giro

The inter city train between Amsterdam and Brussels has one connection in Rotterdam. The website shows a two minute connection time. We are traveling with two suitcases each and I am wondering if this connection may be problematic. Do trains normally wait when they see passengers trying to make the connection? We are traveling on a Monday morning in June.

Thanks for any advice.

menachem

you change to the intercity direct to Schiphol and Amsterdam and it's on the opposite side of the platform.

It's a connection that's necessary to get passengers from the international train to Amsterdam, so it'll wait unless the arriving train is more than 5 minutes late.

There have been problems with the intercity direct lately. The whole story of that shambles is too long to recount here.

If everything works as it should, your change should be painless.

giro

Thanks, I didn't make it clear that we are traveling from Amsterdam central station to Brussels midi. I don't know if that makes a difference.

nytraveler

Two suitcases each is a lot to manage on a train. How large are they? Have you figured out where you will put them?

You need to be at the door with your luggage when the train pulls in, pick them up - yes both - and get down the steps walk briskly across the platform and up onto the next train.

If you can;t pick up both your cases and walk briskly you have too much luggage for a train.

I have seen people work in tandem - one person pushes the bag up to the second person in the train who pushes the bag behind them down the aisle and then reaches for the next. But don;t know if this will work on a 2 minute change.

We usually do car versus train and luggage is one of the reasons. Can you get a schedule that allows longer to change trains?

bvlenci

There are very frequent trains from Rotterdam to Amsterdam, so I don't see a big problem if you should miss the connection.

However, train travel with two suitcases each can be painful.

hetismij2

You should have enough time, it is just across the platform. The guard will not let the train go if it is clear you are getting on.
If you do miss it you can get the next IC to Brussels. Unlike the High Speed Thalys tickets for IC are not train specific.

giro

Thank you all very much. I understand about the two suitcase thing at least one is a carry on.

menachem

No, same thing: IC Direct arrives on the one platform, international to Brussels departs from the opposite platform

Cowboy1968

For peace of mind, just take one IC earlier from Amsterdam to Rotterdam.
The IC trains run every 30 minutes on that route.
So if your itinerary says to take the 9:25 IC from A'dam to catch the 10:08 to Brussels in Rotterdam take the 8:55 IC in Amsterdam instead.

As your ticket seems to restrict you to IC trains (with Thalys trains excluded), I would take much longer to wait for the next IC to Brussels (or use another permitted connection with yet another change) in Rotterdam if you were not able to make that 2 minutes transfer.

When looking for the platform for either IC you eventually decide to take from Amsterdam, keep in mind that Rotterdam is not their final destination. So both trains will show Breda as destination on the station's displays (and Rotterdam only in "fineprint" like the other stops they make).