Hello-does anyone have advice on whether or not it's better to buy a rail ticket before arriving in Europe, or to just buy one at Schiphol Airport to get to Bruges? We'll be arriving early in the morning on a Monday morning and I'm a little concerned about being able to buy during a potential rush hour, but also concerned that buying in advance I won't have a good idea of what time we'll be able to get through customs and get on the train. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
Wait and purchase your ticket at Schiphol. Lines at the ticket windows aren't usually an issue. Seat reservations aren't possible for inter-city trains in Holland and Belgium, it's first come first serve. So there's no real advantage to purchasing your tickets in advance.
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
If I were going, I would wait to purchase the ticket at Schiphol Airport once you clear customs. It looks like there are hourly trains. If one isn't available immediately you can purchase your ticket for the next one.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
If you take IC trains from Schiphol to Bruges, you can simply buy your tickets at Schiphol and jump on the first available train. Reservations are not possible on IC trains and your ticket is good on any train.
You will need to make at least one connection (in either Antwerp or Bruxelles). Your route will vary depending upon your departure time. To see for yourself, go to www.bahn.de and click on the drop-down flag menu for English. After you get summary timetables for Schiphol (airport)-Brugge, click on the arrow to the left of each departure time to see the connecting points.
Do not take a Thalys train between Schiphol and Bruxelles. It's expensive and reservations are required.