Thalys Paris to Amsterdam
 

We are faking the red train (Thalys) from Paris to Amsterdam later this month - on a Sunday. This trip seems to take 1 hour longer than it would if made the same journey on a weekday. Why is that?

Thank you.

Well I just check www.bahn.de/en - German railways pan-European schedule site -it says 3:17 for all Thalys trains weekdays or weekends.

Perhaps the weekend you are searching is one where track work is being done- not unusual on weekends more than busier week days.

What days are you checking on?

You must have looked at one of the connecting options, via Brussels.

Go to www.sncf.com - the train start in Paris so go to the French site and you'll see that on both Sunday 1-22 and 1-29 the direct ones leave at :25 and arrive three hours and 17 minutes later at :42

Thank you both. Indeed, after checking the departure and arrival times for this weeeknd, I see a 3 hour travel time. However, my departure is next weekend, Jan 14 and I see a 4 hour travel time for the same train. Perhaps track work is expected and factored in.

Not track works. Saturday schedule.

They take 4h12m and 4h17m because they go via stops in Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and (some of them) Schiphol (Amsterdam's airport). Some go via Lille and Brussels.

On SNCF click on the PLUS sign on the right and the entire trajectory opens up.

Not track works. Saturday schedule.>

bahn.de/en indicates 8:25-9:25, etc hourly about trains every Saturday I check that take 3:17

they also list some connections that are Thalys to Brussels then yes IC trains to Amsterdam.

That's curious, that German listing. The Thalys website itself, just like the SNCF website, only shows 4h17m trains on Jan. 14 - see https://www.thalys.com/
Now who would you rather trust - the train company that runs the train, or the Germans?

ah the Germans for sure!

(satire)- there may be track work on Jan 14 but checking Jan 21 and other Sats on thalys.com shows hourly trains at 3:17.

There must be trackwork on the high-speed line Rotterdam -A'dam and trains are diverted onto the old route I suspect.

and yes I forgot to say when I check Sat Jan 14- all Paris to Amsterdam links were indeed 4:17 with no 3:17-on a quick search.

Ah, so it seems that we've managed to plan travel during the one weekend with the extended travel time. Well, perhaps we will see more along the way with the train going more slowly.

If it goes the old route -via Delft, The Hague and Leiden you will see more and IMO nicer countryside and cities (they all blend so neftly in this a country whose population density rivals or excedes that of India) than the straight north high-speed route Rotterdam to Amsterdam if that route is closed for work as it seems that weekend.

Either that or you will speed along just fine and then sit or creep by at snail-like speeds.