TRAIN HELP!
 

W bought a rail Europe for three countrys our main stay will be Amsterdam and we wanted to visit Paris but i guess we didn't know that we had to make reservations for
the seats and we had to pay extra. we called the place where we bought the tickets and they said it would be a little extra like 13 dollars. we looked at the raileurope site and
they are charging us 188 dollars and that is only one way on top of the amost 800.00 We paid for the three country pass . Does anyone know if we can get it cheaper at the train station? Train reservations for Germany are reasonable and we will maybe just miss visiting france this year.
thanks for any help and suggestions
eva

The trains from Amsterdam to Paris go under the name Thalys and are priced like airlines: fares are cheaper if you book on-line in advance and lose flexibility.
In Germany, reservations are not needed (with very few exceptions) and a rail pass entitles you to get on almost any train, including high-speed ICE trains, without making advance reservations or paying a supplement.

Hi eba,

Raileurope should charge you about $13 for a seat reservation.

You can also buy a reservation several days in advance at the train station.

((I))

Does your railpass cover Thalys high speed train?
If not, then take a look at
http://www.eurailinfo.com/info-thalys.htm
for alternative routes.

IRA
THAT WHAT WE WERE TOLD BY SOMEONE WHERE WE BOUGHT THE PASSES BUT WHEN WE GO INTO EUR RAIL IT GIVES US 188 ONE WAYAND ITS FOR BOTH OF US.I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO SEE IF I WOULD GET TO PAY AT LEAST 18.00 WITH OUR PASSES BUT IT DID NOT HELP.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP I GUESS WE WILL WAIT UNTILL WE GET THERE.
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR HELP

Hi eba,

Good point from R54.

Your pass might not be good for the Thalys.

Your pass might be good for the train from Amsterdam to Brussels (not Thalys). You would than have to take the Thalys Brussels to Paris. Fares start at 45E

See http://www.ns.nl/reisplanner-v2/index.shtml?language=en
and
http://www.b-europe.com/Travel

Hope this helps.

yes i check the thalys and i was told that my pass covers all fast trains including the thalys. my reservation would cost me around 80 usa one way.
eva

Yes, the pass covers Tahlys but there's a passholder surcharge to pay. This is indeed about $13 in 2nd class, but it's much higher than this in 1st class to cover the cost of the complimentary food and wine, I'd guess about $50. You can chooose to go 2nd class of course, to save the extra cost.

Or throw the pass in the waste paper bin and book a cheap ticket in advance, Amsterdam to Paris from just 35 euros in 2nd class with no pass necessary!!! Book at www.thalys.com.

...and I'm seeing 79 euros in 1st class in April for Amsterdam to Paris on many departures, without a pass, including the free wine and snacks and seat reservation...

A littel cheaper than an $800 pass and $50 reservation!!

well we still had to pay 180dollars for both of us one way. we decided to take the sleeper train to berlin that night and which was 187 dollars . Instead of going back to amsterdam decided to go to Berlin for two days which was in our itinerary. It is cheaper to go from berlin to amsterdam.

A few years ago while traveling with a rail pass I reserved a seat on the Thalys from Brussels to Paris. The seat reservation was €3 and the supplement for lunch at my seat was €20 in 1st class. This was the walk-up price. It was a good lunch, including wine, It was not unreasonably over priced compared to having lunch in Paris.

If in th U.s. there is one place to call to talk to someone who will have the accurate info - how much a seat reservation costs on Thalys with a railpass. In the past it was much higher than th $13 man in seat 61 quotes but figure he must be right - anyway call Byron at BETS 800-441-2387 - I have bought passes from him for years and even though you have already bought a pass IME he will patiently nevertheless answer such questions, and with the right answer - as Thalys applies to railpasses anyway. With a first-class pass you could ride in 2nd class of course and pay a lower supplement. But netween Amsterdam and Paris you have only the Thalys to chose from if wanting to go direct. Last year I was in Paris and wanted to go to Amsterdam on Thalys and was quoted a much steeper supplement, even in 2nd class, than $13 and there were no pass holder seats even available for a few days in advance so just showing up at the station may not yield you a seat with a pass.

If in th U.s. there is one place to call to talk to someone who will have the accurate info - how much a seat reservation costs on Thalys with a railpass. In the past it was much higher than th $13 man in seat 61 quotes but figure he must be right - anyway call Byron at BETS 800-441-2387 - I have bought passes from him for years and even though you have already bought a pass IME he will patiently nevertheless answer such questions, and with the right answer - as Thalys applies to railpasses anyway. With a first-class pass you could ride in 2nd class of course and pay a lower supplement. But netween Amsterdam and Paris you have only the Thalys to chose from if wanting to go direct. Last year I was in Paris and wanted to go to Amsterdam on Thalys and was quoted a much steeper supplement, even in 2nd class, than $13 and there were no pass holder seats even available for a few days in advance so just showing up at the station may not yield you a seat with a pass.

Like I said above last year I was told all Thalys passholder seats were sold out for the next 3-4 days from Paris to Brussels - and then I would still have to pay about $40 for the pass supplement (perhaps lowered to $13 man in seat 61 quots?)

But there is an end around this - say if all Thalys trains were full or the supplement was as steep as it was last year and not a more reasonable $13 - you can take a train from Brussels to Paris CDG Airport and then from the TGV station there the RER into Paris' Gare du Nord, same place as Thalys puts you - and you only have to pay a 3 euro seat reservaton fee and the pass covers the rest. Takes about an hour longer but an option to keep in mind IMO

Bruges does not appear in your plans but many find it a really dreamy place that is the best Belgium has to offer - much more romantic to most than boisterous modern Brussels which has only vest-pockets of the old-world charm that perhaps brings you to Europe. Bruges, once one of the world's largest cities in medieval days when it was a major port but the port silted up and Bruges vitality dried up as the port activity movd over to Antwerp, still one of the world's busiest ports.

so Bruges stagnated and that turned out to be a blessing today as you have in its old historic center the old quays lined by stately Flemish warehouses extent from heady medieval days - quaint canals with humpbacked white bridges, etc. You will see little of this in Brussels, which is thoroughly modern and has bulldozed much of its historic buildings (not to say Brussels does not have its attractions in the Grand' Place and world-class museums and restaurants, etc) but Bruges is the dreamy Europe etched in our minds' eyes.

Anyway if you put Bruges into your overnight itinerary you can then hop a regional train (just hop on with a pass) and go to Lille-Flandres station, the main station in Lille, France and then hop a French TGV train to Paris - with just a nominal 3 euro reservation fee for passholders and little difficulty IME getting those at Bruges' station. And the time Bruges to Paris is just about 2.5 hours, including the change of trains.

Appears Man in Seat 61's $13 Thalys fee is way too low - another post says 27 euros in 2nd class for the supplement and 42 euros in first class - but Man is rarely wrong?