Sue

We need train tickets from Paris to Brugge, then to Amsterdam in July. The Thayls website is still not current on times in July. Do I need to buy them before we go to Europe or will they be readily available the week prior to leaving Paris for Brugge? Also, how do I purchase them online, they don't seem to want to accept US currency! I have this whole trip planned except for these pesky tickets that will wreck all my reservations if I don't get them on the days I need them!! Can you tell I'm frustrated?? Please helppppp!!!!!

Rex

Chill. You can get them there. Just buy one or two days before.

Or if it makes you feel better, buy them from www.raileurope.com (1-800-4EURAIL) a month before. You will pay about 50% more that way.

Myriam

If you have exact dates and if same is possible in the US you can better buy your Thalys tickets now. You will then pay the so-called "mini tarriff". If you buy them right before you leave you will pay the full rate which can make a large difference.

Vincent

I suspect the reason why you can't book tickets now is because July schedules are part of the "Summer schedules" starting about 25 May. I know it is annoying and they should start selling tickets at least six months ahead, but this is the way it is. Anyhow, I would expect SNCF's website to sell these tickets come April. But, mostly, there is at least one Thalys per hour between Paris and Brussels, so even by booking in May, you'll have plenty of choice and availability ! To purchase the tickets on line, sncf.fr does accept foreign credit cards.

Brian in Atlanta

Sue, don't worry about it until you get to Paris. You'll have no problem getting tickets a week in advance at any Thalys ticket window.

Sue

Thanks so much for the info, people, I'm going to wait and buy them when we arrive in Paris. I feel much better now! And, besides, if the train doesn't work, I have pretty good legs, I'll try to bum a ride...ha ha!!

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Paul

Last summer, we had tremendous results by using Freedom Rail (info below). It is based in the UK, but specializes in European train travel (Thalys, TGV, etc.). Those trains don't sell very efficiently over the internet. Freedom Rail found the 4 of us better rates than available on the web, sent us the tickets by Airborne to the USA. We went from Brussels, to Provence, to Paris, to Normandy and back to Brussels and it all came off without a hitch -- great seats, all together, nonsmoking cars, etc. Can't say enough good about my experience with Freedom Rail. The person I dealt with is Keith Brown. At one point I had a question and it was simply easier to call him, but his email address is [email protected]. The phone number is 011-44-1252-728506. Good luck. You won't be disappointed in Keith or FreedomRail.

Paul

A PS to my last reply: We also went to Brugge. I am of Flemish ancestry and I am pleased to see you refer to it as Brugge instead of Bruges. Brugge is fabulous. Try to arrange for a private walking tour, if you can. Your hotel can probably arrange it. You'll see details and here stories that add real depth to a very unique city.

Jerry

Just a word of caution on waiting. The trains can fill up in summer, especially if you want a non-smoking seat at a specific time. I would keep trying the web site or scan the web for a phone number, call and politely ask if they speak English. The people on the phone probably do, but it is nice to ask anyway.

Bon voyage,
Jerry

Mary

Sue, If you're a member of AAA, you might call them and see if anyone there can help you. (I've had good luck using AAA for Thalys tickets.)

Nano

Sue,
I spoke to an extremely helpful young man at the Rail Europe phone number who told me I could purchase my Thalys tickets for a July Paris-Brussels journey in April.

Susan

I'm worried too about purchasing Thayls tickets from Paris (5th district) to Amsterdam in early June.
Previously we purchased TGV tickets from a local SNCF office near our Paris hotel.
Recently I read that Thayls tickets can be purchased from any station that the train goes through. Am wondering if this means we have to go to the Gare de Nord to get our tickets (when we first arrive in Paris) or can we again go to a local SNCF office (like in the 5th) & buy them there.

Vincent

Susan, you can buy any train ticket (including Thalys, Eurostar, etc. ) from any train station in France, however small it might be. So, when in the 5th, you can try the "Grandes Lignes" selling office inside the Saint Michel RER station (that's a valuable tip, even most Parisians don't know it exists ! ) or the "Boutique SNCF" on rue de Rennes, metro Saint-Sulpice, which might be more crowded.

lisa

I'm having a different problem -- both the Thalys and Rail Europe website show no trains whatsoever from Brugge to Brussels on Sunday June 3 -- the day I am scheduled to fly out of Brussels airport. Is this correct, and if so, is there any other way to get from Brugge to the Brussels airport -- maybe by bus?

Rex

RailEurope.com lacks a LOT of rail data between two given points, and the Thalys simply does NOT go through Brugge.

The website for Belgian rail travel is www.b-rail.be (to reach the websites for rail travel in every country in Europe see http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/misc/timetabl.html - - no "www" - - this is a "meta-site" that is the most complete I have ever found).

Anyhow, on this site, you will see that there are departures at :32 and :57 hourly with a 6 minute change in Denderleeuw (I consulted THIS Sunday, but surely Sunday June 3 is not significantly different).

The 2nd class full fare is 400 BEF (9.92 Euro).

Susan

Vincent,
Thanks so much for your tip on the Grandes Lignes in the 5th District! Now all I'm worrying about is a possible United strike - but then that would be another thread. (We've already had one on us chronic worriers.)

lisa

Rex -- Thank you so much -- I'm very relieved (I knew it didn't make sense for there not to be a single train between Bruges and Brussels all day Sunday).