BY PLANE TO BRUSSELS AND BY BULLET TRAIN TO PARIS
Brussels Airlines has introduced an almost irresistible offer on the Ugandan market, permitting travelers with final destination Paris to enjoy the scenic landscapes between Brussels and the French capital by using one of the European bullet trains, the Thalys, boarding the train directly at Brussels airport after clearing immigration and customs and getting off at the Gare du Nord in the heart of Paris.
At no extra cost will passengers be able to sample one of Europes fast track rail rides and spare themselves the trip from Paris CDG into the city by cab or bus.
The offer is available for travelers from and to SNs both East and West African destinations since last weekend and will run until the 15th September, giving summer views from ground level of the landscapes of Southern Belgium and Northern France as the train races along its tracks, instead of seeing the same view from 35.000 feet high up in miniature vision through a narrow aircraft window.
In addition is the airline giving economy class passengers from Paris an added 9 kg baggage allowance, which in fact for the two suitcases permitted will ultimately give up to 55 kg, one piece of the standard 23 kg and the second one with the added allowance of 9 kg making a whopping 32 kg, much welcome considering all the shopping surely done while in the worlds fashion capital of Paris, when using the early check in a day prior to departure.
The airline also confirmed that the retrofitting of the new cabin product is underway and by September the entire Airbus A330 fleet will have the state of the art new seats and entertainment systems installed and operational. Savoir Vivre in the air, Go Fly.
2 Responses
Well, on paper it looks good, in practice it is quite another story. You have to pick up your luggage at the airport, carry it down to the railway station and then lift it in the first train to Bruxelles midi. Help is not available. And you better speak Dutch, which is the only language they know over there. Then you get off the snail train there, cross the whole station, hoping you manage to find your way to the Paris train. If you make it, carrying your luggage all the way up and down, no trolleys of course, you may get in the Thallys. If you are lucky, you may find your suitcases in Paris. All along the way they have to be stored unattended and uncontrolled, available for anybody to steel them, which happens more and more frequently. In the air, very nice indeed, after that, a real challenge.
The ‘new’ set up is actually boarding the Thalys at Brussels Airport and no longer change trains till Gare du Nord in Paris … perhaps SN should send me on a mission to clarify this …
Thanks for continuously following my blog Alain.
W.