Bruges to Amsterdam Private Transfer
 

Will be travelling with a total of 6 people and bags from Brugges to Amsterdam. I thought it may be just as cheap for a private transport rather than the train. Train appears to be about 94 euro/person. Does anyone know of a car company that will service this route? Thanks

Which web site are you looking at to get the 94€ per person price for which day?
I looked up www.b-europe.com, and chose a day out of hat, March 11, 10:21am departure. It shows 36€ in 2nd class.

I suggest you contact the Bruges tourist office and ask them for companies if no response here - how about renting a mini-van and driving yourselves but drop-off charges for returning in Holland after picking up in Belgium could be steep or may not be.

How are you all getting to Bruges, from where and what did you use?

For 6 people with luggage you are going to need a 9 person van at the least - depending on how much luggage you have.

Train will take about 3 hours with 1 change in Brussels. (There are trip slightly shorter but they have 2 or 3 changes - so a PIA).

Road routes vary from 3 to 4 hours.

I would ask either your hotel or the local tourist office for info on a private driver with a vehicle of this type. Assume the cost will be big $. And 94 euros makes no sense unless you are buying the highest price tickets from Raileurope (a reseller) rather than the local train company.

Even looking at a train from Brugge this coming week I can't find a €94 fare. The cheapest is €19, the most expensive, for a morning train is €86.40 on Thalys.
If you want to use Thalys, which only involves one change then book it early to get the cheapest fare. 1st class is a waste of money.

I was looking at nsinternational.nl, but you can also look at www.b-europe.com for the Belgian site.

Train will take about 3 hours with 1 change in Brussels. (There are trip slightly shorter but they have 2 or 3 changes - so a PIA).>

About the same time going Bruges to Antwerp then changing there - could spend a few hours between trains looking around this grand old Flemish port town with a unique look and feeling.

We are going in April. Went on the rail site mentioned (Thank you very much for including)and saw 2nd Class fares 36 to 87 in the morning. As PalenQ stated PIA to make 2 or 3 changes. PalenQ- -we are arriving via train to Bruges from Brussels Airport. And...if 1st Class is a waste of money as hetismij2 stated, what is the difference? Thanks for the help.

make sure not to select an itinerary that has Thalys in it. NS International has programmed their website to steer you towards Thalys because they have a stake in it, but the best way is to buy a ticket via either Brussels or Antwerp that connects to the Benelux international train that goes from Brussels to Amsterdam via Antwerp.

the 36 euros is the single ticket via Benelux Intl train, 87 is for a Thalys connection.

PalenQ is pretty much the only advocate of 1st class train travel on this board. The rest of us who travel often by train find the difference between 1st and 2nd class absolutely negligible unless a couple of centimeters extra or having no contact with other passengers makes a difference to you.

As menachem stated, buy Benelux tickets.

If unfamiliar with European trains and tickets, do some research here:

seat61.com

PalenQ is pretty much the only advocate of 1st class train travel on this board. The rest of us who travel often by train find the difference between 1st and 2nd class absolutely negligible unless a couple of centimeters extra or having no contact with other passengers makes a difference to you.>>

lol, St C - I know what you mean but I would cheerfully have paid the £10 extra to travel first class from Plymouth to Redruth on Friday afternoon, crammed in as I was with school kids, tourists with huge suitcases, shoppers with multiple bags etc. on a train with no First class.

FYI, on that line a first class ticket buys you a lot more comfort and space.

On thalys I have stopped long ago booking first class.
First class offers larger seats ( they have 3 seats per row instead of 4) but is usually more noisy than second.

And I take thalys every week

The rest of us who travel often by train find the difference between 1st and 2nd class absolutely negligible unless a couple of centimeters extra>

You obviously have not ridden first class in many countries or even France as you simply mis-state the difference by saying a few extra centimeters of seat size - SO so untrue - first of all there are only 3 seats in a tow - and one row has just one seat in it - the ultimate aisle and window seat - couple can have a table in between then facing each other - no bothering or being bothered by strangers needing to get up to get out, etc.

1st class has seats much much bigger than a few centimeters - that is simply distorting the truth and being dishonest for some reason as the seats are significantly bigger.

Less travelers is same size train cars also means easier stowage of luggage - in some countries you even get gratis snacks and beverage in first class (Thalys first class serves a complimentary meal I think).

Now on Thalys trains the difference is less IME too but we are talking about the vast majority of trains and you may want to take IC trains Bruges to Antwerp and from there to Amsterdam and on those trains I have taken many times 2nd class can be SRO and first class half full. And though even on Thalys you have those most desirable to me single seat rows Thalys trains are much more plus in general than ordinary trains.

Man in Seat 61 who posts on Fodor's also has admitted that he 'is an aficionado of first class train travel' on a previous post.

It always seems weird that folks routinely paying 200-300 euros for a hotel and 100 euros for a meal for two chisel euros on train travel - especially ones of several hours. But that's the Fodor's mantra - go luxury in everything else but scimp on train travel - well 2nd class is a lot less relaxed than first class IME and on the trip of a lifetime go for it. Folks like pariswat who ride those trains all the time - OK money adds up but for the trip of a lifetime...

And ignore advice from folks who clearly do not know of what they are talking!

Thanks Pal. Glad to know I am talkig rubbish.

hetismij - if you say that the only difference between first and second class is a few centimetres you are indeed talking rubbish - is that what you claim and we are talking about trains in general not necessarily Thalys trains - what do you dispute about what I say are the differences above between the classes - just what, I'm curious - Man in Seat 61 then talks rubbish as his web site outlined similar differences between the classes.

There is a difference between saying first class is a waste of money (because of the oft large difference in fares between classes) than saying the difference between classes is 'just a few centimetres of seats being larger - that is pure rubbish and if you say that so be it.

and try to put yourselves in the shoes of a foreign traveler carrying typically too much luggage around. Have you ever ridden first class?

I don't think PalenQ is the only person who ever rides first class on the train on this board or advocates it. That is written as a broad, general statement about all train travel. I always prefer it for longer trips, if the price isn't that different, which is seldom is. I even remember Kerouac on here recommending it as the price is often not that different in France.

This is something anyone can decide for themself based on how much they value saving that amount, whatever it is.

NO one needs to ask others unless they have never been on a train in Western Europe before, I guess, and don't know what to expect with second class. Even in the US, though, it's not that different to the extent that second class is really terrible like some third world country. It is nicer, that's all, and often less crowded. It's worth it to me. The seats are often nicer on some trains, also, it isn't just space.

Now for Thalys is particular, maybe the cars are exactly the same and noisier, I have only ridden it there once or twice so have no opinion on that train in particular. But I find that to many people, what is a waste of money may matter to me, and what people scrimp on does vary a lot in ways you can't predict. I think spending 100 euro on a dinner is a complete waste of money but many people on Fodors do that.

The cheapest is €19, the most expensive, for a morning train is €86.40 on Thalys.
If you want to use Thalys, which only involves one change then book it early to get the cheapest fare. 1st class is a waste of money.>

Again please differentiate between my taking issue with the statement that 'there is only a few centimetres of seat size difference between classes' - which I call rubbish and your comment about 1st class on Thalys being a 'waste of money' - which I assume you are saying about the Thalys. and I always go 2nd class on Thalys though did do first class a few times to see what it was like and back in the day when Eurailpasses did not have the obscenely steep surcharge to use them in first class (and even 2nd class)

Now if you are talking about the IC trains via Antwerp I have ridden those trains so so many times with a Eurailpass so I of course rode first class and nearly every time 2nd class became SRO at times when first class was half empty - and on those trains IMO first class is worth it especially for folks with luggage - locals often travel sans luggage so may not realize the benefit of say on the IC trains having an empty seat next to you to put your bags on, etc.

Anyway just to clear up that I was not saying that you saying first class on Thalys trains can be a waste of money but take issue with the statement given above that there is only a few centimetres of different in seat size between the classes - I'm sure you will agree and I will agree on Thalys at least 1st class could be a waste of money but not on many trains in general - especially those IC trains Brussels-Amsterdam IME.

Did not mean to get everyone into a lather whether 1st or 2nd class train travel is preferable. I am 6'4" so any extra room is always appreciated. I would like to make only one change. Is it better to take an IC train Bruges to Brussels or Bruges to Antwerp and then Thalys onward? My understanding is that one can purchase an IC the day of travel but should book the second leg into Amsterdam ahead of time? Is Antwerp station easier to transfer than Brussels station? Thanks for the help!

It's not easy to find statistics about seat width and legroom, partly because it varies so much from train to train, and each operator has multiple styles of carriage. However, I think there's more to it than that. New models of carriage usually manage to squeeze in a few more seats, and I suspect they don't like comparisons.

I've found only a few sites which have seat width and legroom measurements for a specific type of carriage. One is an ICE3 carriage, used by Thalys, but not, I think on the route in question:

http://www.railfaneurope.net/ice/ice3.html

1st class seats have 3cm (1.2 inches) more knee space and are 3.5 cm (1.4 inches) wider than 2nd class.

I would say that's just a few cm.

BigAlvin, you book the tickets together. Go to the international site for Belgian railways
https://www.b-europe.com/Travel

and put in your dates for Brugge to Amsterdam. It will give you all the options; for Thalys and IC trains and the number of changes needed. It looks like it's faster via Antwerp, but requires an additional change in Gent.

If you have some time, it's worth seeing Antwerp Central Station.

Sometimes the difference in price between first and second class is quite small. The site shows the different prices.