UKC

Does anyone have much experience of the punctuality of the ICE train service?
I am traveling from Berlin to Brussels, and then catching a flight. Was wondering if 2.5 hours is pushing it for a time from train station to airport.
anyone have any idea what its like getting from the station to airport, travel time etc?
thanks
oli

In reply to oliwarlow: Have you factored in you getting lost, that it was further than you thought from the station to to the checkin desk, that the check in desk has moved to the other side of the airport, that security will be very busy and other such eventualities into your trip?

2.5 hours for all that seems a bit tight even though I don't know the lay of the land.

In reply to oliwarlow:

which brussels station do you arrive at?

have a look round http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

There's a regular train service from town to the airport

You do mean Zaventem airport and not Charleroi?

In reply to Carless:

I arrive at Zuid train station, had a look at some websites to see what the connections were like, but thought i'd ask if anyone had any experience of it here.
don't know what airport, just says brussels national airport.

I know it may it may be a bit tight, but some places have good connection from station to airport (e.g. here in Newcastle 2.5hours is plenty), just thought i'd ask

In reply to oliwarlow:

In theory it's only max 30 mins from Zuid/Midi to Brussels National airport (Zaventem) by train with no need to change

Try the website I mentioned using
from Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi [B]
to Brussel-Nat-Luchthaven [B]

depending on the time of day you should find approx 4 trains per hour

In reply to oliwarlow: It's seems to be getting better, during the winter it seemed to be normal for my ICE train to be from 45 mins to 1 hour late.

People in the UK have a deluded idea that German trains run to time, they don't, all the locals say this, on average I think they are worse than the UK (well at least the ones I catch).

In reply to Bob kate bob:

thanks for the info guys. I have gone for the the more conservative option to leave a decent time gap (but it will mean a 5am start!!).

Oli

In reply to oliwarlow: took an ICE from Augsburg to Berlin in september - bang on time the whole way through.

In reply to Bob kate bob:


I'm so glad you think so too! In my experience, they are at least as expensive, but late more often, with less opportunity to complain or get your money back. There's not much in it, but I think the UK trains win (just).

To the OP - my sister and brother in law missed a flight because they relied on an ICE from Nuremberg to Frankfurt just after Christmas (but in good weather). It wouldn't have mattered if there had been some information - it's a 2 hour train ride, or drive, but the didn't announce it was late until the departure time, then they said it would only be 5 minutes, but it just kept getting longer until they eventually got to Frankfurt 2 hours late. If it's on time, then the ICE is very comfortable, and feels very swish, but do not think that they're always on time.

Tim