Potential euro day trip!

[nicolaboo]

I've put together a plan for an outing in early February.
I mostly plan this to do the new Ouigo service, which takes in some route I haven't done.

Anyone any thoughts or knowledge about potential problems.

Man Picc 5:05 to L Eust 7:29
L Stp 9:01 to Brux M 12:05
Brux M 13:38 to Paris N 16:44
Paris N 18:02 to L Stp 19:39
L Eus 20:33 to Picc 22:45

 

[Starmill]

Ouigo won't, in general, honour the connection from any other rail operator. This means that if your Eurostar is cancelled or delayed to the point you can't meet the Ouigo connection you will have to buy a new ticket. That's not a reason not to go for it of course, just check the Ouigo cancellation and exchange conditions very carefully and ensure you're comfortable with them before you choose it.

I don't know if the Ouigo sales to Belgium have different conditions to the other Ouigo Classique / Ouigo GV trains - so I'd definitely read closely on the website or app.

 

[Watershed]

What tickets are you planning on using? It would be a great use of an Interrail pass in a sense (since you'd otherwise pay a huge amount for the Manchester-Euston return journey alone!) but because SNCF hate Interrail, Ouigo doesn't accept Interrail which means you need to buy a separate ticket for that part of the journey in any event. Of course the Interrail passholder fares for the Eurostar aren't cheap either, and you want to be sure there is passholder fare availability before buying a pass.

I don't think that's an official connection from St Pancras (after a Eurostar arrival) to Euston - the data suggest you need to allow at least 35 mins for STP + 15 mins for the Tube (although of course walkable in under 10 mins) + 15 mins at Euston, so 65 mins in total. There are plenty more Euston-Piccadilly services provided you're travelling on a weekday, but if you're travelling on a Saturday the 21:01 from Euston is the first official connection off the 19:39 Eurostar arrival, and it is also the last train of the day to Manchester.

 

[30907]

I don't think that's an official connection from St Pancras (after a Eurostar arrival) to Euston - the data suggest you need to allow at least 35 mins for STP + 15 mins for the Tube (although of course walkable in under 10 mins) + 15 mins at Euston, so 65 mins in total. There are plenty more Euston-Piccadilly services provided you're travelling on a weekday, but if you're travelling on a Saturday the 21:01 from Euston is the first official connection off the 19:39 Eurostar arrival, and it is also the last train of the day to Manchester.

I thought the 35min was in the other direction, allowing for check-in etc? In any case the 2101 is a backup so you have a Plan B.

 

[nicolaboo]

The prices I've got so far are:-
Picc to Euston return £53 (adjusted to the 20:53 service)
Stp to Nord £57
Nord to Brux £10
Brux to Stp £55
So around £175.

 

[rvdborgt]

Ouigo won't, in general, honour the connection from any other rail operator.

AFAIK, this train is operated by NMBS/SNCB and SNCF. Ouigo is just a brand of SNCF from the passenger's point of view (I'll be interested to see which carriers the tickets will mention). Eurostar, NMBS/SNCB and SNCF honour the AJC but I don't know if there any limitations when you connect to a Ouigo train.

 

[Hophead]

The prices I've got so far are:-
Picc to Euston return £53 (adjusted to the 20:53 service)
Stp to Nord £57
Nord to Brux £10
Brux to Stp £55
So around £175.

You appear to have switched your direction of travel......

 

[Starmill]

AFAIK, this train is operated by NMBS/SNCB and SNCF. Ouigo is just a brand of SNCF from the passenger's point of view (I'll be interested to see which carriers the tickets will mention). Eurostar, NMBS/SNCB and SNCF honour the AJC but I don't know if there any limitations when you connect to a Ouigo train.

They don't honour the AJC on the other Ouigo services unfortunately, and they don't take Interrail and Eurail. I am not aware if this is the same for Ouigo to Belgium, if anyone can confirm I'd be interested? I'd expect it to be the same.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They don't honour the AJC on the other Ouigo services unfortunately, and they don't take Interrail and Eurail. I am not aware if this is the same for Ouigo to Belgium, if anyone can confirm I'd be interested? I'd expect it to be the same.

I can't provide chapter and verse but my understanding is that this is a pure Ouigo Train Classique with the standard terms, the collaboration is just on the operation of it.

 

[nicolaboo]

It was my original direction choice.
It's still Stp-Brux-Nord-Stp.

But thanks for noticing.

I presume AJC is a connection guarantee.
I think I should be okay with a 90 minute break at Brux Midi.

 

[Watershed]

It was my original direction choice.
It's still Stp-Brux-Nord-Stp.

But thanks for noticing.

I presume AJC is a connection guarantee.
I think I should be okay with a 90 minute break at Brux Midi.

Based on the prices you're quoting above I presume you are looking at Advance tickets for Manchester-London and return. You will want to buy these to London International CIV (available on TrainSplit or at ticket offices) as this maximises the likelihood of being permitted on a later Eurostar or Avanti service in the event of disruption in either direction. Tickets cost £3 extra (£2 with a Railcard) in each direction vs a London Terminals/Euston ticket, as it includes the Underground to/from St Pancras.

 

[Starmill]

I can't provide chapter and verse but my understanding is that this is a pure Ouigo Train Classique with the standard terms, the collaboration is just on the operation of it.

My understanding also from the news articles.

 

[nicolaboo]

Based on the prices you're quoting above I presume you are looking at Advance tickets for Manchester-London and return. You will want to buy these to London International CIV (available on TrainSplit or at ticket offices) as this maximises the likelihood of being permitted on a later Eurostar or Avanti service in the event of disruption in either direction. Tickets cost £3 extra (£2 with a Railcard) in each direction vs a London Terminals/Euston ticket, as it includes the Underground to/from St Pancras.

TrainSplit.com doesn't recognise CIV.
It keeps putting in Woodlawn.

 

[bspahh]

TrainSplit.com doesn't recognise CIV.
It keeps putting in Woodlawn.

You can use:
London International (for Eurostar) (LNE)

 

[nicolaboo]

You can use:
London International (for Eurostar) (LNE)

That works nicely, thanks.

 

[mad_rich]

I agree that this would be a great use for an Interrail pass.

You would pay £181 for the pass + £52 for the Eurostar reservations + £10 for the Ouigo train (not covered).

A total of £243. More than the tickets you’ve found, but that extra £70 gets you three more days of travel, if you can make any use of it. And of course the flexibility to jump on any train home from Euston.

-

If you go ahead with buying Eurostar tickets instead, are you a Club Eurostar member? Double points promotion at the moment.

 

[rvdborgt]

I agree that this would be a great use for an Interrail pass.

You would pay £181 for the pass + £52 for the Eurostar reservations + £10 for the Ouigo train (not covered).

The cheapest (discounted) adult pass is €213, which is currently £176 (without exchange fees).
Eurostar reservations are also cheaper in euros: €30 is currently £24.78.

 

[nicolaboo]

Thanks all, excellent information and help.
It was just a silly single day outing, rather than hotels and luggage for clothes.
Done and booked.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I did once do a silly day trip to Köln from Manchester, to complete Brussels-Köln on my rail map.

-Ryanair to Charleroi
-SNCB Charleroi-Liege and Liege-Aachen (classic line)
-DB RE Aachen-Köln
-DB ICE Köln-Aachen-Liege-Brussels Midi (via HSL)
-SNCB Brussels Midi-Charleroi
-Ryanair back to Manchester

Never again - it rained all day and views were practically nil (November).
The short term car parking at Manchester for 16 hours cost more than the return flight to Charleroi...
The trip cost something around £140 all up I think (2013).
I remember we called at Waterloo on the way back to Charleroi (the real place of the 1815 battle, not the version in SE1).

 

[DeverseSam]

that extra £70 gets you three more days of travel, if you can make any use of it. And of course the flexibility to jump on any train home from Euston.

In fact, “home from Euston” would be an inbound on the same day as the outbound, which is not possible to do in the Interrail app

 

[rvdborgt]

In fact, “home from Euston” would be an inbound on the same day as the outbound, which is not possible to do in the Interrail app

Sure it's possible. The app will just use one of the "home country" days.

 

[Zamracene749]

My only thoughts are that you're spending 175 quid to sit on brightly lit trains in utter darkness for around 10 hours. Then about 5 hours of travel across some of the -IMO- dullest routes in Europe, with the added bonus of 90 minutes to kill in the dreary gloom of Brussels Midi, or worse, the Eurostar terminal there.

Missing out all the attractions of Paris, London, Belgium.

That's why I still love this hobby- we enjoy doing what most other people might consider to be a little bit crazy

 

[nicolaboo]

I thought I'd update my story, with the outcome of the crazy day trip.

It all went swimmingly and after waking at 2:47, arrival at Piccadilly 4:40, the trains went as follows.

05:05 Piccadilly to London Euston. 390123. Set off one late and arrived on time at 07:27
Walk over to STP
Pint.
09:01 London St Pancras to Bruxelles Midi. 3221/3222. Set off on time, arrival about one late.
Food and coffee.
12:36 to Hassault. Br Midi to Br Nord. 75091/76071 75094/76016.
12:43 to Braine-le-Compte. Br Nord to Br Centraal. 1909/1922.
13:01 to Eupen. Br Centraal to Br Nord. 1807/1920.
13:18 to Binche. Br Nord to Br Midi. 1903.
13:38 Bruxelles Midi to Paris Nord. 1866. Six late away and held for another 10 at Noyon, but a well padded timetable had us in Paris only one down.
18:12 Paris Nord to London St Pancras. 4025/4026. Bang on time departure and 6/7 early in London.
Walk to EUS.
Food and tea.
20:33 London Euston to Piccadilly. 390125. Out on time and 3 late into Picc.

The go-for-it on this trip was the part of the journey through Mons-Quevy-Busigny-Compiegne. Nearly all new for me and an interesting way to tick it off.

Not least of which I also spotted 10 locos/36 units.
New for travel was five of the Belgian locos, the Class 75/76 units and the returning Eurostar power cars.

A long day and apart from a tiring return back to Blighty on the pretty full Eurostar, all of the trips went smoothly.

I won't be repeating the trip, as there's no need now, but I'm glad I did it, a very enjoyable day.

 

[rvdborgt]

13:38 Bruxelles Midi to Paris Nord. 1866. Six late away and held for another 10 at Noyon, but a well padded timetable had us in Paris only one down.
18:12 Paris Nord to London St Pancras. 4025/4026. Bang on time departure and 6/7 early in London.
Walk to EUS.
Food and tea.
20:33 London Euston to Piccadilly. 390125. Out on time and 3 late into Picc.

The go-for-it on this trip was the part of the journey through Mons-Quevy-Busigny-Compiegne. Nearly all new for me and an interesting way to tick it off.

Did it run via Creil or via Ormoy-Villers? Some diversions are supposed to run via the latter.

 

[nicolaboo]

Ormoy-Villers

Creil-La Borne Blanche-Paris.
All to plan as far as I can tell.