BarbaraAllison7911

We are travelling to Brussles on Oct 4 2015 arriving Oct. 5. Trying to plan a day trip to Brugge on Oct 6. We tried a couple of web sites (RailEurope) and cannot seem to purchase tickets and then be able to print them here in Canada. It seems they have to mail them to you, with hefty charges for mailing and fees. We will be staying in Brussels close to The Grand Place and Centraal Station. Not even sure if we can get a train to Brugge from that station. Can someone help me out as to which station you leave from to get to Beugge and how difficult it is to buy tickets once we get to Brussels?

PalenQ

No need to pre-book trains Brussels to Bruges - some should go from Centraal Station and the main station - Midi (Zuid) - no real savings for booking ahead of time and those trains can never sell out since there are no reservations possible. For lots of info on European trains check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

How are you arriving in Brussels - if by Thalys or Eurostar train you can get for a few extra euros I think an ABS or All-Belgian-Station fare that allows you to take any train to any Belgian station within 24 hours of your arrival in Brussels if coming from an international destination Thalys from outside Belgium or Eurostar from London.

tonfromleiden

If PalenQ's suggestion doesn't work, you can easily buy your tickets at the website of the Belgian railways: http://www.belgianrail.be/jp/sncb-nm...r/query.exe/en No intermediaries. No fees. No delivery charges. Just payment by credit card and printing the ticket in pdf format at home.
The same works for most European railway companies.

PalenQ

tonfromleiden is more an expert than me as he lives in next door Holland (I guess) - and I would think that those tickets are good for any train Brussels to Bruges so you do not have to chose a specific train ahead of time - unless things have changed recently that has been the case - there are no assigned seats and no reservations even possible TMK.

buying ahead at no fees is fine of course so you do not have to go to the ticket window once in Brussels - but you can buy those tickets easily if landing at Zaventum Airport in the rail desk (last time I was there it was inside Customs and you can buy tickets whilst waiting for your bags to be dumped out. Trains are also the best or fastest and cheapest way to get to Gare Centraal area from the airport.

There are two classes - 2nd class at rush hours can get rather mobbed at times - avoid rush hours or pay extra for first class which IME would rarely be crowded - traveling with baggage a bit easier but 2nd class is fine unless mobbed.

Sassafrass

Just buy tickets at the station, but be sure you are buying at the regular ticket office. At some stations there are travel agency's offices, and they have high markups.

BarbaraAllison7911

Thank-you so much for both replies...........they are both very helpful. It alleviates our worries as we leave for Amsterdam on the following day and didn't want to lose valuable time not knowing how and when to purchase tickets. We are arriving in Brussels on a flight from Canada will take a taxi to our B&B . I expect by your responses that we should be able to buy tickets to Amsterdam in the same manner, hopefully stress free? Being able to speak only English, certainly puts one at a disadvantage. Do the ticket machines provide instruction in English?

PalenQ

Belgium is one of the most tri-lingual or at least bi-lingual societies anywhere and it seems most folks you deal with in traveling there speak a rather good English - I would not worry about that.

northie

You can buy easily at the ticket window in English

tonfromleiden

I do have the advantage of some experience with the Belgian railways and, although my French is not what is used to be, to have both languages available...
For your onward journey to Amsterdam, please check the website of the Belgian railways (https://www.b-europe.com/Travel) for your choice of trains. You've got the fast Thalys which comes at a hefty price, and the much cheaper intercities which takes some hour longer, some direct and some with one or even two changes of trains.
For the Thalys you need the Bruxelles Midi station; for the intercities you've got the choice between Bruxelles Central and Bruxelles Midi.
Buy your tickets the evening before. You don't want to stand at the ticket window behind somebody with something complicated while your train leaves in 9 minutes.

PalenQ

Thalys with the ABS fare could be a lot cheaper than the ICs - which cost about 45 euros a person someone said last week from Bruges to Amsterdam. I got a Brussels-Amsterdam fare recently for 29 euros and with that you travel free within 24 hours of the Thalys train from Bruges on any train - go to Bruge's straight away and come back for a day and night in Brussels, a city often maligned but which has some neat places to see like the Grand' Place - Europes' "living room' as I believe it was once called and one of the most majestic town squares in Europe and of course the iconic Mannequin pis - statue of a small boy peeing (it also serves as a fire hydrant -not!) and to walk thru the formal gardens around the Royal Palace is neat too plus some world-class museums if you are into that.

BarbaraAllison7911

You guys are fabulous.......from your help, we have secured our tickets from Brussela to Bruges and also from Brussels to Amsterdam On line.......all done! After we reach Amsterdam, we plan on doing a day trip to Delft, The Hague and return to Amsterdam. Can you be so kind as to give me the website for Amsterdam/Holland. Really looking forward to this trip and this is the icing on the cake not having to waste precious time having to purchase tickets once we get there!

Mimar

Look at seat61.com as recommended by Pal. It has links to all the national rail companies as well as lots of other valuable information.

tonfromleiden

This is the »official« website for Amsterdam: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en If you want to visit the Rijksmuseum, buy your ticket in advance. The queues can be long!
I don't know what your plans are for The Hague, but when you're interested in the classic Dutch art the Mauritshuis is the place to be. The Gemeentemuseum is famous for its Mondriaans.
Delft is a little bit too »quaint« to my taste. You won't be disappointed if you get off the train to or from The Hague to spend one or two hours in my beloved adopted city of Leiden.
Enjoy!

janisj

Re Amsterdam -- if you are hoping to visit the Anne Frank house, book ASAP. It may already be too late to get a time you want. W/o pre-booking you would have to wait in a blocks long line.

pariswat

As for language, the Dutch speak even more english than the Belgians.
They even answer me in english when I talk in dutch/flemish, but it is another story
Mvg

PalenQ

Can you be so kind as to give me the website for Amsterdam/Holland.>

I assume you mean for trains - well just buy that Amsterdam-Leiden or Hague, etc ticket in Amsterdam - or www.ns.nl for the official site of Dutch Railways. Get a Daag Retour - day return ticket if going round trip as you save a few euros.

ParisAmsterdam

Have a look for a post by Pariswat today... There is a railway strike looming in Belgium and France that appear to be when you are travelling.

janisj

I haven't looked up the Belgian rail strike thread -- but if it IS the same time as your trip, you won't be able to take any trains anywhere (nor buses if it is like the last such strike).

I was in Bruges in late August when there was a strike and could not leave the city -- had to scramble to find accommodations for the extra night.

So if you are going to be in Belgium during the strike - I'd book a night (possibly refundable) in which ever city you'd be in when you plan on the train . . . because you won't be moving.

OR - rent a car NOW for the period of the strike because there will be no cars available after the strike hits

PalenQ

I wonder if Thalys trains are involved in the strike - kind of separate from the state railways of those countries though a subsidiary.

Tulips

Train strikes happen quite regularly in Belgium. Not always for the entire railway system - as when Janisj was there. I think that was a nationwide strike. Sometimes just a section, and trains are delayed but not all cancelled.