My husband and I will be visiting Bruges in September and want to then go to Ashford, England. We are looking to take the Eurostar from Lille to Ashford; so my questions: Is it best to buy a train ticket in Bruges to Lille while there, or should we pre-book if it is possible? (the train websites are a bit confusing to me)It looks like we can arrive either 1 or 2 hours in Lille before the Eurostar leaves, so is there a bit of sightseeing to do within walking distance of the train station to warrant getting there 2 hours early? Any other suggestions going from Bruges to Ashford, England is welcome!
Thank you-
Posted by
Buffalo Grove, IL
82 posts
Book ahead of time, for Lille to Bruges you will want to take Thalys (www.thalys.com), and the earlier you book, the cheaper the prices are. Right now they have a special, 25€ for any one way journey (50€ return), book fast to take advantage of it!! I have never been to Lille, but lots of people like it...so maybe arrive early. Maybe someone else on the site will have more insight about that than me...
Bon voyage!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
It's both cheaper and faster to take IC trains from Bruges to Lille. Some are direct and some require one or more changes. No advance booking needed because no reservations are possible. The fare is 14.80€. See the timetables at www.bahn.de. After you get summary timetables for Brugge-Lille, click on "Details for all" to see the connecting points, if any.
Posted by
Chicago, IL
103 posts
I also vote for IC trains. In a few weeks, my girlfriend and I are doing Bruges-Lille-Paris on IC/TGV trains for far 41 euros each - less than half what Thalys wanted.
Posted by
OP
Idaho Falls, ID, USA
2 posts
Thanks everyone for your replies. The train system to me is a bit confusing as I have never used any kind of public transportation before.
Paul, if you don't mind and can remember, would you care to make a post when you get back as to how the trains went for you? (how full, need to pre-buy?) Just looking for Bruges to Lille and I'm also interested to find out if there is any worthwhile sightseeing to do around the Lille train station as we will have about 1-2 hours to spare.
Thanks so much and have a great trip!
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
359 posts
...and don't forget to see the movie "In Bruges" before you go. It's a little disturbing, but has some good scenery.