My wife, 7-year-old daughter, and I will be arriving at Schiphol Airport, and want to travel directly to Brussels. Do we have to go into Amsterdam first (to the Central Station, or otherwise), or can we get a train directly from Schiphol? Also, there seem to be a myriad of fares available, including some for kids and some for adults travelling with kids (I'm not interested in the Thalys service, since several people here indicated it's not much faster and costs much more); does anybody know the least expensive way to get a round trip ticket? (We'll be staying in Belgium for about a week before returning to Amsterdam, so day returns are out.) Thanks very much for the advice.

You don't need to get into the city. The hourly train from Amsterdam to Brussels stop at Schipol at :40 past every hour during the day.

Hi mac,

You can find the train schedules at
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

Remember that Brussels has more than one train station.

I'd asked very specifically for help to the train platform in Schipol, since I found the trains very badly signposted.

It'sa lovely trip, tho'

I'd agree that the Thalys isn't worth it...*unless* you are arriving at the height of afternoon rush hour (from 4:30 to 6:30 pm). The trains can get VERY crowded...I have seen them standing room only at that time of day. At least with the Thalys you'd be guaranteed a seat. Any other time of day, the regular trains are fine.

The Thalys ticket and regular IC ticket are the same price, if I'm not mistaken. The difference is the compulsory seat reservation (about $15). But you can also get Thalys specials on weekends and by advance booking that make it more reasonable. I

Thank you to everyone for their helpful replies. I really appreciate your assistance.