Cyprus-Forum.com

[supporttheunderdog]

I have visited Brussels Amterdam and Bruges.

If you are in Brussels I'd say go to Bruges rather than Hamsterjam. Hamsterjam is good but deserves several full days/nights. Bruges is very scenic. Also closer/cheaper to get to from Brussels giving more time in the place.

BTW Good Belgian Food can be absolutely brilliant, better than French at the same price - there is a lot more to it than Moules.

[Sotos]

Don't bother with priority boarding in Larnaca. If you're 5 minutes late you'll loose it and will have to get in line, unless you are really early.

Be late where? I always arrive at the airport about 1 hour before departure ... but I guess you mean something else?

I meant arriving late at the airport. Priority boarding is a waste of money if you're flying alone. Ryan Air is like a bus...no assigned seats. I do the 1 from Weeze (Germany) regurarly to Larnaca. I know that Charlois (Brussels) is about 60km away from Brussels but there are trains that take you to Brussel. With the train from Brussel to Amsterdam will take you 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I will not be travelling alone... I will be traveling with my girlfriend and I want to be sure that we will find seats together! Should I be at the airport more than an hour earlier? I assumed that paying for priority boarding would put me in front of those who don't have it, even if I come to the airport after them. Isn't this the case?

[Sotos]

I have visited Brussels Amterdam and Bruges.

If you are in Brussels I'd say go to Bruges rather than Hamsterjam. Hamsterjam is good but deserves several full days/nights. Bruges is very scenic. Also closer/cheaper to get to from Brussels giving more time in the place.

BTW Good Belgian Food can be absolutely brilliant, better than French at the same price - there is a lot more to it than Moules.

Is a day trip to Bruges something I should arrange in advance or I can arrange it once we are there if we decide that we run out of things to do in Brussels? Do most people speak English in Brussels?

[supporttheunderdog]

I have visited Brussels Amterdam and Bruges.

If you are in Brussels I'd say go to Bruges rather than Hamsterjam. Hamsterjam is good but deserves several full days/nights. Bruges is very scenic. Also closer/cheaper to get to from Brussels giving more time in the place.

BTW Good Belgian Food can be absolutely brilliant, better than French at the same price - there is a lot more to it than Moules.

Is a day trip to Bruges something I should arrange in advance or I can arrange it once we are there if we decide that we run out of things to do in Brussels? Do most people speak English in Brussels?

The main language in Brussels is French but as it is an international city with so many EU people you will find English is widely spoken - as for going to Bruges, You go to the train station, buy a ticket, get on the train and go.Trains every half-hour or so Journet time 1 hour- 76 minutes - cost from 14 euros to 25 euros return.
http://www.b-rail.be/nat/E/

[wallace]

Don't bother with priority boarding in Larnaca. If you're 5 minutes late you'll loose it and will have to get in line, unless you are really early.

Be late where? I always arrive at the airport about 1 hour before departure ... but I guess you mean something else?

I meant arriving late at the airport. Priority boarding is a waste of money if you're flying alone. Ryan Air is like a bus...no assigned seats. I do the 1 from Weeze (Germany) regurarly to Larnaca. I know that Charlois (Brussels) is about 60km away from Brussels but there are trains that take you to Brussel. With the train from Brussel to Amsterdam will take you 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I will not be travelling alone... I will be traveling with my girlfriend and I want to be sure that we will find seats together! Should I be at the airport more than an hour earlier? I assumed that paying for priority boarding would put me in front of those who don't have it, even if I come to the airport after them. Isn't this the case?

I was there 1,5 hour before with 6 people and lost priority boarding and had to get in line. The funny thing is I had another child with me who booked last minute and they made me go to a counter to pay an extra 6 euro for the kid. Not that I care for the 6 euro but the idiot must have known we were late allready for priority boarding. Coming to Cyprus from Weeze (Germany) they had 2 lines. 1 priority boarding and normal boarding. That is not the case in Larnaca. You should be there before they start boarding otherwise you lose priority.

[Sotos]

I have visited Brussels Amterdam and Bruges.

If you are in Brussels I'd say go to Bruges rather than Hamsterjam. Hamsterjam is good but deserves several full days/nights. Bruges is very scenic. Also closer/cheaper to get to from Brussels giving more time in the place.

BTW Good Belgian Food can be absolutely brilliant, better than French at the same price - there is a lot more to it than Moules.

Is a day trip to Bruges something I should arrange in advance or I can arrange it once we are there if we decide that we run out of things to do in Brussels? Do most people speak English in Brussels?

The main language in Brussels is French but as it is an international city with so many EU people you will find English is widely spoken - as for going to Bruges, You go to the train station, buy a ticket, get on the train and go.Trains every half-hour or so Journet time 1 hour- 76 minutes - cost from 14 euros to 25 euros return.
http://www.b-rail.be/nat/E/

Aren't there a lot of Dutch speakers there also?

[Sotos]

Don't bother with priority boarding in Larnaca. If you're 5 minutes late you'll loose it and will have to get in line, unless you are really early.

Be late where? I always arrive at the airport about 1 hour before departure ... but I guess you mean something else?

I meant arriving late at the airport. Priority boarding is a waste of money if you're flying alone. Ryan Air is like a bus...no assigned seats. I do the 1 from Weeze (Germany) regurarly to Larnaca. I know that Charlois (Brussels) is about 60km away from Brussels but there are trains that take you to Brussel. With the train from Brussel to Amsterdam will take you 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I will not be travelling alone... I will be traveling with my girlfriend and I want to be sure that we will find seats together! Should I be at the airport more than an hour earlier? I assumed that paying for priority boarding would put me in front of those who don't have it, even if I come to the airport after them. Isn't this the case?

I was there 1,5 hour before with 6 people and lost priority boarding and had to get in line. The funny thing is I had another child with me who booked last minute and they made me go to a counter to pay an extra 6 euro for the kid. Not that I care for the 6 euro but the idiot must have known we were late allready for priority boarding. Coming to Cyprus from Weeze (Germany) they had 2 lines. 1 priority boarding and normal boarding. That is not the case in Larnaca. You should be there before they start boarding otherwise you lose priority.

Are you saying that they start boarding the plane 1.5 hours before departure?

[wallace]

No...what I'm saying is they board half an hour before departure and if you're not at the gate you lose priority boarding. I was there 1,5 hour before departure and was delayed at the security checks and arrived at the gate 15 minutes after boarding started and had to get in line and lost priority boarding.

[supporttheunderdog]

BTW can anyone name three famous Belgians?

[Sotos]

No...what I'm saying is they board half an hour before departure and if you're not at the gate you lose priority boarding. I was there 1,5 hour before departure and was delayed at the security checks and arrived at the gate 15 minutes after boarding started and had to get in line and lost priority boarding.

OK... it seems you were just unlucky then.