London - Brussels

[davidjohnson6]

Many will be aware that post Brexit, post Covid, Eurostar is very tightly constrained on its ability to process passengers via security screening and immigration at its terminals... and often cannot put on sale all the seats on a train, but is happy to charge some pretty high fares. Cheap tickets on Eurostar have to be booked a looooong time in advance. Furthermore, it has become VERY awkward to take train-boat-train between London and Paris/Brussels in recent years.

One of the results of this has been Easyjet increasing their frequency on their London-Paris route. Oddly though, LCCs are not flying London-Brussels (except for a brief period about 10-15 years ago while Easyjet digested a large number of bmi? slots) and leaving the market to BA/SN at LHR.

Is there a reason why Easyjet are not touching London-Brussels ? They seem happy to fly a lot on London-Amsterdam and London-Paris... and STN-CRL is not going to be competitive.

[Asturias56]

Its still a lot easier and faster to use Eurostar than any flight by the time you've schlepped out to Stansted or Gatwick and into C Brussels

[ZFT]

Amsterdam to Brussels airports and cities by train is cheap and easy. I often fly into Brussels from Asia and train to Amsterdam then connect with Eurostar if going on to London..
Saves on APD and i get to central London just as fast.

[Asturias56]

yeah - anything long haul east or south its first stop Amsterdam or Paris for us

[pamann]

I’d also say that Brussels just doesn’t have the same pull as Amsterdam or Paris.

[ahwalk01]

Brussels airlines flies 3x per day. There’s always LCY-ANR on Luxair into Antwerp.

[Asturias56]

I’d also say that Brussels just doesn’t have the same pull as Amsterdam or Paris.


Nice enough in its way and a lot quieter and less tourists - I quite like it personally

[ZFT]

I’d also say that Brussels just doesn’t have the same pull as Amsterdam or Paris.

And the immigration and customs so much better than Amsterdam or Paris

[ATNotts]

Nice enough in its way and a lot quieter and less tourists - I quite like it personally
Me too, I really like Brussels for its lack of tourists.

Last time I was in Amsterdam the place was full of Brits shouting loudly in English and waving their arms to apparently get themselves understood; stupid when most Dutch people have a better grasp of English than your average Brit!

[Asturias56]

Most Dutch people over 10 speak several languages fluently ................ very useful!

[ATNotts]

Most Dutch people over 10 speak several languages fluently ................ very useful!
Indeed! One of our local FE colleges did Dutch language courses and I am minded to give it a crack this September if they're being run again.

Makes me feel less inadequate!

[Andy_S]

One of our local FE colleges did Dutch language courses and I am minded to give it a crack this September if they're being run again.

You do realise that as soon as you attempt to speak Dutch to a Dutch person, they are likely to reply in pretty good English..........

[ATNotts]

You do realise that as soon as you attempt to speak Dutch to a Dutch person, they are likely to reply in pretty good English..........
Absolutely! Same happens in western Germany, less so in the former DDR, but mostly among the older generation.

I don't find reading Dutch, well basic Dutch, too taxing, but listening to it spoken I find nigh on impossible so view it as both a challenge and another opportunity to keep my brain active post retirement.

[ahwalk01]

dont forget to be in the correct region when practising...

Map of Belgium with the linguistic regions | Download Scientific Diagram (researchgate.net) (https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Belgium-with-the-linguistic-regions_fig1_252068201)

[Asturias56]

You do realise that as soon as you attempt to speak Dutch to a Dutch person, they are likely to reply in pretty good English..........

ah but its the effort that counts! I was taught early on that you should try and mangle the language in any place you were working - even a simple "Good Morning" shows that YOU are aware that it's not the USA or England and that is really important

[davidjohnson6]

Could I very gently nudge the topic back to airlines flying between London and Brussels ?

[ATNotts]

Of course you can!

Surely quite a lot of demand for London-Brussels has gone with the UK's final exit from the EU and people such as MEPs, civil servants and attendent hangers-on no longer having a reason to travel, or travel less often.

Take away the EU and NATO and Brussels doesn't enjoy (?) the high profile that Paris and Amsterdam do.

[Mr Mac]

ATNotts
I agree with you re possible drop off between UK and Brussels air travel from SE. As for Eurostar that is just an extension of the Underground system for those who live in London, and is largely an irrelevance for those living outside the SE.

As for your Dutch language course good luck, you should do ok as you speak German, so a good starting point. I was told by a Dutch women I went out with, that Afrikaans was a mixture of Bad German and and Bad Dutch and she could understand it, so you could be on for a 3rd language afterwards, could come in useful during Rugby Union World Cup !

Cheers
Mr Mac

[MANFAN]

And the immigration and customs so much better than Amsterdam or Paris

I have to disagree, I have found the queues at Brussels airport for immigration awful in comparison to Amsterdam.
My last visit around 6 weeks ago to catch a connecting flight to the UK, I was waiting around 45 mins in the immigration queue!

[ZFT]

I have to disagree, I have found the queues at Brussels airport for immigration awful in comparison to Amsterdam.
My last visit around 6 weeks ago to catch a connecting flight to the UK, I was waiting around 45 mins in the immigration queue!

I have no recent experience but last year Amsterdam was bloody awful whilst Brussels was a dream incoming. I will be arriving in Amsterdam in a couple of months time so hope your experience there is the norm.