Amsterdam-Antwerp daytrip - cheapest price?
 

I am thinking of taking such a daytrip on August 12 or 13. But because I've been waffling so long, there are no longer any Smilys fares available, so far as I can see. The cheapest I can do for a roundtrip daytrip is for about 43 Euros, so far as I can see. Is this the best I can expect? (This was SNCF.)

Forget about the Thalys - take hourly IC trains from Amsterdam that have a flat fare that is probably about the same as SMILYS but which can be bought the day of teh train.

www.ns.nl Dutch railways

But that's a considerably longer ride if IC, isn't it?

I am sort of leaning against the daytrip idea now, and just focusing on outlying towns near Amsterdam.

No it is not unless the high-speed tracks have opened in Holland, which i believe they were due to do about this time

but if not the Thalys train is marginally faster because it does not stop as much - since Thalys goes currently i think on older congested tracks they both go about the same speed

And even if the new line is open then i think they are slated to have Sprinter domestic IC trains on the high-speed line (antwerp being domestic for all practical porpoises)

Only between Brussels and Paris currently is it truly high speed up to around 190 mph

But IC nice you can just hop on and buy ticket just before at flat price.

Thalys trains also do not go into Antwerpen Centraal but stop only at suburban Berchem station then you have to take a shuttle train into Centraal where i think IC trains go right into Centraal so in fact could be quicker.

But the dyanimcs will change if new line is already open - then with a long tunnel under Antwerp Thalys will also stop at Antwerp Centraal, which BTW is one of Europe's grandest grandiose train sheds.

About 2 hrs each way on IC i believe

And if the new line is open i think it would be more manageable - no more than an hour i'd think to Antwerp

The fastest I saw on all the schedules was on Thalys at 1 hr, 59 minutes, but as you pointed out, that goes to the suburban Berchem station.

I think I'll just leave this open and not prebook. If I decide to go to Antwerp, I'll get the ICs on the spur of the moment.

The Thalys still isn't allowed to go high speed in Holland even though the tracks are open - some problem with vibrations or something I believe, so it should make a lot of difference whether you get the Thalys it the IC.

And I believe that when it is all up and running it will only go as far as Amsterdam Buitenveldert not to Amsterdam CS. No idea why, it seems crazy to me but that's the NS for you.

The high speeds tracks haven't opened in Holland yet. The journey on the DIRECT intercity train takes 2 hrs and 1 min. (direct trains leave 26 min. past each hour) which is about the same (or even a little less) as Thalys considering the latter involves a change at Antwerpen Berchem.
Price for intercity: € 57.60 on weekdays (return) ; € 34.60 weekend return (valid Fri-Sun).

Hetis - myriam - any predictions when the high-speed line will open for full speed - i thought it was to be this spring but obviously not - but as i understand it the line is open but not capable of high-speed running yet. Thanks

hetis - you mean the high-speed tracks only go to Buitenveldert - but i suspose the actual high-speed capable trains will limp into Amsterdam C.S.

thanks

Yes, it was supposed to be in May of this year. Now they say 'as of 2008'.
http://www.hslzuid.nl/hsl/uk/hslzuid/

Dank u Myrian - dank u very well

i've read in a rail mag that there are as yet no high-speed train sets so yes there won't be high-speed service till next year.

It's a snafu about the train sets - line done but no trains to realize high-speed capability.

No Pal, the high speed train will terminate at Buitenveldert. But only once that staion is upgraded a bit - 2011 is I think the planning for it.
I don't see the logic in it either....

hetismij - please bear with me - i'm kind of a train geek and wish to know more about this BIZARRE development

I assume Buitenveldert terminus will be after the trains serve Schiphol Airport?

and possible tie in with Station Zuid-WTC for connections to Amsterdam C.S.?

Thalys trains it would seem would go from Schiphol into C.S. as they do now - so you must be talking about the Dutch-Belgian high-speed trains?

anyway incredible and thanks for relaying that.

i supose the new Brussels-antwerp-Buitenveldert trains will require reservations like most other high-speed trains in europe, which i don't like either as i always have a railpass and it's just nice to hop on.

Of course i guess stopping trains will still run the Amsterdam-Den Hague route, etc.

Tot Ziens!

PalenQ, it's about the same situation as in Belgium. Thalys has a stop in Brussel-Zuid (Bruxelles Midi) and in Antwerpen-Berchem instead of in both the central stations. Very regrettable as far as Antwerpen is concerned now that we have this brandnew 3-level station at Centraal.

Myriam - thanks - i thought Thalys would go thru Antwerpen Centraal and then under a tunnel under the port. Thanks for the update and any other info i can glean.

Dank u wel (about my only Dutch along with Tot Ziens and a.u.b.!)

<Price for intercity: € 57.60 on weekdays (return) ; € 34.60 weekend return (valid Fri-Sun).>

at these prices, especially for weekday travel strongly look at the Holland Railpass, which comes in two versions:

3 days unlimited travel in a one month period - a flexipass - 2nd class $90 1st cl $133 under 26 youth $67

57.60 Euros return if doing Amsterdam-Antwerp day trip is about $81 - of course this only takes you to the Dutch frontier, but that is just a few miles from Antwerp so before getting on the train you'd buy a return ticket Dutch border- Antwerpen and back - say $10

So if doing any other day trips from Amsterdam - such as to Delft, Den Hague, Alkmaar, etc. this pass could be a good deal - or just to/from Schiphol airport if not going to use the third day. A youth may find the pass cheaper than the Amsterdam-Antwerp return fares along on week days - though there may be some kind of youth fare Myrian didn't consider.

Or if going onto Brussels or Bruges later then look at the Benelux Pass:
5 days of travel in a one-month period for $171 p.p. on a Saver Pass - two names on one pass or $235 each in 1st class- youth $154

This pass would take you from Amsterdam to Bruges - Brussels - Luxembourg, gateway to the German Mosel, etc.

You'd have to do more than the typical Amsterdam-Bruges-Brussels travel though to make this pay off.

But i love day tripping from Amsterdam - some regional Dutch cities are amongst my favorite in Europe - Aklmaar - especially on cheesey Fridays for the famous Cheese Market - Utrecht - Delft - Den Hague or to Hooge Veluwe and the Van Gogh dominated museum there.

Not sure if these passes are sold in the countries - think not, at least in this form and pricing but not sure.

Marketed in US by RailEurope www.raileurope.com but they will charge $18 for mailing i think. That's one reason i always recommend BETS www.budgeteuropetravel.com for lower mailing fee and much more expertise - actually talk to someone knowledgeable.

Five day pass out of 1 month: $142 or $213 1st class $107 youth

WillTravel,
You could buy a B-Excursion ticket. This comes in three different versions:
1 ) roundtrip Belgium/Amsterdam (on intercity) + Mme. Tussaud + boat trip on the canals and in the harbour
2) roundtrip + boat trip with museum boat
3) roundtrip + Anne Frank House + boat trip on the canals and in the harbour
No need to make reservations for your train ahead.
The prices depend from your point of departure (the distance calculator on the Belgian Rail's website is unfortunately out of order and the explanations of the B-Excursions are only in Dutch as far as I can see).

Myriam, thanks for providing another option.

I saw this tour, and was a bit tempted:
http://ryanair.isango.com/ViewProduc...ServiceID=4012

However, it offers only 2.5 hours in Antwerp and 2.5 hours in Brussels, and also includes a visit to a lace factory.

Actually, when I tried to dummy book it, it turns out it's not available in August anyway, so I guess that's not an option!

I'm glad the tour is not available! I'm not so fond of this kind of tours. It would be such a shame if you came all the way to Antwerp just to see the Cathedral (though it's my favorite landmark in Antwerp) and the Grote Markt.
Make it a long daytrip by train, enjoy the main sites but also stroll along the various cobblestoned squares and narrow streets. Look up the beautiful façades of the houses, have lunch/dinner in one of the numerous restaurants, or a few of our famous beers on a shaded terrace. And soak up the atmosphere of my beautiful city.

and stroll along the waterfront passing numerous old warehouses evoking the time when Antwerp was one of the world's largest ports - well it still is but port installations have been removed from the town center and these empty hulks remain.

So would August 12 (a Sunday) or August 13 (a Monday) be a better day to visit?

In europe not uncommon for museums to be closed on Monday

Sunday the shops would be closed so the normal vibrant town centre would be very quiet, which some would like more

If you like to visit the museums, you should come on Sunday as they're closed on Mondays. Churches are open all the time (except Carolus Borromeus which is closed on Sundays).
Personally I prefer to experience a city on weekdays during its normal daily routine.

I came back to look at this thread for information, as I will be in the area again in a few months.

I should update, as when I was in Amsterdam, I did not end up going to Antwerp on a daytrip. However, I did do two very nice daytrips to Haarlem and Leiden. I particularly enjoyed Leiden.

If someone does have this daytrip in mind, the ticket you should buy is the Smilys roundtrip ticket for 28 Euros. You have to book this at least 14 days ahead, but no more than 3 months ahead. The easiest place to buy the ticket, so far as I can see, is at the voyages-sncf.com site. I've been experimenting with the various national sites, and this one seems to work best (but you have to keep it in French). These put you on the Thalys trains with no real advantage in speed, as described above, but there is the cost advantage with a prebooked roundtrip ticket.

www.thalys.com is the Thalys web site but apparently crucial info is in Dutch?

www.thalys.com is in four languages.
Here's the Englisgh one www.thalys.com/be/en/

In any case unless you can snag the elusive SMILYS THALYS fare which exists in extremely limited numbers of many trains i believe

you're better off just buying an open ticket for the IC hourly trains that just take a little longer and not hassle with any Thalys ticketing.

you can make seat reservations if want but not really necessary, especially if starting in Amsterdam CS

Willtravel:
What did you enjoy about Leiden? My parents have spent some time there but I never learned what they liked about it. I've only driven through Leiden and am interested in spendiing time there next time.

Too bad you never made it to Antwerp as they have a good Accor downtown hotel there and I know you're a fan of Merkur (at least in Berlin).

Leiden is a neat regional town with a prestigious university that gives it a youthful zestful edge

It has romantic canals and, south part of town in the university residential district some really swell old streets.

Come on Saturdays for a swarm in the old town center - a shopping mecca with the old vestiges of the Weigh House (if i remember, etc.)

It also has some interesting museums in the univeristy area.