We’re going to Belgium next year, and in looking at airfares, mr. romans found flights via Air France and KLM wherein you fly into Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and then take the Eurostar into Belgium. Booking for both takes place via either Air France or KLM’s web sites.
I think it’s kind of a neat idea, but the info on Air France’s site about how baggage is handled is a bit confusing and I’d love to hear more about how this works if anyone here has done this before.
Good idea? Bad? Anything else it would be good to know?
While there is a train station at CDG including mainline TGV service to Brussels, I’d imagine baggage is handled like any other arrival. You go through customs, pick up your bags, then walk to the train station. Ticketing through Air France/KLM is a convenience and baggage transfer from the airline to the train network is not handled for you, unless its clearly and specifically stated otherwise).
Looking at the Air France website they clearly state exactly that:
Plane → Train
Follow the “Exit” and “Baggage claim” signs when you get off the aircraft.
Collect your baggage from the baggage claim area
Walk to the Paris-Charles de Gaulle TGV train station from the airport
At Paris-Orly, a driver will be waiting for you with a signboard with your name on it right outside of baggage claim* to drive you to the Massy TGV station.
Board the train directly with your eticket. Please note that you can board the train up to 2 minutes before departure.
The part I found confusing is actually below that in the FAQs accordion:
How do I organize the transport of my baggage?
Plan to keep your baggage with you on the train (except for journeys between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Brussels). It should not obstruct traffic in the aisle or block access to train compartments.
After your train journey, you will drop them off at your flight’s check-in counter at your departure terminal. After your flight, collect them from baggage claim and keep them with you for your train journey.
So what’s different about CDG/Brussels? I am not excited at all about a lot of luggage schlepping, so I’m trying to determine exactly how much of a pain in the ass that part is going to be.
I’ve also never been on the Eurostar, so I don’t know how much room there is for luggage or where one can put it.
I don’t know where Dorjan got his information from, but there is a direct connection from Paris Charles De Gaulle to Brussels, it takes 1 hour and 12 minutes, there are 30 trains a day, you do not need to change trains at any time. Being in the centre of Brussels means that you do not have to travel from Brussels Airport to the city, which would take almost as long as the train from Paris, and you would have to shlepp your luggage too on that journey. Here is a website that explains the journey.
In my personal opinion, it is worth taking the train from Paris, Amsterdam is OK too, but it takes longer. It is cheap and convenient, specially if you manage to book a couple of weeks in advance. I recommend first class, particularly when traveling with bulky luggage. There is space for luggage on each coach, two racks on each side of the aisle at the end, before the toilets, and there is the overhead compartments (rather a long rail) for smaller items. The luggage is safe, as the train does not stop between Paris and Brussels. Check which station in Brussels is closer to your hotel. Actually I would recommend doing it the other way around: choose a hotel closer to Brussels Gare Centrale (the second stop in Brussels, so look after your luggage in the first one) than Brussels Gare de Midi or Brussels Gare du Nord, it is nicer there.
I can see how that part could cause confusion, since they don’t say what you will be doing with your luggage if not keeping it with you on the train between CDG and Brussels!
Yep, that part was confusing to me at first too! I think they should have separate paragraphs for what you do if you land at Orly and what you do if you land at CDG.
They also fail to discuss how all that works for folks arriving from outside Schengen who will need to deal with customs and immigration before exiting the airport.
I take that to mean on that train only you can expect to be able to check baggagetrainside. But not on other trains.
I do not have personal experience with Eurostar, so take that with major ??? attached.
I was in that VERY situation earlier this year … and opted to shell out $100 ish extra to not have to schlepp my stuff for whatever distance that is … and having to transboard and all that …
heck, the 20 year old in me is all for “hey, spring for it, 100 bucks saved” … the 50 year old me not so much with suitcase, carry on and laptop after a 16+ hour flight …
of course the short leg (to Brussels) was operated by IBERIA, which resulted in flying basically an old, fucked-up greyhound bus with wings and bald tires … they had 2 hours of delay when taking off, but we were “comp’d” a 250ml bottle of water … while waiting in an incredibly cold plane
Another correction, my excuses: the TGV to Brussels only stops in Brussels Midi. Take a taxi from there as quickly as you can, it is not a nice neighborhood, particularly after dark. Watch out for pick-pockets!
Thanks for this info! We are going on a group tour, so a taxi transfer would be arranged to pick us up and take us to our hotel if we decide to do this. Maybe it’s better to forget the train and just fly in to Brussels - at least I’ve been to the airport there before. And I can wave goodbye to my suitcase when I get on the first plane and not have to worry about it until we get to the end of the trip.
It will take you longer to fly to Brussels from Paris than the train, plus you still have to go from the airport to the city, and the taxi from Brussels Airport to the city centre will be as expensive as the train from Paris or more, at least up to three people. I believe the train is the better option.
I am not sure, I have never done it, but I believe that when coming from the USA you have to go through customs with your luggage, so you have to collect it first, and then check in to the Brussels flight, and go though security again. Maybe the luggage is checked through, but the flight is intra-European (Shenguen Area - no customs or passport control, therefore you have to clear that first), that is in another section of the Paris Airport than the one you land. I hope what I am trying to say is not too confusing, don’t hesitate to ask again if I am making a mess of this.
We are going on a group tour trip, so transport from the airport to the hotel is already included in the trip price; we don’t need to worry about that. And saving an hour or two isn’t going to matter either.
The last time I flew in to Paris, it was to connect to a flight to Florence. I didn’t have to do anything with my bag at all; I checked it at our departing city in the US and picked it up in Florence. We of course did have to go through Passport Control, and I seem to recall they made us go through security again, which was unusual. I don’t think I’ve had to do that anywhere else.