3L BRN-CDG-BRN on 02/09/03 and 05/09/03

Jumbolino · Post by **Jumbolino** » 11 Oct 2003, 13:01

3L BRN-CDG-BRN on 02/09/03 and 05/09/03

Well, where to begin with this unplanned trip.
Weeks ago I decided to visit my husband on 30th of august due to 1st of sept, because on Friday I was invited to a birthday party in munich.
Also on this friday I had gotten a call that a company in Angers France needs some assistance with their DB2 database running on W2K.
I answered them that I could do it although I've more experience with this kind of db onto AIX and thought that they will find somebody which can do it better and is placed more nearby.
So saturday morning I drove with my car from munich to Spreitenbach / AG / CH (Lindauer Autobahn) crossing the lake of constance, first - the not longer existant - but unseful german - austrian border (where I bought a autoroute sticker for switzerland) and afterwards the austrian - swiss border without further problems (St. Margarethen), meanwhile I've a car sign which indicates that I'm coming from lower austria nearby vienna which surpirsed the guy at border a little bit and he waves me threw. And on sunday I got a call from Angers the spoke approx 15 min with me and on monday I got another call that I should come on wednesday.
Tuesday morning I've gotten the confirmation so I tried to book a flight and a TGV ride from CDG to Angers St. Laud. Swiss webpage and also opodo was so unfriendly that they refused my booking (or better it broke down when I liked to click "BUY"), because coming from Spreitenbach nearby Zurich, a flight from and to ZRH would have been better and the webpage told me only 2 EUR more expensive than InterSky, but InterSky webpage accepted my booking immediate so I have gotten a ride on their "new" plane coming from Augsburg airways, SNCF TGV booking was done without further problems. So I took the train to BRN and from BRN central station the airport taxi. OK for such a small airport I was there too early so I had two cups of coffee (check-in and security check was done more than very quickly) but I got my show afterwards, two times alarm sanitary guys running over the field fireman came behind but it wasn't a plane or car accident they tried to fire up the kitchen or better the girl from the cafeteria had forgotten something in the oven, and a second firealarm came soon after and it smelled like described
Boarding for Tempelhof was done and our plane stand nearby the older one and was prepared for the short ride (nice that I could see everything), boarding was also more than quickly and we could reach our plane walking to it (no bus boarding)
The pane wasn't really good booked but it looks nice with all white leather seats (the seats from the other plane are better although both are leather), after a smooth take off they began to sell food and drinks, I took a beer (0.33) for EUR 3.5 and was surprised even the weather wasn't the best the whole day that I could see very well nearly the whole flight to CDG (only sometimes cloudy).
As take off was on time and the estimated flight time was 1 hour (flight time from timetable would be 1 hour and a half) I had seat number 5F for this 3L 224 02SEPT 18:10) we land more than early in CDG or better
after serving food to all pax we began our descent to CDG, landing was also very smooth and debarquement also quickly, passport check, too. In the hall I tried to find out the way to TGV station and I asked a girl on the information desk she told me to take bus number 5 and that I should walk on the right side threw the hall and then only staight ahead. But ride took definitly long (the whole ride would be 30 minutes with line 5) and arriving on TGV station I tried to get my real ticket, which wasn't a problem - but I prefered to do it at SNCF desk and not to use the automates, he gave me my tickets and checked my credit card with which I bought it
for TGV5234 CDG - Angers St. Laud I had gotten seat number 37 on wagon number 5 dep 21:09 arrival 23:27 but due to an incident the train was 20 minutes late, so I arrive short time before midnight but I had booked a room in the hotel vis-a-vis the train station (or better the agency did for me) so it was no problem. The three days in Angers, although I had to work and was every evening too tired to walk around and see more of this beautiful place, it was very pleasant and I recognized that I understood the same percentage of their french as I understand in switzerland in german - even german is my mother tongue and I never learned french at school - but to make myself understandable was pretty more difficult in France in french than in switzerland in german but the other side was the same
Yesterday 5th of sept I took TGV 5278 15:09 Angers st. Laud to CDG and had gotten place no 56 in wagon number 15, this time the TGV was sold out so I the ride wasn't that pleasant like the ride from CDG but this time it was on time.
Arriving CDG TGV station I took the bus Nr. 5 back to Terminal 3 and was surprised that I found no InterSky check in counter, at CDG 3L check in should be done by swissport so I asked there, their answer was - InterSky Berne ? what should that be ? and the asked me if I like to go to Cologne ?! oh, oh .....
Expected there no more help I found the check in counter afterwards, surprised they printed only the ICAO and not the IATA code onto the screen check in itself was quickly, afterwards I had a coffee and a beer and then passport control was quick again but I was surprised that they like to see our passports at boarding again (oh Schengen I love you ! and I hate it to show my passport three times for one flight !), even the EUR is a pleasure in this way I could compare A, D, F prices very well and for food D is as it was before EUR time the cheapest place
Again we had the ex-Augsburg plane I had seat number 7A for 3L 225 and we had a co-pilot on board for whom it would have been better not to try to make announcements in english - it was a terrible catastrophe but he could fly a plane timetable indicated 20:20 take off and 21:50 landing in BRN but again we had take off on time (directly after a team Lufthansa Fokker 50 - mom LH had to wait
and landing in BRN was half an hour early although I missed the train at 21:47 because only a young couple like to take the airport taxi but they discussed 15 min. nearby which bridge their friend live *grrrrrrr*
so I took the train at 22:17 (after a angry announcement that they would have more than time enough to discuss after I leave the taxi at Bern main train station and that I would like to catch at least this train)
ok arrival here was 0:15 06/09/03

Hope you enjoyed and feel free to ask more questions.
Jumbolino.

Post by **sn26567** » 13 Oct 2003, 12:38

For the first time we get more than an airline review: we also have a TGV train review! Thanks, Jumbolino, for fine report.

Happy to see that there is still life on BRN-CDG after LX/AF abandoned it.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 13 Oct 2003, 12:41

Fascinating report.

Jumbolino · Post by **Jumbolino** » 13 Oct 2003, 22:33

Thanks a lot for the kind replies, and it was indeed a fascinating trip for me (my first TGV experience) !

Jumbolino.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 14 Oct 2003, 10:30

I once travelled on the TGV between Paris Gare du Nord and Lille Europe and return. It was okay, but give me the ride between Brussels and Brugge, Brugge and Verviers, Verviers and Spa and Kortrijk and Oudenaarde any day.

Much more enjoyable than any journey on the TGV!

Post by **sn26567** » 14 Oct 2003, 10:38

Comet wrote:give me the ride between Brussels and Brugge, Brugge and Verviers, Verviers and Spa and Kortrijk and Oudenaarde any day.

You can actually ride the TGV Thalys between Brussels and Bruges, also between Brussels and Liège on your way to Verviers and Spa.

I agree with you that the ride by ordinary train from Verviers to Spa on the single-track railroad along the valley is very enjoyable. In the same style you should once try Liège-Luxembourg.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 14 Oct 2003, 10:48

So you're talking to me today then??

I would like to try the Thalys, but there is so much hassle if you have to reserve seats on a certain train and only travel on that train (like with the TGV), I like to come and go when I want in Belgium.

I agree though that the ride from Verviers to Spa is sensational, though I never got further east than Liege this year! The trip to Spa was my first (and only) visit to the Ardennes region, but it is a gorgeous place.

Also I prefer the Belgian trains to the French ones!

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 14 Oct 2003, 11:41

sn26567 wrote:
Comet wrote:give me the ride between Brussels and Brugge, Brugge and Verviers, Verviers and Spa and Kortrijk and Oudenaarde any day.
You can actually ride the TGV Thalys between Brussels and Bruges, also between Brussels and Liège on your way to Verviers and Spa.

I prefer to call "Bruges" Brugge, that's the proper name.

Thank you.

Post by **sn26567** » 14 Oct 2003, 12:05

Comet wrote:I prefer to call "Bruges" Brugge, that's the proper name...

... in Dutch. But since we were asked to write in English in this forum, I will do so in writing Bruges (and Ghent and Brussels).

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 14 Oct 2003, 12:18

I know what you're getting at Andre, and you are right of course.

But there is method in my using the regular names as a matter of course.
Many English people would have great difficulty catching a train to "Bruges" as the station does not exist, it is known as "Brugge". I think it is better for English people to use the regular names of Belgian places to avoid confusion for them. The differences in names can be confusing to English people not used to Belgium.

By using the names as they are in the local language I hope to avoid confusion for English people in the long run.

A318 · Post by **A318** » 14 Oct 2003, 19:16

I did Brussels to Paris with the Thalys, best way to travel to Paris in my opinion. Flying let's you arrive on CDG but to the city center you can count an extra hour with the Air France bus and yous still at the Arc! Then the metro to the center where your hotel is based. The flight Amsterdam to Paris was shorter then the trip from the airport to the center

With the thalys you arrive on Gard du Nord jump in the metro and in 10 minutes youare at your hotel. Besides that it is fast, comfortable and more or less the same price as flying.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 15 Oct 2003, 10:25

A318 - I like flying too much to go by train instead. If I can fly somewhere, then I will.

The worst thing about flying to Paris is CDG airport, I hate the place, but I would rather arrive there than at the Gare du Nord (and the Metro in Paris is horrendous if you've got luggage!)