The choice of this hotel was based on the fact that it was close to a place where I had a business meeting. When I arrived I was very happy with the choice, because it was a snowy winter evening and the hotel was very cosy and welcoming. Moreover I was happy to be able to have dinner there, without having to go out on such a cold night. The decoration of the rooms is Victorian England, with a lot of attention to details.
Unique Quality: Being able to have a nice dinner in the hotel is really a plus in occasions like this. At the Mongomery the dinner was really good and I liked the atmosphere of the restaurant: with its wood-panelled walls and leather chairs it has the feeling of an English club.
Hi, I will be arriving at Brussels Midi train station at 14.12pm and then travelling on to Maastricht. Do we have to change platforms or stations at Brussels to get the train to Maastricht and how long would this take. There is a train leaving Brussels for Maastricht at 14.24pm but have no idea if this 12 minutes would be enough time to change trains. Any help would be most appreciated. Report Advertising or Inappropriate Posting
Re: Train to Maastricht
by leics
Look at the Belgian railway website in English:
http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/
Brussels Midi is also Brussels Zuid. You'll see your train (and possibly your arrival train too, but I couldn't check it because I don't know what it is). Trains to Maastricht leave Midi/Zuid roughly every hour.
Tick the box by the 1424 departure and click 'details for selection'. You'll see the departure platform number (though be aware that it is possible for this to change, so check signs when you actually arrive).
12 minutes may well be enough, depending on how much luggage etc you have, but there are plenty of later alternatives if you don't want to feel rushed.
Re: Train to Maastricht
by pieter_jan_v
The 14.12 gives me the clue you will travel by Eurostar to Brussels.
I had the same train a couple of months ago and was able to catch the connecting train of 14:18 to Amsterdam.
Eurostar arrives at track 2 and that's a seperate section of the station (ergo border crossing). You have to go to a higher numebered track for your connecting train.
The departing info is well displayed in the main corridor on big electronic screens and local TV-screens; see: http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4933736-Trains-Brussels.jpg
PJ
Re: Train to Maastricht
by johngayton
12 minutes might be a bit tight if arriving by Eurostar as you do have to go through passport control at Midi. Normally they are pretty quick and the check is a mere formality but if there's a bit of a queue then you might get delayed.
You can just catch the next Maastricht train if you miss the 14.24 and there's plenty of cafes and restaurants at Midi.
Re: Train to Maastricht
by pieter_jan_v
John,
That passport and luggage check is at St. Pancras. At arriving at Brussels I could leave the Eurostar platform with no checks and no delays.
In six minutes I was at platform 10.
PJ
Re: Train to Maastricht
by johngayton
Hi PJ - I'm sure that I had to go through passport control last time I went through Midi (July this year) - maybe they only open it from time to time as a spot-check?
Re: Train to Maastricht
by leics
Quite possibly they do (maybe they were looking for someone?). I only remember doing the passport thing at St P when I went.
Re: Train to Maastricht
by pieter_jan_v
John always gets a special treatment, haha.
PJ
Re: Train to Maastricht
by johngayton
Just a thought - when you go through that dual passport control at St Pancras it is sometimes French and sometimes Belgian. OK you can "bonjour" to both but is there a mistrust between the shifts that the French (who don't seem to care) and the Belgians (who seem a lot more bureaucratic) and then when you arrive at Midi if the train you were on was one that you'd passed through French border controls then maybe the Belgians want to double check??
Remember the French and the Belgians don't have that great an inter-European ralationship even in these days - the closer they get to France the more the Belgians speak Flemish ;) ??
Re: Train to Maastricht
by leics
Hmmmmmm....that's an interesting thought. Will be looking out for it next time I use Eurostar. :-)
Travel Tips for Brussels
Chocolate Everywhere - All Varieties.
by Mikebb
Everyone knows before they travel to Brussels they will be swamped with the choice of chocolate. We purchased small amounts from a variety of shops on most days and found it all to be of good quality.
By purchasing small quantities on a daily basis we never over indulged and had tummy ache. The chocolate is so smooth and rich you do not need much to be satisfied.The presentation in the shops is very attractive and you can always see people window shopping or tasting the free samples.
We thought the chocolate shops in Galeries St-Hubert were excellent.
Go to the Grand'Place......
by MBDVB
Go to the Grand'Place... incredibly beautiful and historic, and right in the middle of the city. You will find so many places to see, shop, and eat within easy walking distance... Having dinner at the Aux Armes de Bruxelles on my first trip to Brussels... the meal was terrific!!! Many thanks to Vinnie Gambini!
Brussels Zaventem Airport
by xuessium
In my opinion, this is an under-utilised airport as all the planes (A319s, A320s, B757s and B767s) are all small airplanes as the airport mainly served flights between EU and other European countries. The national airlines SN Brussels only flys within Europe and to some African countries. There wasn't much of shopping to be done so time was best spent in the cafeterias. The airport does make effort to light up the terminals with natural light as light pours in from a glass roof so at least it is not dim. I was surprised that the airport squeezed all the gates together in one row so meaning if you have to board a plan at gate 89, it's a long walk down. The departure hall is more pleasant than the arrival hall, which was chaotic and dim and I really do not understand why all the trolleys had to be stowed ONLY at one corner of the baggage claim area. I had to walk almost 5 minutes to claim one and then walk the next 5 minutes back to my baggage claim belt, among people pushing you around and screaming kids. A most annoying and inconvenient system. WEBSITE: BRUSSELS ZAVENTEM AIRPORT
night stroll
by bakpakchik
Back at the hostel at around ten, I couldn’t believe that all everyone else wanted to do was sit and chat. I chastised the crowd for being such a bore and motivated them with tales of our nightly trysts in paris. I was able to convince none but two English boys and a guy from Taiwan (who we actually should have left behind - he was such a bore) he actually had the nerve to ask me whether I even knew where Taiwan was. Actually, come to think of it, even the English boys were such a big bore. All I wanted was to see the city by night. I didn’t think it was safe to step out all alone, so it was just as well that the boys agreed to come. We walked around for an hour or so and I was glad I did it. Even though my company was crap, the grand place looked magnificent by night. We came back to the hotel and I thought the Canadian girls must have gone to bed, but I found them chatting with a group of Irish boys we had been talking with earlier. My boring night-stroll buddies turned in for the night and I joined the Canadian girls and the Irish boys. We sat around talking about nothing special and drank the hostel bar dry, after which the whole gang decided to get up and move to the pub down the road - a new supply of beer.I didn’t really feel like going to the pub, so I stayed back with this other irish guy who didn’t feel like having any more beer. Pretty soon, the gang was back again, they had finished all the beers in the pub too.
During the ages, Brussels...
by ankx
During the ages, Brussels becomes more and more important. In the 13th century a revolution takes place. The Guilds start fighting against the mighty and rich group of Citizens. They won’t win. After that a restless period starts until the Duchess Joan comes into power. Brussels becomes a thriving city until the end of the 14th century. An economic recession takes place for a period of 50 years. But Brussels survives and starts producing luxury goods. In the same period Philip the Bold marries Margaret, an heiress of Joan. From that moment on the Bourgondians start ruling over Brussels. But not for a long time, because after the death of Carl the Bold in 1477, his daughter marries Maximilian of Austria, so the Habsburgians start ruling over Brussels.
Being able to have a nice dinner in the hotel is really a plus in occasions like this. At the Mongomery the dinner was really good and I liked the atmosphere of the restaurant: with its wood-panelled walls and leather chairs it has the feeling of an English club.
1104 members live in Brussels
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The main atrium
View from our room
The view from the top.
The Tourists!
