brussels to basel by train

Hi all,

I need some advice on my upcoming trip from Brussels to Basel.

I plan to go to Basel on the 20th from Brussels International airport.

My flight reaches Brussels (its a stop over) on the 20th @ 8:00 am (local time) and would like to take a train ride to Basel. Will return back on the 23rd, my onward flight is on the 24th @ 10:05 am (local time)

1) How far away is the train station from the Airport and how do I get there

2) Is it necessary to book in advance as it is a week day.

3) Being a 7 hr ride I would like to check other places en-route, any good places that I could take a peek at?

And finally what should I be carefull about?

Tnx

Michael

|||

Which airport will you arrive at ?

Zaventem is 12 kilometers east of Brussels, Charleroi (nicknamed Brussels South by Ryan Air) is 60 kilometers South West of Brussels.

http://www.sncb.be

You can take the Brussels --%26gt; Basel train either at Bruxelles-Midi (departure/arrival) or Bruxelles-Schuman (direct bus line to Zaventem airport)

I took the Brussels--%26gt;Basel train on Easter and it was packed. There are always free places on a week day.

|||

1) The train from the station below the airport (BRU) goes to Bruxelles-Nord, Bruxelles-Central and Bruxelles-Midi, takes about 20 minutes. Midi is Brussels%26#39; main station and the only one for Thalys and TGV trains, others stop at all 3 stations.

Unfortunately the direct train for Basel (Zurich) only leaves 5 hours after you arrive but there are other possibilities, see http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

- DIRECT TRAIN

Bruxelles-Nat.-Aéroport dep 12:50 arr. Bruxelles-Nord 13:01

Bruxelles-Nord dep 13:18 arr. Basel 19:48

Both of these also stop at Bruxelles-Central so you could catch an earlier train from the airport and visit Brussels before continuing to Basel.

- VIA PARIS

Bruxelles-Nat.-Aéroport dep 09:32 arr. Bruxelles-Midi 09:54

Bruxelles-Midi dep 10:13 (THALYS) arr. Paris Nord 11:35; walk to Paris Est (800 m)

Paris Est dep 12:24 (TGV) arr. Basel SBB 15:51

- VIA PARIS CDG and STRASBOURG

Bruxelles-Nat.-Aéroport dep 09:50 arr. Bruxelles-Midi 10:10

Bruxelles-Midi dep 10:21 (TGV) arr Aeroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle TGV 11:36

Aeroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle dep 12:54 (TGV) arr. Strasbourg 15:17

Strasbourg dep 15:53 arr. Basel 17:16

- VIA COLOGNE

Bruxelles-Nat.-Aéroport dep 12:04 arr. Bruxelles-Nord 12:15

Bruxelles-Nord dep 12:27 (ICE) arr. Köln Hbf 14:15

Köln Hbf dep 14:54 (ICE) arr. Basel SBB 18:47

Of course if you want to stop off anywhere you will have to look for later connections than the ones given.

2) 20 September - you don%26#39;t mention any other month - is not a weekday, it%26#39;s a Sunday, but in any case the need to reserve or not has nothing to do with the day but with the type of train: Thalys and TGV require advance reservations for a specific seat in a specific carriage on a specific train (departure).

3) Apart from stations where you have to change if you select a particular route, on DB site you can check which stations any train stops at by selecting the departure concerned and then clicking on the train number. For example IC97, the direct Brussels-Basel train, stops at Namur, Libramont,

Arlon, Luxembourg (16:00), Thionville, Metz Ville,

Strasbourg (18:12), Selestat, Colmar, Mulhouse Ville and St-Louis(Haut Rhin). But you wouldn%26#39;t have long to do anything if you want to get to Basel before the evening.

4) You should be careful about arriving back in Brussels on the 24th in time to get to the airport by 7.05 a.m., if flight is to the U.S (8.05 if short-haul). As there is no night train, you would have to travel the day before: the direct train to Brussels leaves Basel at 15:54 and arrives at Bruxelles-Midi at 22:45. You could spend the night at the Ibis Gare du Midi and take the airport train early the next morning (they start at 5) or go straight to the airport and spend the night at the Airport Sheraton, which is the only hotel right at the airport.

|||

Tnx a bunch,

I think I would take the direct train.

Is it safe to leave my luggage/boxes in Brussels airport (locker room)?

I will be gone for 3 days.

|||

The direct train that I got from the web site is:

Bruxelles-Nat.-Aéroport 20.10.09 dep 12:52 6:56 1 IR, IC

Basel SNCF 20.10.09 arr 19:48

Is this from the Brussels airport and it says 1 change over.

It does not give me the fare rate, instaed asks me to call the CS.

Tnx

Michael