Rail Question
 

I have purcased a Germany- Benelux railpass for my trip. I noticed on websites there are ICE , Thalys TGV trains. Are these certain trains in different countries or would I have a choice of which train to take if some of these trains are newer and faster?

My suggestion is to look at detailed schedules for the countries in which you want to travel. My suggestion is to consult the German national rail website, Die Bahn. The website may be found at this location:

For example if you were traveling from Brussels Midi station to Köln in Germany, you would likely take a train marked THA. These are Thayls trains subject to higher fares and compulsury reservations.

If you went from Köln to Stuttgart you would have a choice of IC and ICE type of trains. The type of train is not the sole determining factor when it comes to shortness of the travel times, therefore look at the column headed "Duration."

TGV type trains are found in France, and they are indeed the fastest of the French trains. They, too, are subject to required seat reservations.

Normally, trains listed as ICE are faster than IC trains in terms of the duration of the trip and they normally cost more.

I always look at the duration, however, rather than the type of train.

The ones I would avoid where possible are RB trains. These are invariably local trains and they make many stops along the way whereas IC trains do not stop at stations in small towns.

Your pass is certainly good for all ICE trains which run in Germany and from/to Germany into/out of certain other countries. Reservations are usually not compulsory on those.

Thalys...you usually end up paying some sort of supplement even with a pass.

In Germany like Dukey says you can just hop on any ICE train anytime except the ICE Sprinter trains, which though few in number compared to regular ICE trains, demand a supplement for railpass holders - how much i'm not sure but you can't just hop on these.

TGVs and Thalys trains in France and Belgium and only into Cologne from Brussels demand reservations - TGVs cost 3 euros in Europe per seat; Thalys charges about $10-15 supplement in 2nd class and about $30 in first class, though in first class you get a meal included for that price.

Brussels-Cologne there are both ICEs and Thalys so take the ICE, just as nice - some say nicer - and can just hop on (optional reservations can be made and are at times advised, especially in 2nd class).

No TGVs run into Germany and in Belgium only go to Brussels from southern France.

Thalys trains link Paris to Brussels, amsterdam and points in between and paris-brussels-Cologne, Germany.

If going directly between Cologne and Paris or Amsterdam and Paris and Brussels and Paris you virtually have to take the Thalys - as they are the only trains to go direct Brussels to Paris.

Thus practically no trains in Benelux or Germany require reservations.

Thanks for the help.
Mike

And trains between Amsterdam and Brussels (or Antwerp, where you change for Gent and Bruges) - on Amsterdam-Brussels there are Thalys trains you should avoid to save reservation hassle and supplement, which is the same regardless of distance traveled and take the hourly IC trains (reservations optional), which take only slightly longer than Thalys as high-speed tracks in Holland will only be finished sometime in 2007 (hopefully) when there will then be much faster times perhaps on Thalys. But now no reason to take it as Thalys, which is capable of about 190 mph running as it does on Brussels-France routes, currently limps along in Holland on old tracks at conventional speeds - but since it doesn't stop as much is marginally faster.

The Die Bahn web site is:
http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en

I though I had pasted it into my posting. Obviously I did not.

It will give you detailed schedules for Benelux and Germany.

and, if you click on 'details for the above' it will then tell you if 'reservations are complusory" or if they are suggested (which means possible it seems and not imperative to get on)