Hello fellow travelers and thank you in advance for your advice. If I am landing at the airport from the U.S. (so no EU passport) at 6:15 in the morning, no checked luggage, what can I expect for time upon entry? I want to catch a train and due to a construction project the weekend I'm there, I can't take the Intercity trains. I need to book the more expensive Thalys ticket so want to do it in advance. Can I make a 7:30 train? 8:30? I'm heading to Antwerp. Thank you!
Posted by
The Netherlands
1298 posts
In order to answer this question we need more information. Crowds at Schiphol depend on the day of the week, whether or not it’s the beginning or end of a holiday period etc etc. So without the exact date of your arrival, it’s impossible to say anything meaningful.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
We are landing on a Friday morning in mid April. Thanks
Posted by
The Netherlands
1298 posts
Does that mean you arrive at April 14? If so, I don’t see the track works you’re talking about. The regular IC trains are running normally that day.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
April 21st.
Posted by
The Netherlands
1298 posts
I also see no track works scheduled for April 21. Can you please share your source that tells you that the regular intercity trains are not running in April 21 due to track works? I hope it’s not some shady third party ticket reseller trying to sell you overpriced tickets.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
I don't see the the message on thetrainline.com but this is the message I"m seeing on https://www.b-europe.com/EN/. You don't see it until you put the dates in and go to the booking page.
21 TO 23 APRIL: INTERCITY NETHERLANDS TERMINATING IN ROTTERDAM
Due to planned engineering works on the Dutch railway network, InterCity services connecting Brussels with Amsterdam will terminate at Rotterdam Central from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 April 2023 included.
Passengers to Schiphol-Airport and Amsterdam can change trains in Breda or Rotterdam and make use of other NS (Dutch railway) operated trains. This applies in the opposite direction as well, for travelling from the Netherlands to Belgium.
Adapted timetables will be available in the international rail planners later on. Please check the schedules for your journey a few days before travel.
Posted by
The Netherlands
1298 posts
Aha, now we’re getting somewhere.
First of all, you should know that there are 2 different railway tracks between Breda-Rotterdam-Schiphol. There is a regular train track and there is a separate special train track only in use by special trains. On some parts these two tracks run parallel to each other, but on large sections they don’t. This special track is shorter and is only in use by special trains including the international Intercity trains and the Thalys trains.
Secondly, this message doesn’t say that the regular international intercity trains won’t be running at all. It only says that, coming from Belgium, they will terminate in Rotterdam. Passengers wanting to continue to Schiphol Airport or Amsterdam can continue via a normal train that will run on the normal track. This message means that there are track works on the special track between Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam and vice versa. There are no track works on the normal track.
So in your case, you can take a normal train from Schiphol Airport to Rotterdam, which will run on the normal track. In Rotterdam you can change to the International Intercity direct train towards Antwerp/Brussels.
There is no need to tie yourself down to a specific and much more expensive Thalys train.
April 21 is the weekend of the flower parade in the bulb area near Amsterdam. It’s also the peak time of the blooming of the tulips and there’s the very popular sold out Vermeer exhibit. It will be busy at Schiphol.
I assume it’s too late now, but if Belgium was your goal it would have made more sense to fly into Brussels Airport.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
Thank you - so basically don't reserve anything in advance and just wing it based on how long it takes to get through immigration once landing. May have to make an extra transfer in Rotterdam.