to wait it out until the crowds subside. I got into town at about 10 at night so there was plenty of room to carry my two bags.
I thought I would try the peak hour at least once though. Sure enough the trains are packed. The first time a packed train passed I let it go through, thinking that the next one only 2 minutes away won't be as bad. It was just as packed, so just got on.
Once you are near the doors though you don't really have a choice. A crowd of commuters builds up behind you and before you know it you are being herded into the compartment by the crush of people and a station attendant who is there packaging the crowd in his white gloves.
It is a true sardine express, but I have to say that everyone behaves in an orderly manner and shows courtesy to their fellow travellers.
Ueno Subway Station - Tokyo
I thought I would try the peak hour at least once though. Sure enough the trains are packed. The first time a packed train passed I let it go through, thinking that the next one only 2 minutes away won't be as bad. It was just as packed, so just got on.
Once you are near the doors though you don't really have a choice. A crowd of commuters builds up behind you and before you know it you are being herded into the compartment by the crush of people and a station attendant who is there packaging the crowd in his white gloves.
It is a true sardine express, but I have to say that everyone behaves in an orderly manner and shows courtesy to their fellow travellers.
Ueno Subway Station - Tokyo
Labels: japan, subway, tokyo, train
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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