irishdame

Please forgive my inexperience with train travel! If I buy a point to point ticket on Thalys from Amsterdam Central Station to the Garde du Nord can I board the train at Amsterdam Airport, Schiphol? It's the next stop after AMS CS, about 15 mins. Thanks for everyone's help!

Gavin

Thalys lists Schiphol as a station so just buy your ticket with Schipol as the starting point.

Do you already have a ticket for Amsterdam Centraal? If so I strongly suspect there is no problem using it but you might want to confirm with Thalys. They list phone numbers on the web site.

irishdame

Thanks Gavin. Schiphol is not given on Thalys.com or sncf.com as a departure point, but I will try reconfirming with Thalys directly.

usbeauty

Schipol is listed on thalys.com if you signify you will be picking up your ticket in the netherlands.

irishdame

Usbeauty, I didn't know that when I bought the tickets unfortunately. And I purchased them via www.sncf.com and since I am not picking them up at all, but rather printing them out I didn't think it mattered what country it listed. Anyway...do YOU know if I can board at Schiphol rather than CS as my ticket reads?

ira

Hi Irish,

>...can I board the train at Amsterdam Airport, Schiphol?<

Yes. You have a reserved seat.

irishdame

Even though the booking states to board at AMS CS Ira? Thanks!

GeoffHamer

Thalys trains operate like normal trains, with no special check-in procedures: you just go to the station, find the right platform and get on the train. Because all seats on Thalys are reserved, the reserved seats are not labelled. Nobody will notice that you have not boarded the train at Amsterdam Centraal. When you board at Schiphol, if anybody is sitting in your seat, just ask them politely to move, and show them your ticket which proves that it's your seat.

irishdame

Thank you Geoff! I didn't think it would be a big deal but I've got very little experience with trains and just wanted to make sure.

BTilke

One note: if you're going first class, the car attendant may ask to see your ticket just before you get onto the train (he or she will be standing next to the entrance of your train car). Not always, but keep your ticket handy just in case.

PalQ

the old rule for reserved seats on European trains is that if the seat is not claimed with 15 minutes or so it would be up for grabs. that said i don't think the Thalys will be a problem since it is all reserved seats and like someone said above the conductor will not come thru probably until after Schiphol - if you're going to Schiphol to pick up luggage stored there you shouldn't have any problems.

irishdame

I don't really care so much about sitting in the assigned seats, any seats are fine I just didn't want to be denied boarding at Schiphol if my tickets state that boarding is at AMS CS! Thanks again everyone for your invaluable help!

irishdame

Ok, update on the question: Can I board the train at Schipol instead of AMS CS (which is where my ticket says to board).
I've been emailing with someone at www.sncf.com, where I bought the tickets, and long story short...today they've told me that the train does not even stop at Schipol!! Now, this is patently untrue as the timetables clearly indicates Schipol is a stop.

http://imgnew.thalys.com/pdf/timetables_thalys.pdf

Additionaly I took this Thalys route in 2003 and I KNOW it stops at Schipol. This has been going on for days. It shouldn't be this difficult to get a straight answer out of SNCF and then when I do, it's completly in error!

Anyways, I'm just going to wing it..board the train where I need to and let the chips fall where they may!
Thanks for letting me vent!

hopscotch

Irishdame,

Try the Netherlands Railways site at www.ns.nl for excellent information on all the trains in and out of Holland.

ira

>It shouldn't be this difficult to get a straight answer out of SNCF and then when I do, it's completly in error!<

Another example of the general lessening of standards.

vivi

I took Thalys from Amsterdam to Gare du Nord about 10 days ago. Try to sit in you assigned seat when you board because the train does fill up as the stops progress. The train was only about half full when we left AMS but full by the time we got to Paris.

irishdame

Thanks everyone! I emailed SNCF advising them of the erroneous information they're "providing", we'll see if they respond!

PalQ

there are occasions when the Thalys, due to ongoing track work at Schiphol Airport station may be rerouted via Haarlem and Leiden - this has definitely happened at times - i doubt if this is the case but never know. Did you try calling the info line: 08 92 35 35 36 in France better get a phone number for Amsterdam train info as they'll surely speak English. Belgian number: 70 66 77 88

Intrepid1

The segment Centraal-Schiphol (I agree..they all seem to stop there) is so short (15 minutes) I suspect the "conductors" don't even start looking at tickets until after the train leaves the airport station.

hopscotch

Intrepid1 is right in my experience. Usually you won't have your ticket checked between these station.

Ditto for PalQ. The train can be diverted through Haarlem, the route for all trains toward Paris before the Schiphol station was built. The Thalys does not become a high speed train (TGV) until Brussels. From Amsterdam to Brussels Midi it runs on the old tracks. Your seat reservation will hold whether you get on in Amsterdam Centraal or Schiphol.

Warning. The Dutch unions have called a strike for Friday, June 17. No trains, period, is my understanding.