Netherlands to Belgium trains

Using either the Netherlands or Belgian rail you can buy the ticket the same day for any train there are no reservations and the fare is fixed. You either have to change in Antwerp or Brussels to get to Bruges from Amsterdam.
You can search the schedule and buy on Netherlands rail site:
https://www.ns.nl/en

Only the trains run by Thalys are sold at a reserved time and seat.

UPDATED:
Looks like on the international NS site the non- Thayls trains (IC trains) are all the same price on a particular day. However, the price is different depending on when you book. Looks like a ticket for July is €31 per person for 2nd class now while the same ticket for travel today is €63.50 per person or twice the price.

Also, the IC trains require two switches and many of the Thayls trains require only 1. Curiously, most of the routes with two switches take less time, but that means extremely tight connections of less than 10 minutes. Sounds risky unless these trains run like clockwork like they do in Japan.

Original message——————————————————
I don’t see a way to buy tickets to Bruges, Brugge, Brugges on the regular NS site.

I only see these on this NS international site which lists a wide variety of prices depending on the train:

https://www.nsinternational.com/en

How do I find the fixed price trains you mentioned?

Last October we took the train from Bruges to Amsterdam. We bought the tickets at the Bruges train station when we were leaving. I don't recall a long wait before the train left. I believe we changed trains in Brussels, but that wasn't difficult. Just make sure you check on which Brussels station as there are several.

Look, it's important to understand that this IS an international trip, and that Bruges is a "spur" journey, out of the way towards a coast. The popularity of the destination doesn't change any of that. And it's a long distance from Amsterdam Centraal. It's not a suburban commuter train.

When you go on the NL International site, it tries to present you with a list of departure times. But they list the pricing. When I look at June 21 today, the Thalys trips area all over 100 Euros, and the IC trips are, like, 45 Euros. While I don't know for certain that the IC price is "fixed", the result is what you want, a cheap trip. Two of the key questions (which I haven't been in the Netherlands recently enough to answer) are whether that ticket is good on ANY IC that day, and whether (I do think the answer to this is, Yes:) the Belgian leg is indifferent to time and routing. So you could get on ANY train to Bruges, in either Antwerp or Brussels. If you go through Brussels, you could go look at Grand Place and take a (five or more hourly) later train to Bruges.

But here's a useful NL fare condition:

"You can travel with any Intercity or regional train, provided that you adhere to the travel day, the route (border point), the fare conditions and possible international off-peak hours in combination with your NS-subscription"

Another key question is whether a seat reservation is required. But the website would tell you that. I don't think these IC trains require a seat reservation. I'm not saying "You're making this too hard", but rather "It isn't as hard as you think it is."

Thanks for the response.
I’m heading to Brussels after Bruges so spending a few hours there on the way to Bruges is not part of the plan. I guess if we missed a connection, we could do that and then return to Brussels later than we might otherwise.

The two questions remain about whether one can use an IC ticket from Amsterdam to Bruges (or maybe the Amsterdam to Brussels/Antwerp leg is the only official IC portion) at any time for the day purchased.

Also, whether trains are reliable enough to make two connections in less than ten minutes each as the schedule sometimes requires.

If these are unknown, I’ll wing it but would like to figure this out now if possible. I have taken trains all over the world including in Italy last summer so I have no qualms about doing so here.

The Belgian local trains are so frequent that missing a connection (I mean, on THIS busy route) is a non-event. It is, literally, many trains an hour. I personally don't have experience changing at Gent St. Pieters; I'm used to a single change in Brussels. Many of these trains are heavily used during rush hours and school hours, they can be annoying double-decker commuter cars, and do not have "international" luggage racks, just FYI. I have sat on my bag in the entry/bicycle/doorway lower vestibule in the past. Not a big deal.

It is true that Antwerp is also a major rail terminal. I was not trying to sell you on a visit to Grand Place, but only emphasizing how frequent the trains are. I would want a "single ticket" from Amsterdam because I wouldn't want to have to wait in line at a window in Brussels or Antwerp to buy a ticket to Bruges. There is no way to get a single seat ride from Amsterdam to Bruges, I think. I have heard of a few direct trains from BRU airport, maybe, to Bruges, but have never been on one.

Note that there are three stations in downtown Brussels, all the same fare price and ticket. Most trains to Bruges stop at all three of them, but you might pay attention to the exact routing you want.

The trains Brussels or Antwerp to Bruges are so frequent it is not an issue. You miss one you just get on another. The ticket is good for any train that day. Thalys is higher speed train does not make as many stops as some go all the way to Paris from Amsterdam stopping in Antwerp and Brussels.

Looks like I found the answer to my first question here:

Tickets from the Netherlands to Belgium or Luxembourg on Intercity or local trains (not Thalys) or vice versa:
You do not have to travel at a specific time. You do have to travel on the day on which your ticket is valid and via the route and border crossing shown on the ticket.

https://support-en.nsinternational.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8605/~/can-i-travel-at-a-time-that-is-different-from-what-i-have-planned%3F

This seems like a strange policy. I believe it means if I buy a ticket from Amsterdam to Bruges that goes through Antwerp, I CAN'T take a train that goes through Brussels instead. I would have to look through all the trains to determine if most take a particular route so I don't buy one that only has a few trains a day going a less traveled route.

Does anyone know if I'm reading this correctly?

Also, still looking for advice on whether making a 5-10 minute connection is wise/doable at Antwerp/Brussels? I realize there are lots of trains if this doesn't work but still want to know about making the connections as laid out in the itineraries on the rail site.

UPDATING:
Looks like there is one IC train an hour from Amsterdam Centraal to Bruges and ALL go through Antwerp so I should be fine buying tickets now for the date in July I'm traveling. Looks like there is a tight switch at Gent-Sint-Pieters but there are lots of trains between it and Bruges so no issues if you miss the recommended connection.

Anything I'm not considering?

“ I believe it means if I buy a ticket from Amsterdam to Bruges that goes through Antwerp, I CAN'T take a train that goes through Brussels instead.”

That’s not correct. Your may think you buy a ticket for a specific route, but when you receive your ticket you will see it only says; Amsterdam- Bruges. The ticket doesn’t specify which route you must take. You’re allowed to take any route suggested by the official train planner, so no detours. But you are allowed to interrupt your journey along the way.

A 5 to 10 minutes connection is doable for some. Some may have more familiarity with a train station. Some may walk faster or slower than others with or without baggage. Trains do not run on time 100% of the time any where in the world.

Anything I'm not considering?

I personally find the cost savings for IC to be worth 15+- minutes more travel time than Thalys, along with absolute freedom to take whatever train I arrive in time to get. I prefer to Print At Home because I don't "live on my cellphone" in my daily life. Are you aware that the Bruges train station is about a mile from the center of the historic area? You might look up your hotel on Google Maps. There is a bus stop and a bus ticket machine right outside the train station. Find out which public transit goes near the hotel. Got some Euros in case your chip card doesn't work? Or you can walk if the luggage is light.

Brussels has a different public transit card than Bruges. But Bruges uses the same card as Antwerp, Gent, and nearby towns.

Note my previous post about possible crowded conditions on Belgian local trains. Sometimes people who have never gone anywhere NOT in their Chevy Suburban with Captain's Chairs post on Rick's newsboard ... .... But I rode the NYC subway to high school every day.

Have you watched the video of the Flashmob chorus at the Antwerp train station?

Is this your first trip to Europe? Rick has a lot of good, free travel tips on the menu, top left, including on rail travel:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips

I took the NYC subway to high school every day too. I took the 1 to 242nd Van Cortlandt Park. You?
This is my ninth or 10th trip to Europe depending on how you count (I took a trip to Greece while I was studying in Madrid) and my second to Amsterdam where I will have spent three days before getting on the train to Bruges so will have Euros with me.

The Thalys trains require only one transfer but are SLOWER than the two transfer IC trains. So it's cheaper AND faster on an IC just more transfers.

Will have to take the bus or a taxi to Bruges hotel which is too far to walk. I'm planning to pack lightly and am encouraging my girlfriend to do the same.

If you take the International Train you may also have the privilege of riding on one of the new ICNG trains - Inter City New Generation - which have just come into service and are very sleek and cool. and F-A-S-T

The Thalys trains require only one transfer but are SLOWER than the two transfer IC trains. So it's cheaper AND faster on an IC just more transfers.

I'll take you word for it that IC is faster AMS to Antwerp/Brussels than Thalys but am very surprised. You've looked at the current schedules. Speed is the point of Thalys.

Thalys is mostly there to transport people to/from Paris. They replaced the EC trains that used to run on the route in my youth. The IC trains have been the main mode for Belgians and the Dutch to travel between those countries.

And because the IC trains are flexible, you do not have to worry about connections that much. Note that in Europe we do not consider a 10 minute connection tight. We consider that efficient. In fact, I consider a connection of more than 10 minutes a sign of a failed railway.
When I commuted to Brussels daily for high school I had a connection that was timetabled to only 3 minutes, and was often less... Train stations in Belgium and the Netherlands are build to make fast connections possible.