We planned our itinerary to train from Brugge to Delft. I've looked at the options on DB Bahn, and either we have 3 transfers with transfer times of 5 minutes each (!), or we have only 2 transfers and 10-20 minutes BUT one part is on the expensive Thalys train. My question is - are 5 minute transfers even doable with luggage? The transfers are in Ghent, Antwerp and Rotterdam. Or would we be better served paying up for the Thalys tickets to get a bit longer transfer time? If we should go for the Thalys tickets, is there a place I can buy them online now for the whole trip Brugge to Delft? (only a part is on Thalys, so I don't think I can buy the whole thing on Thalys.com) Or do I need to figure it out when I get there? Thanks for the help!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If you're not taking Thalys, don't worry about tight connections. The non-Thalys options are the national railways of Belgium and the Netherlands and an "international train" (in quotes because that's what they call it over the loudspeaker) between Antwerpen and Rotterdam. Your tickets will be valid on any non-Thalys train between Brugge and Delft. If you miss a connection, your wait for the next train will only be 20 minutes to an hour. Thalys works more like an airline ticket, though. It buys you a specific seat on a specific train, so if you miss that one, you're out of luck. Of the stations you listed, Antwerp is the hardest one in which to make a tight connection because the train platforms are located on several different levels. I've found myself stuck behind slow people on the escalators here and I almost missed a train once
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33848 posts
Don't know when you're going but I just had a squint at the Bahn and looking at tomorrow morning I see several with 2 changes: 10 minutes at Brussel Zuid and Thalys, then a change at Rotterdam for the local train to Delft. Its only a giant step from there to Delft so if you miss that local train just wait a few minutes and there will be another. Using the hypotenuse via Gent and Antwerpen may be fewer km and perhaps a few minutes but it may not be easier.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL
46 posts
Thank you for the information, Tom - knowing I can use the regular (non-Thalys) ticket on any train along the route makes me feel much better! Nigel - Agree the Thalys route would be much easier (fewer changes, longer change times), but unfortunately that ease costs dearly - ticket price is FIVE TIMES that of the non-Thalys ticket! Crazy! Any reasons for or against purchasing the regular (non-Thalys) ticket online before we leave for Europe?
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
There's no advantage to purchasing a non-thalys ticket via the web....the price is the same.