luvtotravel

I'm traveling in June starting in Paris. I would like to train from Paris to Ghent (via Brussels I assume), stay five nights and then from Ghent to Amsterdam. Is it necessary to purchase my train ticket Paris-Ghent in advance?

Years ago I took a local train from Amsterdam to Brussels, purchasing the train ticket in Amsterdam the day before. I had a reservation on a train from Brussels to Paris that I booked before leaving home. Is there a train from Paris to Brussels where I don't need a reservation and may purchase while in Paris a couple of days prior? I plan to be in Paris for six nights, but may leave after four or five, so I don't want to be locked into a reservation. Thanks. Diane

2wicky

For the leg Paris - Brussels, you will have to make a reservation. The sooner you do this, the cheaper you're ticket will be.

So you have several options:

The first is to take the slower trains to Ghent, but this will likely take you 4 to 5 hours and at least 3 change overs.

Option two is to get a flexible ticket that allows you to change the date, though this will likely cost more than a fixed ticket. Thalys for example offers flex and semi-flex. If you think you will only need to change the date once, the semi flex also becomes cheaper the earlier you book it.

Third option is to buy your ticket last minute. You can in fact purchase it right before the train leaves provided there are still empty seats available, but you will simply pay a lot more.

greg

For long distance trips, the market is set up to charge for the flexibilities and the speed.

Brussels to Ghent is priced like a commuter route while the Paris to Brussels is priced to extract most revenue from the market.

Flexible and cheap? Then they don't give you a fast trip as mentioned by the previous poster. Using train booking sites is also difficult since most train sites are setup for fastest travel and don't even give you itineraries without fast trains. I think you have to build connections one segment at a time.

Flexible and fast? Then they don't give you a low price.

Look at the prices, for example, at www.voyages-sncf.com, so see the difference between advanced non-refundable tickets versus last minutes ticket cost, for example, for next day trip. See if you value your flexibilities enough to pay more than twice over the non-refundable tickets.

luvtotravel

They seem to make this more difficult than it should be. Paris to Brussels is really just a short trip. Thanks for the advice. Now I need to decide what I should do. Much appreciated.

luvtotravel

This does get complicated. I looked at www.voyages-sncf.com and keyed in my one-way choice, requested senior ticket, and I had my choice of trains at a reasonable rate, and, because it was a senior ticket, the ticket was exchange and refundable until the day before departure without additional charges. Only problem is I selected an April departure by mistake. Once selecting my correct date in June, tickets for seniors were not available on any of the trains I selected. So I guess the exchange/refundable option would be out. The least expensive way to get to Ghent is via Lille and takes almost the same time as via Brussels. My questions are should I wait to see if senior tickets open up? Since I live in the US am I considered a senior since they state a valid carte senior must be shown on the train? Would they accept my passport or drivers license as proof that I'm over 60 and do I need to be European to have a carte senior?
Diane

luvtotravel

Just an update on what I did. It turns out I am a senior in the eyes of the European system -- I just need to show my passport on board. However, I booked my ticket not as a senior but in first class for 59E that gives me semi-flex, meaning I may change my ticket once without charge. In first class wi-fi is included in the fare (payment required in 2nd class for wi-fi) and there is a meal included in the first class fare. Strangely, this was less expensive than the senior fare, and senior fare is only available in second class. I could have booked second class (not senior) with no flexibility for 29E, but decided I wanted the flexibility to change my ticket. I hope this helps someone else trying to sort through the fare options. Also, I booked through www.thayls.com for a ticketless ticket and printed it out at home. The ticket is Paris-Brussels. One more thing I can check off my list!