Brussels to Paris

The distance between Brussels and Paris is about 265 Km and the train makes the trip in about 1 1/4 hours.  At times it reaches speeds of around 300 Km per hour. There are a number of high speed rail lines in Europe and they cooperate so that movement between them is virtually seamless.  From Brussels we travelled with Thalys. Thalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains.  The trains are beautifully maintained and can be easily identified by their red colour.

Thalys Train

After a couple of weeks of travelling it was good to get to Paris.  We've spent enough time here to be comfortable with the system and it really was like coming home.  It's nice to be able to wash your clothes in a washing machine you are familiar with and to go to shops that you know.

Of course, these days, travel in Europe is so much easier than it used to be.  First, the currency is mainly the same from one country to the next, the ubiquitous Euro.  Second, with the Schengen agreement allowing 25 of the European states to act in some respects as a single state; no passports are required to move between the member states and there are no interminable border crossings.  We simply went to the station in Brussels, boarded our train and got off in Paris. Then we took a cab to the flat and settled in.

Tomorrow our vie Parisienne begins,