travelfan1

We will be departing Amsterdam for Paris on April 27 and I've just learned this is Kings Day, a major festival day. According to this site,http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visitin...l-on-kings-day, there are no international train arrivals or departures that day. Is this possible? I'm going to try and contact my hotel for info but just wondered if by chance anyone has any info on this.

Thank you.

PalenQ

That may be only from Amsterdam Central Station which when I was there one Queen's Day was a complete zoo - dangerously crowded -check to see if trains are running from say Schiphol Airport that day.

hopefully hetismij or menachem will see this -both live near Amsterdam.

Just checking www.bahn.de/en -German Railways pan-European train schedule site that is usually right on yes there are direct Thalys trains 4-27-17 from Schiphol airport to Paris and there are local trains to Schiphol from Central station- check www.bahn.de/en -leave as early in the morning as possible as as the day goes on Central station becomes very crowded and trains could be suspended.

I did exactly that once for a flight from Schiphol and was lucky to get there as trains from Central were suspended shortly after due to mobs -even taxis can't move in central Amsterdam due to the huge crowds everywhere.

But King's Day is a tremendous event - one of the most memorable of my years of travel in Europe -maybe extend your Amsterdam stay one day and take it in.

King's Day - a sea of orange - don't be frightened away -it is not as chaotic as you may think - pure fun everywhere:

https://www.google.com/search?q=king...HY5qDj0QsAQIGQ

Tulips

There are extra trains to/from Amsterdam for all the visitors to Kings Day. Where are you traveling to? It's a zoo in Amsterdam on that day - try to leave early in the morning, if you do not want to take part. It's a big party, very friendly, but also very busy.

hetismij2

www.nsinternational.nl shows trains leaving Amsterdam for Paris on the 27th.
I don't know if you can book them yet though.

Have you looked at the Thalys site?

PalenQ

www.nsinternational.nl shows trains leaving Amsterdam for Paris on the 27th.>

does it like bahn.de/en show only connecting local trains from C.S. to Schiphol where they say change to Thalys or does it say Thalys trains run directly from C.S. that day?

Tulips

Is it too early to book, perhaps? If there is no Thalys, take a regular train to Den Haag or Rotterdam and change there.

Ackislander

Or stay and enjoy King's Day.

hetismij2

You do have to change at Schiphol. Not such a problem.

I think staying and enjoying Kings Day is a better idea, Amsterdam is not as full as it used to be, but it is not my holiday.

PalenQ

Pre-booking limit for Thalys is 90 days or is it 120? If 90 would not be on system yet.

But on Thalys site make sure on that day it is Amsterdam-Schiphol and not C.S. as starting point.

Again I took a local train on then Queen's Day to Schiphol for a flight about noon and C.S. was a complete zoo -I did read that that year they closed C.S. down shortly after for safety reasons - maybe fewer crowds now -never saw such packed trains coming in in Europe -many young folks - many carrying cases of Heineken!

spaarne

<i> No Train On Kings Day Amsterdam?
Posted by: travelfan1 on Jan 17, 17 at 2:38pm
We will be departing Amsterdam for Paris on April 27 and I've just learned this is Kings Day, a major festival day.</i>

"Major festival day" is an understatement. Here is a photolog of the event while it was still Queen's Day, http://www.enjoy-europe.com/travelog/QueensDay2008.htm.

If you can change your hotel reservations and if you enjoy a crazy time this is an event you will never forget. There will be some pre-party action on the night of the 26th.

menachem

If you must travel to Paris on the 27th, take a bus to Schiphol, get on Thalys there. Or, Duivendrecht is on a direct connection to Schiphol, and will be reachable by metro from the centre of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam CS is almost always blocked, full of crowds. Trains may be seriously disrupted. Depends on when you travel. In the morning it's inbound trains that are most affected by crowds traveling in, after about 5 PM people start to leave and it's the outbound trains that are affected more.

As soon as you're outside the centre of town, the city is normal, apart from many people sporting orange accessories and getting drunk.

It's not my party, but if you like huge crowds and lots of beer, change your reservation and enjoy.

menachem

this is what you can expect at Centraal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtBSR_ub0EM

menachem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIcdK6G6wXQ