This was the easiest train ride I’ve ever been on. First off, we walked to the Amsterdam train station from our hotel, Hotel Room Mate Aitana, which is only a 15 minute walk away. At the train station our next goal was to find the platform the train was leaving from.
It’s really easy to find actually. We asked a train station attendant and right beside him was a sign saying “Thalys Train to Paris, Platform 15,” so it really wasn’t hard to find. This Amsterdam to Paris train runs daily and surprisingly it’s fast at just over 3 hours long. Don’t be confused if you see other cities and stops on the schedule because our train stopped at Amsterdam Airport, Rotterdam, Brussels, and then Paris. Also you can book your trip around 3 months in advance which is usually is the best time price-wise unless you happen to find a deal closer to the date.
My advice is to not book on Rail Europe website, where I booked my tickets, because they grossly overcharge you. The website is kind of confusing and when I was booking I somehow booked for first class when I really just wanted second class. I didn’t realize that the tickets should be way less cheaper than 200 euros but I should have known better. Really the price depends on what time of year you will be traveling but expect summer and last-minute trips to be more expensive.
Use Thalys website instead, and they will show you the normal price for all the classes. No confusion and no mess and you should be able to at least save your itinerary and print out your tickets. Pro-tip, if you don’t have a printer and there is no download option while booking your tickets, you can go ahead with the printing option and then while in the printing screen click “save as a PDF.” After that you will be able to print at your convenience and have a backup on your computer. I also recommend putting the saved file in your email account so you can pull it up on your phone. If worse comes to worse, you can always go to the ticket counter at the train station and get your ticket there or print at your hotel.
So boarding the train is easy. The platform attendants will look at your ticket and tell you which part of the platform you need to wait at. They will be labeled with letters. Then the train will soon arrive and then you have plenty of time to board the train and get situated. Thalys trains have enough room for your luggage but I would try to get on fast to find the best luggage spot. Once on board you will have your own seat so you don’t have to rush.
Since we accidentally booked in first-class, we got first class service right from the get go. The seats were definitely wider and nicer than any other train seats I had been in and there was already a cabin attendant waiting to take our breakfast order. Overall the food was decent and it was nice to have a meal while on the train ride. You can get all the drinks you want including juices, water, and alcohol drinks, all for free. However did I feel it was worth it for first class, probably not. WiFi was also included in the price of our first class tickets but it was a little sluggish and could have been better.
Once you past Brussels, the train speeds up and we were quickly in France. The train ride from Brussels to Paris was around an hour and a half and the train did arrive on time. We left around 8:00 am and arrive at the Paris Nord Station at around 11:20 am. If you’re connecting to other parts of Paris you may leave from the Paris Nord Station, however Paris has multiple train stations that serve other regions of France and the rest of Europe. You may have to connect via Paris Metro to Paris’s other train stations so keep that in mind. Also Paris Nord station is a little older and dirtier compared to other Paris train stations, however there is a lot of food and drinks available.
I recommend looking at the TGV website once your arrive in France for any other train trips that you will need in the future. TGV is great and serves many French cities quickly, getting southern France in about 4 and half hours. In general, French train stations have you whizzing across France, a country the size of Texas. Trains are probably cheaper and run more often than flights so I’ve always liked the French train station.
Train service in western Europe is fast, on-time, frequent, easy, and usually less expensive than flying. I recommend traveling by train because you have more of a chance to spread out and pass time by looking at the scenery. No waiting around at airports and missing on a great European experience!
images by: shawnvoyage
