I might be able to make it. Is there an award for the farthest-travelled?
According to ancient European tradition; in any gathering of foreigners, the one who has travelled the furthest is obliged to buy all the beer.
What? Isn’t it in the guidebooks?
Tsk tsk.
Okay, I’n In Leuven now. Sorry for the delay in response; I only get the net at work, and haven’t always been able to soend time on the boards. I’m gonna look into rail travel and stuff, and get back with the infor necessary to answwer questions I’ve been asked up there.
[ Pause while I look at maps and the B-Rail site ]
Okay, Coldfire, first off, I can’t skip work on Monday the 25th, so I need to come back Sunday afternoon/evening – if you’re leaving Prague on Monday, I’ll need to find my own way home, but maybe I can ride with you to PragueDope.
For the cities you mentioned, here’s what it’s like by rail
Arnhem: Takes about 3.5 hours. Trains about once an hour. Travel via Rotterdam (if that’s important).
's-Hertogensbosch: Takes 2.75 hours. Trains about once an hour. Travel via Roosendaal.
For the cities more out of the way for you:
Maastricht: Takes 1.3 hours, goes via Liege every hour. (It’s only 20 minutes longer than ending the trip in Liege.)
I’m willing to go to Arnhem or 's Hertogensbosch (or somewhere else you think is better), especially if it makes it less of a detour. So which is the best bet?
Now, I have some questions for EuroDopers:
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Is there some way to get fares for international travel on the B-rail website? I can’t find it… Do I have to buy my tickets in the station? Or in the various transfer points along the way? Will those ticket booths be open for overnight trains? As it stands, I have no idea how much any of these train trip cost…
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What airlines should I be looking into as an alternative for rail? (At home it’s easy… only Air Canada and Bearskin Airlines serve my city
)
Hiya, wolfstu!
Intra-European flights can be ridiculously expensive on routes that don’t have a price fighter operating on them. I’m not sure about Zaventem-Prague, but a quick look at Ebookers.be gave me a fare of €350 all included, ironically via Amsterdam. 
Also, single tickets tend to be more expensive than returns at times, so if you’re going to fly, you’re better off flying both ways.
Rail - that’s a little more tricky. I’m guessing your best bet is the Deutsche Bahn website, as they service both international trains to Belgium and Czech. Hope your German is all right, if not let me know.
You’re more than welcome to hop aboard for the leg to Prague if you want, and heck, I’ll even swing by Liège Guillemins to pick you up. Saves you a LOT of time, and it only costs me 30 minutes or so.
Tomcat, any chance you can weigh in on the hotel matter? If not, I’ll just book something with a garage near public transport.
OK, I’m a nice guy, so I’m helping you out.
Trains look like a bitch, though. From the DB site:
24.10.04 24.10.04 Length Changes Trains
Praha hl.n. - Leuven 07:50 19:31 11:41 5 R, RE, ICE, THA, IC
Praha-Holesovice - Leuven 09:24 20:31 11:07 5 EC, ICE, IC, THA
Praha-Holesovice – Leuven 09:24 21:31 12:07 3 EC, ICE, IC
Those are your possibilities for a train home from Prague on Sunday. Quite a stretch, and a lot of changes of trains! I couldn’t get a direct price out of it, but I’ll try.
Coldfire: You’re sure about coming to Liège? It does save me some time (and money), but it’s no big deal for me to ride a train to someplace more convenient.
It looks like there’s trains from Leuven to Liège-Guillemins every half hour or so; what time would you want to meet there? (Or elsewhere) And do you want some money for fuel?
I checked out the DB site, but they don’t have pricing information, either. 
How is one supposed to buy train tickets?
I’ll keep looking at planes and trains.
Ah, thanks I think those are the same ones I found earlier, but couldn’t get a price for. I have to go back to this course I’m taking, so I’ll try some more in a few hours.
Sorry! I am SWAMPED! School started and I have been doing sponsorhsip presentations all week…
Coldy- I can let you park in my neighborhood, maybe in my bro-in-law’s garage. Maybe able to get you a spot in a guarded lot downtown.
As for hotel’s WITH garage, that is the pricey way to go. So pretty much anything you find will suit. I think curly’s hotel is good location/price. For dream locale with garage = min. 130 Euro/night.
The pension has space for parking, and taxi’s to/from downtown are 7 euro and 10 minutes. But for walk/return/walk/return all day it would be tough.
I can probably get you a physical therapist session for cheap (<20 Euro/hour). She did wonders on my shoulder/neck.
Gotta run-
-Tcat
Okay, I’ve found the train I want to take.
It leaves late in the day from Prague, and has a sleeping car. Gets to Leuven in time for me to go to work on Monday.
Now, if only I knew how much this costs, and how to get the tickets. I’m off to the train station to ask them.
My status on coming: Still waiting final word from my employer that I can take Friday off. If that passes and the train ticket is reasonable, I’m in, and would be glad to have a place at Tomcat’s pension and to travel with Coldfire. (But what time should I meet you at Liège (or elsewhere)?)
I was able to find out about prices at the station; the overnight trip costs EUR 135 or so. I’m in for the trip. I’m going to confer with my parents in Canada about getting a RailEurope pass (they have to be bought in North America) that will make the trip cheaper. I’m not sure about Tomcat’s pension yet; I may look into a youth hostel to try to save money (this is related to whether I can get a discount by using the RailEurope pass).
So: Not sure about the pension, but I’m coming to PragueDope.
Coldfire, are we settled on Liège? What time should I meet you?
Sorry for checking in late again, lads. Busy busy.
Tomcat, if you could get me a guarded spot somewhere, it would be much appreciated. Yeah, €130 a night is stretching things a bit as far as hotel prices go! Let me know if you can arrange some parking space for me - if there’s money involved then that’s no problem of course, provided it’s not over, say, €50 a day or so.
As soon as we know what to do with that pesky car, we can book our hotel, methinks.
wolfstu, Liège is still fine for me! As far as time goes - I’d like to make some good time and make it to Prague before dinner if possible. How does 9 AM at Liège Guillemins sound? That way we ought to be able to hit Prague in the end of the afternoon.
We’ll work out details on how you recognise me, although spotting a Citroën stationcar with bright yellow Dutch plates in downtown Liège shouldn’t be too hard.
Coldfire: 9 AM at Liège-Guillemins works for me, and matches the train schedules very well. There’s a train from Leuven that arrives at 0853, and if I miss that one there’s another that arrives at 0902. (This pattern repeats every hour.)
Coldy: I am pretty sure you can park in my bro-in-law’s garage. So use it as a backup. There are also parking garages around that should be under 50 Euro. Find a hotel that is suitable for you and your wife, the car will work itself out.
Gotta run-
-Tcat
Tomcat, I sent an e-mail to this hotel requesting some info. They may have a parking spot at the hotel, and it seems pretty central (opposite the National Museum). Their prices seem very good, CZK 1800 a night for a double. Looks a bit spartan, but clean and cosy.
wolfstu, all righty, let’s stick to 9 AM at Guillemins for now.
Looks good. If the parking doesn’t look safe, my BIL said OK to his garage. Great location for the price, in fact, one of the best I’ve seen. Will recommend it if you think it is nice.
Things are slowly coming together…
-Tcat
Still haven’t heard back from them, although they have 4 hours more before the promised 24 hour period expires.
I’ll keep your BIL’s offer in mind if it doesn’t work out. Thanks for that!
Waitaminute. Tomcat, just to be clear: The double rooms in the pension are EUR 55/night, right? Is that the price per person, or for two people? If I stay in a double room for one night, do I pay EUR 55 or EUR 27.50?
If it’s the lower price, count me in! I doubt I’ll find a conveninet hostel much cheaper, and this place comes with breakfast and is right next to the Doper Party.
- Assuming there’s still room, of course
:: plans pillowfight with wolfstu at the Josephina pension ::
Wolf- you need to find a partner…I was hoping to get you paired up with another person doing the cheap. If we can’t find you one, then you would pay the 45 Euro a night price. Hostels are cheaper than 45.
So, everyone Who wants to room with Wolfstu?
Coldie, you cool?
-Tcat