MorganB, if you are out there, I could use assistance. I have followed your directions to book online, but have not booked yet.

I will travel from Amsterdam to Paris on May 3. I want to catch the 8:56am train so I do not have to change with all my luggage and need to arrive early into Paris. The lowest fare I am seeing is 101E one way, 2nd class. It is much more for a roundtrip ticket. This is the full fare on the website. No discounts showing. They want about 165E to travel in first class.

So, my questions are: should I wait until I get to Amsterdam to buy a ticket? Are the prices quoted on the website what I can expect at the station? How different is first class from second class? If I have to pay an arm, I might as well pay an arm and a leg if there is a big difference in the classes.

Thanks. Diane

Hiluvtotravel,

As a rule we buy our tickets once we arrive at our destination, but the 2 times I have been in Amsterdam the lines for tickets are VERY long. Go for them on line and pay a little more.

Have fun.

Thanks for the advice, del.

I have made that train ride and I purchased my tickets when I arrived in Amsterdam and I waited in line for at least an hour. And they are not any cheaper buying over there. It was like 90E a few years ago.

As far as first class, it depends on how you get down in amsterdam, I was able to sleep just fine in 2nd class.

did you attempt to buy -roundtrip- tickets so you could look for a Smilys fare - those are usually 39E each way so 76E cheaper than one)way fare

(i am at a belgian keyboard cant figure out some keys!)

Hi all. I did get half my ticket. Here is the post I added to another thread today:

MorganB, thank you so much for your instructions. I was able to purchase my ticket Brussels to Paris online and print it. Just to be safe, I printed from my PC at work as my operating system is Safari (with Firefox) at home.

I've been watching fares for weeks for Amsterdam to Paris and the prices have been high. I went to AAA with thought of purchasing through them, but they quoted me a very high amount and they would not be able to make my reservation for the Thalys portion -- I would have to do that at the station and pay even more.

So I went back to the website and was able to get a discounted ticket (35E, 2nd class, reservation included) for Brussels to Paris. As the trains between Amsterdam and Brussels were not on sale I didn't feel the rush to buy one now and I have flexibility to decide later which train I want to take out of Amsterdam. If it's a pretty day I may get up early and train to Brugge for a couple of hours and then proceed to Paris.

And I haven't decided yet whether I want a first class or second class ticket for the first portion of the trip -- 2 two hours and 45 minutes. After flying coach from California the princess in me wants first class on the train. Is there much difference between first class and second class? This will not be a Thalys train.

Long explanation, but what I learned is I was able to get a better price and more schedule options by breaking down my trip into two pieces as what was showing up for the two legs combined was too costly and restrictive

Thanks again -- you're my hero. Diane

Hi Luv,

If you insist on a direct train, you will pay 101E, whether you book online and have your tickets sent to your hotel, or whether you buy at the train station in Amsterdam.

If you want to save money, a RT on the 07:26 is 61.40E. It's 76.9 on the 09:26.

It's a 4 hr ride on the THALYS. If you are under 45 go 2cl; over 60 go 1cl.

Enjoy your visit.

Thanks, Ira. You may have seen my response. Next year I will be able to take advantage of the senior price!

Hi I live in the UK but want to buy 2 tickets on the High Speed train Amsterdam to Paris dsirect in 1st class. can you pont me to the website please.

blightyboy, here is the website:
http://voyages-sncf.com
If you type in MorganB in the search box you will find the thread where he gives instructions on how to book and print out a train ticket.

Great - Many Thanks

Just recently took this trip from Amsterdam to Paris and you don't need first class tickets. The trip is not that long. I would suggest bringing snacks although you can buy them on the train. We did the trick of buying round-trip tickets on-line but only using one portion since it was so much cheaper that way.

We are on business and will want to work on the way so 1st class is our choice

Blightyboy, the THALYS first class Amsterdam-Paris Nord train has some 5 direct departures a day, (through Brussels Midi), and takes 4 hours, the lst class fare is 163 Euro, so you might be interested in that.

www.thalys.com/be/en/timetables

Can anyone tell me the difference between 1st and 2nd class on the train between Amsterdam and Brussels? It's a Corail train, not Thalys. I'm not on business, paying out of my pocket, but am willing to pay the extra if there is more comfort. The ride is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

It's an IC InterCity train that i've ridden many times and 1st class is very comfy and rarely many people in it. That said second class is comfy but often quite crowded so first class is much more leisurely. Check www.raileurope.com for their Thalys fares - at times they have specials but usually are more expensive. You can avoid their $15 mailing fee by going thru BETS (800-441-2387) who i always recommend for any RE product because of their customer service. As for buying in Amsterdam - buy tickets at Schiphol Airport train station ticket window and there will be few lines if any. And on the Thalys you should check on availability of SMILYS fares which though sold round trip only are cheaper than one-way fares - but hard to get book well in advance and throw or give the return ticket away.

Thank you, PalenQ. I've tried roundtrip tickets, but the fares are higher than the one way. As I already have a ticket for the Brussels-Paris leg, I think I will splurge and get a 1st class Amsterdam-Brussels. Allowing myself some flexibility at the moment, I may get up early and spend a couple of hours in Brugge or have some moules/frites in Brussels. I like having the flexibility. Thanks for the tip on buying a ticket at the airport -- that makes perfect sense.

I travelled 1st class from Amersterdam to Paris a couple years ago on the Thalys. It was one of the more amazing travelling experiences I have ever had. Fast, quiet, smooth.

My friend and I weren't sure what was included in the price of our ticket but learned that the meal and drinks were part of the deal. I remember asking the waiter if I could have a second beer. The response was that I could have "17 more if I wanted them."

Unfortunately, the train sped along so fast that I didn't have time for 17!

THanks for the info, yes I knew that booze and food were included in the price on the Thalyis, LOL thats why it is worth it for us to pay the extra - Comfort, food, booze and above all space

Booze and food only come complimentary on Thalys in first class