Thalys from Amsterdam to Cologne?
 

Going to Germany this fall and am considering stopping off in Amsterdam on the way, then taking the Thalys train to Cologne? Is the Thalys train a pleasant way to see some of the Netherlands on the way to Cologne?

Hi<BR> The Thalys might not be the best way to go. You can check train schedules at http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de

I'll check that website, but I'm curious why you think Thalys might not be the way to go, since it appears to be very fast. Thanks for the quick reply.

Hi Mary Fran<BR> I might have missed something, but the only Thalys train I found went by way of Brussels and took longer than the ICE.

Mary Fran - The Thalys is a pleasant way to travel - but not necessarily the best way to see the sites along the way. The smoking section in second class usually is very crowded on the weekend and might be hard to get a ticket on the spot.<BR><BR>BTW - stopping off in Amsterdam on the way???

why go by Thalys ?<BR>Take the ICE directly from Amsterdam. You're in Cologne in under 3 hours.<BR>Check out www.db.de

I've taken the ICE in the opposite direction (Cologne to Utrecht) and it was faster and more direct than using the Thalys for that particular trip. However, overall, I think the Thalys is a nicer train, at least if you're traveling in first class. You get better service and a complimentary meal served at your seat. But it's not the right choice for that route.

Wow. Thanks for the education. Regular train it is!

<BR>Mary Fran,<BR><BR>Your last reply indicates that you may have misinterpreted the other replies. Nearly everyone has been saying that the Thalys does not go to Cologne but that the ICE does. <BR><BR>The ICE is not a &quot;regular&quot; train. When you see it parked in the Amsterdam station you want to get on that silver bullet and go! It is TGV class as is the Thalys, and has a paint job that says were're flying. <BR><BR>There are 5 ICE per day to Cologne from Amsterdam. The round trip 1st class fare is e135 and 2nd class is e90. <BR><BR>Thalys goes south to Paris from Amsterdam, though it doesn't achieve high speed until Brussels because the Dutch are still building the high speed tracks, slowly.<BR><BR>John Bermont