Flights from Atlanta to Paris are high and they seem to be getting higher. I'm looking for a flight in September, so I've been thinking of some alternatives to get to Paris and save a few hundred dollars - I'm considering flying into a neighboring country and take the train, it's posted at $300 cheaper than flying into Paris. What are some considerations I should make before doing this, is it safe (i'm traveling alone)?
Posted by
Phoenix, AZ, USA
1035 posts
What neighboring country?
Posted by
OP
Destin, FL
5 posts
Belgium
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
How valuable is your time? Is it worth wasting most of your first day and last day in Europe travelling back to Belgium just to save the $300 (less the cost of travel between paris and belgium)? Thats a decision only you can make.
Posted by
California USA
4103 posts
Our daughter-in-law has a relative who commutes several times a week from her home in the heart of Paris to work at a university in Brussels. The trip takes a little less than 2 hours. I calculated it from the airport in Brussels to a train station in central Paris. The RER from CDG can take over a half hour. Overall I don't think it is a bad choice to save $300 and have about 1 1/2 hour longer train ride. Of course, if you are only in Europe for a week or less, you'll need to see if this time factors heavily into the time you need/want to spend in Paris.
Posted by
OP
Destin, FL
5 posts
I will plan to be there for more than a week, so this sounds good. I'm glad to hear this is fairly simple. Thank you!
Posted by
Bend, OR, United States
1167 posts
If part of your reason for going is to SEE Europe the time spent on the train between Paris and Brussels will not be wasted.
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1266 posts
Brandy - Is the $300 savings after you purchase your round trip train ticket to Paris?
Posted by
Texan in CA
4415 posts
You should be perfectly safe alone. Your ticket will cost about €25 if you purchase it when they become available, about 3 months before the travel/departure date. You need to get from the airport to the Zuid/Midi train station; I can't research the ins and outs of that right now, but it's easy to find. Do you have any ideas where you might be staying in Paris; we can help you with how to get there if you need that... I'd do it!
Posted by
California USA
4103 posts
I agree with Eileen. I just checked the www.thalys.com website and they will have early purchase ticketless (you print them yourself) fares for 25 Euro o/w. The Thayls line is faster than the scnf train, it only takes 1h23 from Brussels to the Gare du Nord train station in Paris. If you do not score one of these advance tickets, the cost goes up significantly. Look around at the fare schemes at their website. I also priced the fare that you would need to take from CDG into the city IF you paid the extra $300 to fly directly to Paris. You will still need to pay ~9 Euros for the ticket into Paris and it does take 30 minutes for this journey.
Posted by
OP
Destin, FL
5 posts
Based on the price Delta is offering, the savings are over $300 to fly out to Belgium over Paris, train ticket included. Thank you for the excellent tips on trains to take/price/time. I'll make sure I purchase the ticket in advance to avoid the expensive fee. I'm meeting family in Paris, so if I can get to the city, I can work the metro to get to them. Thank you for the very helpful tips!