Bruges to Amsterdam train confusion

ALSO, it seems only the Eurostar connections connect through Antwerp Centraal. The all-IC jouneys go through Antwerpen-Berchem. I wonder if I purchase a Eurostar connection journey, can I simply take an earlier train out of Bruges to get to Antwerp an hour or so ahead of my Eurostar connection? Or am I locked into the departure time I select for Bruges?

On that route, your trains should the regular regional and intercity trains (If you avoid Eurostar), that means you can take any train on that route, that day. So yes, if you want to spend time in Antwerp or Ghent...or any stop along the way, that's fine, just get off, spend your time, then get on the next available train

It looks like the train ticket begins in Brussels with an IC train and then connects to Eurostar.

I'm confused by the comment, did you mean "Bruges" instead of Brussels? Or likely starting in Bruges with an IC train, switching to a Eurostar train in Brussels, which should go direct to Amsterdam.

Personally, I would save a few Dollars and take an IC to Ghent, switch to a direct train to Antwerp, avoiding Brussels, then a train to Amsterdam, which may require another change, either in Breda or Rotterdam.

For that matter, what website are you looking on for tickets? I would suggest SNCB International, the official Belgian rail site.

Yes, you can take an earlier train from Bruges to Antwerp. That train route is not time specific.

You might find my trip report helpful from last year. I spent some time detailing the public transportation for both Belgium and the Netherlands.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-the-netherlands-and-belgium-my-trip-report

Thank you! Sorry, I did mean Bruges (not Brussels) to Amsterdam. And I would love to not have to buy in advance! The trouble is that the IC options I'm seeing on the nsinternational site show connections in Anterpen-Berchme and not Centraal.

The Gent train station is small, so a 7 minute connection would not be difficult. However, it looks like the train switches at Antwerpen-Berchem, which is a small station just before Antwerpen-Centraal. It’s in a very industrial area and you don’t want to spend an hour at A’pen-Berchem. There’s nothing around. A’pen-Centraal lands you right in the middle of the city.

Are you hoping to spend time in Antwerp on the way to Amsterdam? It’s a very fun city. Perhaps spend the afternoon there and then continue your train journey to Amsterdam the next day instead.

Actually, I was hoping to have a little time tourng the Antwerp Centraal station because I understand it is quite something.

Normal tickets are for a route, not a train. So when you buy a ticket from Brugge to Amsterdam you buy a ticket that permits you to be on board trains from Brugge to Amsterdam.
The exception is the Eurostar service, which is train company that thinks it is really an airline (and I will for once refrain from voicing my opinion on the people that are in charge there...). So there your ticket is for a specific train.

So if you buy a ticket Brugge - Amsterdam using real trains then you can indeed break the trip in Antwerpen Centraal, as that is on the route, and you are not limited to taking the trains you selected during purchase. So you could take the earlier direct Brugge - Antwerpen train, (leaves every hour at 26 minutes past) at and then spend a few minutes walking around the station and the rest of the time wishing your next train was sooner... (7 minutes is quite a generous time to change trains really. It is not short. It is efficient)

Note that NS-International may indeed suggest you change trains in Antwerpen Berchem, but all IC trains to/from Antwerpen stop both in Antwerpen Centraal and Antwerpen Berchem. So you are free to choose. The planner probably is set to have you change at the earliest opportunity and not the latest.

Or you can book the "Eurostar". In that case you must take the Eurostar service you booked. When you however book Brugge - Amsterdam using an Eurostar you will have a normal ticket tacked on to that, either Brugge to Antwerpen or Brugge to Brussel, depending on which route you selected. And those tickets are again good for a route on any real train on that route. So again you can take an earlier train to Antwerpen if you so wish.

Note that if you go via Antwerpen than normally you will not pass through Brussel at all, as that is a detour. Have a look at a map of Belgium and you will understand.

Also, if you want to take just the IC services you can easily get your ticket at the station in Brugge if you wish. Maximum flexibility...

You can use the Belgium International site:
https://www.b-europe.com/EN?

In advanced search function, deselect "High Speed trains" and you will be routed from Antwerp to Amsterdam on the IC train. The IC train to Amsterdam does state the ticket is only good on that train, but as was stated previously, you can take earlier trains from Bruges and spend extra time in Antwerp. You can buy the tickets day of travel at the station in Bruges if you like.

The official (fastest) change point may be at Antwerp Berchem but all the IC trains to Amsterdam also call at Antwerp Central, and all the IC trains from Bruges to Antwerp (which don't need a change in Gent) extend to Antwerp Central from Berchem.

So there is no reason why you can't have a break of journey at Antwerp whether you go all InterCity, or Eurostar from Antwerp.

If the latter you would just need to catch a train from Bruges which give you the spare hour or so at Central.

Look at the SNCB (Belgian Railways) domestic website for Bruges to Antwerp trains-https://www.belgiantrain.be/en?journey=0

Also see SNCB International for the Antwerp to Amsterdam trains- https://www.b-europe.com/EN

Thank you so much all! And CARRIE, your post that you linked to is also so informative and helpful!

On a recent trip, we found the BELGIUM TRAINS typically run late. So if you're using a Belgium train and connecting to a Eurostar ( which does sell out), add extra time and leave earlier on the Belgium train.
I didn't find the Antwerp train station that interesting. Did I miss something ?
Safe travels and have a great trip!

We did that journey (Brugge to Amsterdam) last July. A lot of what has been stated here is correct but I'll add my experience.

Don't use the nlinternational site- it is what man in seat 61 recommends, but I had problems with it not showing all options or saying they couldn't sell that ticket. Do use either the website mentioned https://www.b-europe.com/EN? or the SNCB app. The app is useful when traveling. It gives real time information on train delays, platform numbers, and how busy the train is expected to be.

HOWEVER, if you are searching Brugge to Amsterdam it is going to give you some unnecessarily painfully options, with changes in Ghent and detouring through Brussels. Break the tickets into two parts: Brugge to Antwerp Central, and Antwerp Central to Amsterdam Central. There are two trains per hour Brugge to Antwerp Central. As WengenK says, the one 25 after every hour stops at Ghent without a change, The one at the top of the hour changes train in Ghent.

I bought our tickets ahead for Antwerp to Amsterdam for around noon, then bought the Brugge to Antwerp ticket separately which could be used on any train that day. We just made sure it was a :25 train. We left Brugge early enough to have time to walk around the Antwerp station, stop for a coffee and croissant and pick up a sandwich for lunch on the train.

Pat- did you go out into the lobby/street entrance area? That is the beautiful part.

Syd, looks like I missed that, so will hope for next time, thx.

So I'm taking y'all's advice and am trying to book a Eurostar train from Anterpen-Centraal to Amsterdam-Centraal. My confusion lies in that on the SNBC International app, it does not give an Antwerpen-Centraal option, just Anterpen-Berchem (BE). So I looked back at my search on the SNBC-international website. It does allow me to select Anterpen-Centraal, but then it lists it as "Antwerpen-Centraal (BE)"?? I want to be sure to be able to take the train from Centraal so I can spend time in that station, but now IDK if that's where I'll actually get the train. Appreciate any help. Here's a screenshot: https://i.gyazo.com/5cb7c2420e557b1a272b0f036a4ddb09.png

The Eurostar does not stop at Antwerp Berchem, only Antwerp Centraal. The IC train does stop at Anwterp Berchem. So if you book the Eurostar, no worries.

Thank you, Sam! I won't worry about the "BE" notation then. I does clearly state Antwerp-Centraal ...

The BE notation just means Belgium- in the same way as they use Fr for France, DE for Germany, IT for Italy, NI for Netherlands etc.

OMG -- BE = Belgium! That makes sense -- thank you! Still have no idea why the app did not give Antwerp-Centraal as an option. Also, the process was determined to make me crazy because the Belgian website did not allow me to purchase. Kept saying there was an error. I tried multiple browsers. Finally I tried the Rick Steves train ticket site and IT WORKED! It charged an $8.45 fee, but well worth it to actually be able to purchase the tickets! ... I won't worry about buying the Bruges to Antwerp tix in advance thanks to y'all's sage advice! :-)

I would not want to do it with luggage, but Antwerp-Berchem is quite close to the turn-of-the-century neighborhood of period-revival townhouses, known by the developers' names, Cogels-Osy Lei, or Zurenborg. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g188636-d523330-Reviews-or10-Cogels_Osylei-Antwerp_Antwerp_Province.html

Just saying, for others information, I would have skipped buying Eurostar from Antwerp to Amsterdam. A regular ticket on an IC can be had for as little as 21 euro, and you can take any train except Eurostar. Eurostar saves you a whole 28 minutes (1 hr 23 vs 1 hr 51), but you are locked into a train, and pay double to triple the price. Trains run frequently and no need to buy ahead, they are just commuter transport.

Thank you, Paul. I thought that for trips to another country (Netherlands to Belgium) one should buy ahead. I need to go from Rotterdam to Brussels, leaving right after a tour. We will take the train from Delft to Rotterdam for the tour and stow our luggage at the train station. I'm having a hard time hearing back from the tour operator to confirm the time the tour will end and how close the ending point will be to the station. So I can't yet buy the tix. But if you say for IC trains -- even into another country -- there's no need to buy ahead, then that makes the entire matter much simpler. Might you confirm? Thanks so much!

"Break the tickets into two parts: Brugge to Antwerp Central, and Antwerp Central to Amsterdam Central. "

There is no need to do that, and there is a good reason not to do this. You are making your trip more expensive that way.

Normal tickets are for a route, not a train, so for the Brugge to Antwerpen part it is completely irrelevant which train you selected during booking. Your ticket is good for any train on the route, so you can just take an earlier train at your own discretion.

"I thought that for trips to another country (Netherlands to Belgium) one should buy ahead."

For every train trip you must buy tickets ahead of time, as you are required to be in possession of a ticket before you board. But for pretty much every train in Europe you can buy tickets up to the moment of departure. Even for trains with compulsory reservation.
(In the case of Eurostar you can still buy tickets at the station even if the train is fully booked. You will just get a ticket without a guaranteed seat...)

However it is true that you can often get a discount when you book in advance. But it is hardly ever a must. And from Belgium to the Netherlands on the IC service you are basically using a commuter railway.

But if you say for IC trains -- even into another country -- there's no need to buy ahead, then that makes the entire matter much simpler. Might you confirm? Thanks so much!

Much of it depends on country. The only reason for getting tickets ahead...which I interpret as getting far ahead, a month, or two...is due to availability and deep discounts. So German and French tickets, for the most part yes, if you want the faster trains. For Belgium and Netherlands though, their train systems, excepting the Eurostar services, are really just mass transit, never "sell out" and for the most part offer no discounts. I usually just buy a ticket on the various apps for Belgium, buy on the apps if I am crossing the border, and tap in and out if within the Netherlands.

Thank you so much! Glad to know we can play it by ear for our trip from Rotterdam to Brussels. One more thing -- I hear a lot about tapping in and out. Is this referring to "tap to pay"? Do I need to add my credit card to the train app? I have NS International and SNCB International apps on my phone. Do I need to download different apps for travel inside Belgium and inside Netherlands? ... Thanks again for all the patient answers to my questions. Y'all are the best!

I had to go back and look, and there are individual websites and apps for the Belgian domestic and international trains. (I’m not sure about NL). If you use the domestic website to search for an international ticket it transfers you to the international site so it’s mostly seamless. However, that is not the case for the apps. I only used the SNCB app for purchasing domestic Belgian trains so did not realize there is a separate SNCB international app. Goodness, it’s confusing :)

Belgian trains don’t have tap technology. You must buy on the app (easiest), ticket machine in station or counter (I think there is a surcharge at the counter).

Brussels buses, trams and Ghent buses could all use tap in or tickets bought at machines (no tap out needed).

Amsterdam trams use tap in/tap out. You can use a credit card (not the app) or apple pay on your phone. The only possible complication is that they track your tap in and out with your card so each person must have their own card to tap, you can’t tap two people with one credit card. (note that if you use the apple pay wallet it changes your card number so if you used the same physical card with its apple pay version they would never know! If this is not possible see https://gvb.nl/en/Payment-options for other options through their app or paper cards which I believe are more expensive, I would use the tap if possible (and don’t forget to tap out!) I think I read that NL trains are the same but we did not use trains in NL so maybe someone else can verify. And I don’t think it will work on cross border trains.

Also-use the GVB or 9292 apps for Amsterdam tram schedules. People that are familiar with the system seem to like the 9292 app, but I preferred the GVB app. 9292 is good for giving the quickest route, but on GVB easier to see your options. For example, a slower or later or less busy tram that goes through a more scenic route (if you aren’t in a hurry).

"Break the tickets into two parts: Brugge to Antwerp Central, and Antwerp Central to Amsterdam Central. "
There is no need to do that, and there is a good reason not to do this. You are making your trip more expensive that way.

There is a lot of complication here and it is not always cheaper, maybe before the early bird fare rules changed it was? (more on that in a minute).

The problem is that if you use either the NLinternational site or the SNCB app it never shows you the no transfer Brugges to Antwerp paired with an no transfer Antwerp to Amsterdam train. All options either transfer in Brussels, transfer in Ghent, or transfer in Ghent and Antwerp (Berchem). The only way to figure out a schedule with no transfer Brugge to Ghent and time for a stop in Antwerp Central as the OP desired is to break the trip up when searching. Then you see the no transfer Brugge to Ghent and hourly Ant to Ams IC trains. There is no way you could work this out without breaking the trip to see the “best” train choices. Yes, you could then go back and buy one of the convoluted Brugge to Amsterdam IC tickets, but it is not cheaper.

I just did test bookings for July 12. Almost all of the routes Brugge to Ams are going from IC to Eurostar trains. You really have to look for just a few listed all IC train routes. Brugge to Amsterdam with unnecessary transfers on all IC trains is E31.5 or E68 for 2nd class. The E31.5 price is an early bird discount that REQUIRES you to use only the train that is ticketed. At this point on July 12 only before 5am and >22:00 even have the cheap fare available. The middle of the day tickets are the flexible i.e. "standard fare" E68 price.

The Brugge to Antwerp is E17.80 and Antwerp to Amsterdam is E30.5 (early bird) or E44.3 for standard/flexible fare. So if you want a flexible train, breaking it up into two fares is E62.1- slightly cheaper but basically the same. Combining with Eurostar brings it up to E97 so that is more expensive (because it is only a month ahead in summer season).

So if you want flexibility the price is equivalent but IMHO it is easier to navigate your options with separate tickets. Sorry to the OP that I did not clarify you could get an international IC train for cheaper than the Eurostar. Personally in summer season I'd still rather have a guaranteed seat, especially during "commuter" times.

One last note-

On the Belgian train website there is a warning about extra security at Antwerp and Brussels stations-spot checks of ID and luggage (I assume due to the Paris olympics). They warn to allow extra time. That may also be true at the large NL stations.

Another last note is that Brussels downtown has three stations, all in the same fare zone. My experience is more with the Eurostar to London, but I should note that it only stops at Brussel-Midi/Zuid, with a free local train transfer (train, not the Metro) to/from Brussel-Centraal or Brussel-Nord if needed. IC trains normally make all three of these stops, as do local Belgian trains from Bruges or Antwerp to Brussels. So pay attention to what your Eurostar ticket says on it.