On the www.thalys.com website, found a price of 54 euros for a "mini", "return", ticket from Brussles-Midi to Paris-Nord. I can't determine if I need one or two of these (108 euros total) for a return day trip. The website is of no help to obtain clarification. Can anyone help? <BR><BR>

Just wait and buy your ticket at the train station. Trains leave every 45 minutes. At the right end of the ticket counter you can walk up and buy a ticket for the next departing train. Very easy.

If you are one person, you need one of these. If you are two or more persons, you need two or more of these. Return=round trip.

If the mini fare is available, grab it ASAP. Those tickets sell out the fastest for the Thalys (as noted above, return is the round trip, so the 54 euros will cover both ways). It's about 99% certain you WON'T be able to buy one the day or your trip or even a day or two before. But remember, the mini fare allows no refunds or changes to your itinerary. If you miss the train for any reason, either coming or going, too bad. You'll have to buy another ticket. So be very sure about which trains you want to take and keep to your schedule.<BR>The next fare up, the Loisirs or Tourist ticket allows one change, but it has to be made before you leave. You can't change the return trip. But that doesn't mean you can change only one leg of your trip. For example, if you buy a ticket to depart on the 19th and return on the 20th, then change it to depart on the 21st, you can change the return leg as well, but the ticket seller will make the changes all at the same time. They'll staple the new tickets to the old ones. <BR>BTilke (Brussels)

TO: BTilke<BR><BR>Thanks. Good info. Unfortunately, the Thalys site doesn't have any provision for buying tickets while in the States. Guess I'll have to take my chances that mini tickets are available when I arrive in Amsterdam. There are two of us traveling, so the savings are significant. My local travel agent wants to sell me higher price tickets (twice as expensive), and says that he doesn't know anything about mini tickets.

Right, I believe RailEurope is the exclusive sales outlet in the U.S. for the Thalys and I don't think they sell the mini-fare. Here's the site:<BR><BR>http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Please do a search here for "Thalys" or "SNCF". There is supposed to be a way you can reserve your ticket, and then pick it up at any station when you get there.

I know you can pay for your ticket on line and then pick it up in Paris because that is what I did last year - possibly you can do the same thing in Brussels - you will be saving at least 50%. Read the small print on the website.

rdfarr, as Alice suggested, I think there is a way. I've done it on the SNCF site, I'll bet the Thalys site is similar:<BR><BR>Go ahead and order and PAY for your ticket on the site. There should be a choice for picking up the ticket at the station. You will get a confirmation # to take with you to the station, along with the Credit Card you used to buy. As I said, I did this on SNCF and it worked out great. Good Luck!