Please advise... I'm looking to travel from Amsterdam to Brussels inexpensively. Is booking a train ticket in advance prefered for cheap rates? We're traveling on the 15th of March. I understand there are several carriers on this route. Which is fastest/least expensive/best?

Train fare is so cheap that it won't pay you to try to book discounted advance ticket which i don't know even is possible on this route. Two types of trains: Thalys, which charges $12-30 more than the InterCity (IC) trains that take only a few minutes longer and run hourly. Thalys trains link Amsterdam to Paris but there is no reason to take them Amsterdam-Brussels. thalys require reservations but IC don't. Fare should be about $35-40 in 2nd class; $55-60 in first class. check out www.ns.nl - dutch rail web site for offers if they exist. I see no reason to buy these ahead of time - if you want a seat reservation ask for that when you buy in Amsterdam - should cost a few bucks more.

I hate to butt in, but I was wondering how to calculate if I should buy a rail pass before my trip in April/May. How do you guys go about figuring that out?

Call BETS european rail info hotline and they'll give you an objective answer along with point-point fares - their excellent European Planning & Rail guide also gives fares - it's free and i've found it and them immensely helpful (800-441-9413).

Thanks so much!