travel_fun

I'm sure some where there is the information I'm looking for.. but, if you would indulge me and share the information if you have it - I would much appreciate it.

I'm trying to figure out the cost for train from Paris to Amsterdam... if point to point or is a eurail pass needed. I've gone to the various train links and I must admit, I'm having trouble figuring it out.

In addition, I'm interested in ideas for B&B or hotel for Amsterdam. i saw ms_go's listing and I've written to the B&B she used.. Maes and Heren B&B's.

It looks wonderful and she has availability, but there is no cancellation and I'm not ready to commit. I'd like to find, if I can, a place with a cancellation policy - something like 72-48 hours.

We'll be going for a few days the week before Christmas.

Thanks....

karameli

I just priced the opposite direction at RailEurope.com today. One-way Amsterdam to Paris for 2 people was $382 total and just under four hours. The Eurail pass seems to be a good deal if you'ree doing 3+ destinations. For a one-way, seems like the better deal is to go point-to-point.

Plus, if anyone has better advice than that, now I've bookmarked Two bords, one stone!

karameli

Bords? BIRDS. Long day!

WillTravel

RailEurope often inflates their prices significantly. For one adult and one youth, I got roundtrip train tickets from Cologne to Paris for 116 Euros total on http://www.thalys.com . RailEurope was quoting an absurd price that was several times that.

travel_fun

We'll actually be doing a round trip to Amsterdam from paris... one of our ideas for a side trip out of paris for a few days.. 2 adults and a youth (I think 21 year old is still youth from what I read)

Two years ago when we visited Paris, we took a side trip to Brugges and loved it.

My husband has been looking and so far found that a point to point RT is $918 for the three of us and with a pass it looked like $870 (including the Thalys premium) ... could this be right???

Now that I'm looking at it, it seems like a lot of travel money for a three day trip to Amsterdam. Is that generally the cost to take a side trip via train???

travel_fun

Oh - another question...
how do you bookmark a thread??

isabel

Those train prices sound high. A couple of years ago I paid about 95 one way point to point ticket (purchased in Paris a few days before) so even if prices have gone up a bit what you found seems high. Did you check raileurope site, their prices are always a bit higher than the actual price if you buy the tickets once you get there, but the site is easy to use to get an idea.


Hotel Brouwer (www.hotelbrouwer.nl/) was a great hotel, very reasonable. Unfortunatley I doubt you'll find availablity this close to when you want to travel but you never know.

bilboburgler

Another vote for Hotel Brouwer here. Also great delicatesant south (200 metres) along the canal which serves an early Greek supper

travel_fun

Thanks - I've written to the hotel...
In terms of the train.. I think that is the site we looked at... any ideas for another place to find the train rates???

karameli

travel_fun,

To bookmark, you just need to post a reply to the thread. If you have nothing to contribute but you want to get back to the thread easily, just reply, "bookmarking!" Then, when you log on, if you click your user name near the top of the screen, it will pull up all the threads you've participated in.

karameli

Also, thanks on my behalf for the info on RailEurope -- I didn't realize it was more of a portal/booking site than a direct booking site. I will check Thalys. Are they the only line that runs AMS - Paris? Thanks!

Travelnut

It's actually better to save a thread in your Favorites than to bookmark it, so you and others won't raise old threads to the top over more current ones.

isabel

Train prices vary by day and even by time of day. I just went to raileurope.com and put in a few different dates and times for the week before Christmas, round trip Paris to Ams and got prices ranging from 105 € to 191€ - that's RT for one person. However even at the higher price for three people it would be under 600, not close to 900 like you said. Are you looking first class?

LSUvetgirl

Did I miss you saying when your trip was?

The train from Brussels to Amsterdam is only 33 euros. If you can book early enough to get a Smilys fare on thalys it would only be about 30 euro from Paris to Brussels.

If you're traveling before February 15th you can go from Paris to Amsterdam for only 49 euro if you book before the end of the year!

They sure make it a scavenger hunt for us, don't they?

Carrie

travel_fun

My DH must be doing something wrong.. last night when he looked it was around $1200 for the three of us Paris to Amsterdam...dates Dec. 20th-23rd...
Any tips on using the site?

LSUvetgirl

not sure, here is the link to the page where they talk about the promotional fares:

http://www.thalys.com/fr/en/end-of-year-2006-promotion

There's always the possiblity that all those fares are sold out but sometimes if you keep digging you can find them even if the times aren't ideal.

And sometimes I find the Belgian site easier to navigate: http://www.thalys.com/be/en/end-of-year-2006-promotion

maybe try breaking up the search into paris-brussels and then brussels-amsterdam?

Of course, you are also traveling at a very high demand time so the super-low fares may already be snatched up.

Good luck!

jayne1973

We liked Hotel Keizershof in Amsterdam. Great hosts in a 16th century canal house.
Wondeful breakfast and if you are offered an omelette, don't miss the chance.

www.hotelkeizershof.nl

jayne1973

Also, we took the advice of someone on this forum and just waited to buy our train tickets (to Paris) when we got there. Just ask where to go in the station to buy Thalys tickets. It was much cheaper that anything we'd found online, and certainly MUCH cheaper than the prices you mentioned.

hopscotch

travel_fun, it looks like your moniker is a non starter so far.

I usually use the Netherlands rail site for info. Today I had a look for you but it wouldn't give me anything for Amsterdam to Paris because I am not in NL. It gave me that message in Dutch. So I emailed my friend in Holland and asked her to query the www.ns.nl. Here is the official word:

From Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Nord it will cost you €195 in second class for a flexible ticket (you can change your departure date). For a more or less inflexible ticket it is €146. These are round trip fares. One way is one half. For €119 extra you get a first class ticket.

I forgot to ask if this includes the Thalys supplement. Earlier this year I rode the Thalys from Brussels to Paris with my 1st class Eurailpass and had to pay a supplement of €20 plus a reservation fee of €3. First class is sweet but if I was buying individual tickets I would save the money for something else. Thalys second class is hardly "second class."

When I travel without a rail pass I do as jayne1973 - just buy my tickets and/or reservations as I go. People place too much trust in the internet IMO. Cash on the counter works every time. The internet does not slice your bread.

If you google B&B Amsterdam you get a million listings. Most at the top are agencies. Scroll down until you start to get owners who have their own web pages on the internet. Also, do a search for Leiden and Haarlem which are close to Amsterdam. The train will cost under $10 and a half hour from each of these beautiful cities.

Maes B&B has been favorably mentioned on this forum and other travel forums. I don't know it but if you are not ready to commit by now you better soon be ready to regret. Amsterdam fills up at Christmas and I'm surprised that you can find anything at this late date.

Youth fares end at 25.

On a PC bookmark anything with Ctrl-D. OTOH, with Fodors all you have to do is make a contribution. Most people use "ttt" which means "to the top." I use "marking." Then when you come back and sign in click your moniker at the top of the page. All posts in which you have contributed will be in the west side panel.

travel_fun

hopscotch - you are so right! I'm waiting for the fun to begin

This trip has been very difficult to plan. Because of a variety of situations, we've had to completely change our plans a number of times.

Thank you sooooooo much for all you've done to help make a go of it!