Metz Travel Forum

My daughter will be studying at the Georgia Tech campus near Metz this summer. I am trying to decide the best place for her to fly into in May, 2007. If this fast train from Paris will be operating then, perhaps it would be best. I have also considered Luxembourg and Strasbourg. Any tips you have will be appreciated. She is will be travelling with a young man so she will not be travelling alone.

I think the LGV Est will go into operation in June 2007, a bit too late for your daughter - I'm afraid she would have to travel by "normal" train, not a high speed one. Luxembourg and Strasbourg are small regional airports, it is improbable that you find a rate as cheap as to Paris CDG (2nd biggest on the continent). On the other hand, I would just look at the flight ticket prices and decide based on that.

Luxembourg is the closest international airport but not knowing where your daughter will be flying FROM, I don't know whether you will find a flight there (Icelandair ...), otherwise of course she could fly to Paris and take an internal flight from there to Metz, see http://www.europole.u-nancy.fr/guide.pratique/gb/acmtz.html#acmtz_2
Frankfurt is also a possibility, you can see rail connections on here: http://www.alleuroperail.com/eurorailway-maps/germany-map.htm
And I would also consider Brussels: it takes about 3 1/2 hours from here to Metz on the fastest train (otherwise 4 1/2 hours), via Luxembourg, e.g. departing Bruxelles-Schuman at 12:23 and arriving at Metz at 15:46. The airport bus (12 on weekdays, when it terminates at Rond-point Schuman, 11 at weekends when it continues to Gare du Luxembourg) stops a couple of minutes walk from Schuman railway station, or on a weekday, almost outside the Gare du Luxembourg; trains to Luxembourg Ville start at Midi and pass through Central, Nord, Schuman and Luxembourg stations on the way out of Brussels. There are also frequent trains from the airport to Bruxelles-Nord, Central and Midi, in that order.