Rail Europe Pass Reservations?
 

It is funny, I thought the idea of getting the pass would be so we did not have to get the reservations.Then, come to find out some of the trips I want AKA Paris to Strasbourg wouldn't be available over the internet.

Do I need a reservation for all my trips?

Paris - Bruges

Bruges - Brussels

Brussels - Paris

I don't know, but I highly doubt you need a pass if those are your only train rides.

Brussels to Paris direct on Thalys means a supplement with a pass of about $30=40 or so on top of the pass. You can go via CDG Airport however and just pay a 3 euro passholder fee plus the RER fee Paris to the airport of about 10 euros or so.

Paris to Bruges you should if a pass go via Lille and then you only have a 3 euro supplement with a pass but if you go via Brussels then you have the absurd IMO Thalys supplement - both routes take about the same time - 2.5 to 3 hours all told.

Bruges to Brussels is local train on which reservations are not even possible.

Check out these sites for loads of info on trains in France and Belgium and the Thalys train - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

And for deep discounted Thalys tickets Paris and Brussels return www.thalys.com or www.voyages-sncf.com - there are lots of various fares - cheapest must be booked far in advance and they are sold in tiers in limited numbers in each price tier.

If doing Paris to Strasbourg and the other trips and have a pass then it can be useful - you need at least a 3 euro supplement Paris to Strasbourg and possible more if the lowest tier passholder fare is exhausted.

I actually sidestepped the Thalys steep supplement for railpass holders between Paris and Brussels by taking the RER from Paris to CDG Airport TGV station (terminal 2 - same place RER drops you off at that terminal - then took a regular French TGV to Brussels and only paid 3 euros all told with the pass covering the rest. Maybe took an hour or so longer only.

Thalys high-speed trains (Paris-Brussels, change for Bruges) are all 'reservation obligatory'.

I can go online now and book a Paris-Brussels ticket for a date a month or two from now for as little as 35 euros including reservation, or indeed I could book through from Paris to Bruges using the the 'Any Belgian Station' (ABS) facility at www.thalys.com, which gives you a reserved seat on Thalys to Brussels and an onward open ticket to Bruges valid on any train.

With a pass, the passholder reservation fee for Thalys is 39 euros in 2nd class, 62 euros 1st class.

Yes, that's right, 4 euros MORE than a ticket with reservation bought onlie WITHOUT a pass! So why buy a pass, certainly if you can pre-book?

Bruges-Brussels is a hop on, no rservation necessary train service, as are all domestic Belgian trains. But the fare is only 26 euros, surely that's much less than the cost-per-day of the pass, which will be more like 55-69 euros per day, if that's all you do in a pass day?

You can check belgian fares at www.b-rail.be