Another train question

We are leaving from Dendermonde (near ghent) to Paris on a Thursday morning. The question is - do we take a %26quot;local%26quot; train from Dendermonde into bruxelles-midi or take a car ride into Brussels from a friend but leave at least 2 1/2 hours later (meaining less time in Paris) How much of a hassle with changing trains be with at least one heavy carry-on and hand luggage....

Thanks in advance.

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I would go earlier, on the local train. Changing trains at Brussels Midi involves coming down from the platform your train arrives at (admittedly there are only steps down, so somebody will have to suffer with the heavy suitcase - unless you can find a lift/elevator, they have been putting them in at certain stations but not on every platform), when you arrive on the general concourse. You then direct yourselves to the Thalys platforms (something like 3-5, 1 and 2 being Eurostar), identifying which one your train is leaving from (departure board and specific indication at the bottom of the escalator to each platform), going up the escalator and boarding the train.

The only additional elements compared with coming to Gare du Midi by car are getting on and off the local train and coming down from the platform to the main concourse. You would still have had to find the correct platform for your Thalys, carry your luggage up, and stow it in the train. The only real problem, in my opinion, is that it could be awkward if you were taking the train from Dendermonde on a weekday between 7 and 9, when commuters are coming into Brussels for work; for the suitcase, look for 2 sets of 4 seats back-to-back, which have a space between them that you can fit this in.