DavidDTW

Flying into CDG and need to get to Amsterdam. Thalys from Gare du Nord seems like the best option, but is there an alternative from the CDG TGV station? I found one but the ride is twice as long as Thalys and requires a change en route. Is there another option that I may be missing?

tom tulpe

There are several direct TGV trains per day from CDG to Brussels South (Bruxelles Midi). From there you can connect to Amsterdam, usually with a 50mins to 1h15 layover. I'd take that over backtracking to Gare du Nord on the RER.
To find these trains, use reiseauskunft.bahn.de and sort the results by number of changes.

DavidDTW

Thanks. That option did not show up on the sites I searched. I will look into it.

Koby

www.b-europe.com (site of the Belgian railways for internationa travel) will sell you both parts together. (Maybe SNCF as well, but I have not tried it there.)

Jericho-79

Hey everyone. I'm traveling to Europe in April for the first time since 2011.

My current plan is to stay a few days in Paris and then travel onward to Amsterdam.

Initially, I considered flying KLM/Air France from CDG to AMS.

But then I learned that taking a high-speed train from Paris-Nord to Amsterdam Central Station is a much cheaper option.

Is taking Thalys similar to taking Amtrak?

mlin32

It's much better . The punctuality and reliability is better, and so are the speeds.

Show up at the Gare du Nord 15mn before departure, scan your ticket, get in your seat. Doesn't get easier than that. There's a reason rail beats air (or replaces it altogther) for many city-to-city hops.

tom tulpe

+ Proper high-speed trains, using mainly purpose-built high-speed tracks. Just over 3:10 hrs for the fastest trains from Paris to Amsterdam.
+ frequent departures, up to 13 per day
+ not expensive if booked in advance and/or at times of low demand
+ no check-in procedure (unlike Eurostar trains to London) - if you're on the train when the doors close, you're good
+ bar snacks are better (not included in ticket price - given the travel time, consider eating before/after the trip, it'll almost certainly be better value)
- you can't check-in luggage and there are no porters. You carry it onboard or it doesn't travel with you.
- other than in premium class (where you get an airline-style meal), no hot food other than micovawe pizza available
- you can't book tables in the restaurant ("bar") car
+- there are lounges, but only for premium class

- no sleeper trains on Thalys

Jericho-79

Could I purchase my ticket on the Thalys website?

Do I need to download an app to have my ticket appear on my phone?

mlin32

Yes, you buy online and no, the appli is not obligatory. It's been a while since I've taken Thalys but if I remember correctly you get an email with the electronic ticket.

Jericho-79

Where can you store your hold luggage on the individual train cars?

Are there restrictions on the dimensions of your bags?

tom tulpe

On the luggage racks near the doors.
Allowance is 2 pieces of luggage not exceeding 30"*21"*12", and one piece of hand luggage. No weight limits, but you must be able to carry all of your luggage yourself.
There's more information here: https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/thalys.htm

Jericho-79

This may be a little off-topic for this thread.

But after my stay in Amsterdam, I'll be heading to Berlin. And from there, I'm traveling from Berlin to Munich.

I considered flying Lufthansa from Berlin to Munich. But, again, taking a high-speed train is always a more cost-effective option.

Based on my research, I could take an ICE trains from one German city to another.

Is riding a Thalys train similar to riding an InterCity Express one?

Askartus

They are quite similar, Thalys is a cooperation between french, belgian and dutch national railways and they use Alstrom PKA and PBKA trainsets similar to the TGV. The relation Paris Nord - Amsterdam will be served once per hour.
ICE is the name for the fast trains from the german national railways and is provided using trainsets by Simens Velaro or Alstrom.

A good overview of what to expect can be found at the famous and well informed seat61:
Thalys: https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/thalys.htm
ICE: https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/ice.htm

Between Berlin and Munich I always take the train, because going to BER, checking in, waiting for departure, flying 1 hour, waiting for my luggage and taking the S-Bahn (suburban train) from MUC to the city center is way too stressful for me.
The train takes around 5 hours and when I travel in first class, I enjoy a nice seat, I am able to work a little bit or order some food or a beer at my table and enjoy myself.

DavidDTW

I bought my ticket on the SNCF website. TGV from CDG to Brussels and then Thalys to Amsterdam. The email confirmation included two QR codes, one for each ticket.

Jericho-79

I purchased my train ticket on the Thalys website last night. Easy peasy. Departing Paris-Nord at 10:00 and arriving at Amsterdam Central Station at 14:00, and it only cost me 73€.

The website sent me an email confirmation with link to my ticket, which has a QR code on it. Will I need to scan that code at Paris-Nord?