Paris Travel Answers

It is not essential to buy tickets online in advance. You can buy them from the station on the day or a day or so beforehand if you prefer. Ticket machines are easy to use and have English language options, or you can use the ticket office of course. However, if you want to travel on a specific date and/or departure time and are worried about seats not being available (you will be travelling in high season) then you may wish to book online in advance. Use the official Netherlands railway website for hi-speed trains: http://www.nshispeed.nl/en You can book travel for the end of August now, and there are some attractive fare offers (49 euro) on a couple of departures. Search for 'Amsterdam Centraal' and 'Paris Nord' (unless you are taking the train direct from Amsterdam airport).

Hi Yes, it's advisable, firstly because August is peak tourist season in Europe, and secondly because the earlier you book, the better a fare you're likely to find (there are very few 'last minute' special deals on European trains). So, the simple answer is to book as soon as possible. Regards Cathy

There are 22 departures per day (about half of which involve a change). The chances of all of them being entirely full are pretty small, imo. By the way, the cheapest fare for travelling today is 109.40 euro, for tomorrow 104 euro (and these fares only apply to limited departures). Booking well in advance will almost certainly get you a cheaper fare.

In any case, seat reservaton is compulsory on TGV trains, and you risk your favorite train being full. And - as previous contributor said - lower fares are applicable for advance purchase.

#1: Booking on-line saves at least 10 Euro - that's the extra "service fee" NS ticket office would charge you with if you buy the international ticket or just a reservation(!) at the station. Happens only in Netherlands and in Belgium (the Belgian fee is slightly less, Euro). But expect more railways to join that gang in the futre. #2: Unfortunately the Thalys trains have THE monopoly of Paris - Bruxeles - Amsterdam and Paris - Bruxelles - Cologne direct route and their price is very high compared with what price SHOULD be on that route. There is NO TGV or any other train on that route, by design and by purpose to rip you off with Thalys prices. Good alternative people using: - take the regular intercity from Amsterdam to Bruxelles. - tale the TGV train from Bruxelles to Paris CDG airport (the Paris airport is not part of the Thalys mafiozi deal, so the TGV trains from Bussels can run there and I even rode last year one far south, between Tours and Poitiers!) Take the public transport from CDG to the city, whatever it is. If one wants to discover France a bit, good idea to END with Paris and not START with it - just take the TGV train out of Bruxelles whereever it goes, completely avoiding the Thalys mafia Now some people still have no choice (I would even take bus, just to show Thalys my "support") - there you still better off to buy your ticket from the station vending machine or on-line, even in last minute to avoid that extra "service fee".

What is "nice" tough: THALYS is not some private rail provider running private trains and being pulled from the blue sky. In the reality: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalys "Thalys reaches Amsterdam and Cologne, and its system is operated by Thalys International. Its capital is divided up between SNCF (62%), NMBS/SNCB (28%)[2] and Deutsche Bahn (10%)" So 62 + 28 + 10 = 100, that means Thalys is diveded by the French, German and Belgian Railways and shows the middle finger to others.... even their parent. Wow. And some can get long against the law... " Despite the European Directive on Competition in Rail Transport (EU Directive 91/440), active since 1 January 2010, there is no alternative provision of high speed train connections on this route (last checked in March 2010). Potential competitors are Deutsche Bahn, Trenitalia and Veolia, as this is regularly stated in the specialized reference newspaper “Ville, Rail et Transport”." I can't wait till the law strikes them for anti-comeptitivness with the fine they deserved.

Sorry GyuriFT, but I fail to see why Thalys is a "rip off". And taking a TGV to CDG in stead won't save you money. The normal price for Brussel - CDG is the same as for Brussel - Paris Nord (as one would expect). One of the things I like about Thalys is that 1st class tickets are often only marginally more expensive as second class tickets. For example: Normal 2nd class fare for Brussel - Paris is 79,- but for tomorrow there are still 1st class tickets available for 89,- First class includes free wifi, free drinks and a free meal. And decent legroom :-)

I still consider it being a rip-off because it is a quite a unique relation where a single driver with a decent car will spend significantly less (37 Euro including the toll) than most train passengers (71-88 Euro) and about the same (35 Euro) what the cheapest second class tickets (Smoove) are. A round-trip of 176.60 Euro can take me from Budapest to Flensburg, via Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Cologne, Hamburg without any reservation fuss and if I pay 198.60 Euro I can use all trains, ICE included. mav-start.hu/utazas/kulfoldi... The Austrian or German railway is not the cheapest as we know - so compare the distance/price of 198.60 Euro everyday Budapest - Flensburg r/t using ICE-s versus the 166 Euro everyday Bruxelles - Paris r/t, that is simply something impossible to even mention the same day. As being said, Austrian and German rail are expensive... so is British, too: Infamously expensive. Now please compare the cost of Harwich - Penzance round-trip (without any discount, regular SCIC-NRT tariff!) with the Bruxelles - Paris, it's simply horrible. And you can't even use RAIL+ for Thalys - but you can well use it for Harwich - Penzance. See the pictures and judge - IMO the Thalys is one of the biggest rip-offs you can find in the area, in particular if you compare with these "expensive" British or Hungary-Austria-Germany tariff prices. Regular: img6.imageshack.us/img6/4028... RAIL+ img198.imageshack.us/img198/...

My conclusion: with the distance barely over 300 km even on "regular" (non-highspeed-tracks) the Bruxelles - Paris rail prices are a royal rip-off, more than probably anything in Europe. I was told, the locals who are not in much hurry and want save money use Euroline busses for that relation. Direct trains on that relation seem for me to be more a substitute for the airplanes and charge a fare comparable what an airline would (should?) charge. But of course YMMV, so if you can afford it - than indeed, it could be a nice trip, have nothing against using the first class either. The first class policy seem to be pretty much in-line with the usual first-class policy of SNCF. And of course looking at who has the majority of shares no wonder, where the idea of these prices and policies came from, from the usual saboteur of European tariff system ;)

GyuriFT: I would be quite interested what "decent" car can bring me from Brussels to Paris for 37$, tolls included, in 1h25 min. Or in any amount of time. Don't forget that the car has one big disadvantage: You have to drive it yourself.

Just a note about Thalys selling out: The last few journeys I have made between Paris and Amsterdam without booking ahead of time have *all* been sold out, HOWEVER, Thalys will still sell you a ticket (at full price) but warn you that you aren't entitled to a seat unless you can find one on your own. I usually end up traveling on the folding jump seat out by the loo, and on a couple of occasions sitting on my luggage on the floor. The point being that it's highly advised to book as soon as possible, but if you don't it doesn't mean the end of your trip.

Thalys ticket prices (as also TGV, DB, most British long distance trains) are market driven. Really cheap fares are available if you plans are 100% fixed and you book as soon as the window opens. But many people cannot do this. It's the airline model. British trains are carrying record numbers of passengers despite incredibly high fares. I am in France where few trains run other than on the main routes and they are now virtually empty. Now where I live in Portugal train fares are dirt cheap but Portuguese people will still not get out of their cars.

I take the Thalys often , most of the time good, sometimes late;;;;and you will be well advise to purchase them in advance for price and convenience. I buy them in less than 30 days in advance. of course you can buy them at the station space available and prices to match the choice is yours. cheers