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Train tickets - buy ahead?

Posted by (Minneapolis, MN, USA) on

Hello all,

I am traveling to Europe at the end of April and vacationing for three weeks. I think I have figured out that the Eurail pass will be more expensive than individual train tickets. I would like to be flexible on my travel days and leave late or early if I want. However, I am wondering if I really should buy the tickets before I leave.

I am going to Amsterdam, Amersfoort (to visit a friend), maybe The Hague, Brussels, maybe Ghent or Antwerp if there is time, Bruges, Paris, Nimes, and ending in Barcelona. The travel with Belgium and the Netherlands appears to be easy. I am wondering if I should buy tickets for the major trips, which seem to be Amsterdam to Brussels, Brussels/Bruges to Paris, Paris to Nimes, and Nimes to Barcelona. Will the prices be a lot higher if I wait to buy them there? I don't mind taking the non-high speed trains. If I really like a place, I might want to stay longer and cut out a city or two.

Thanks for any insight!

Posted by
12040 posts

For the Netherlands and Belgium, no, there is no advantage to buying early, with the possible exception that Amsterdam to Brussels might be slightly cheaper. But as you said, you would lose flexibility. Rail tickets here are generally pretty cheap compared to the rest of western Europe.

There is one option that could save you some money in Belgium. If you think you will make more than 2 or 3 trips by rail within the country, you can buy a 10 trip pass for about €70. You can buy it at any rail station. To use it, you simply write the date, your departure point and your destination on the pass, which is printed on the same paper as a regular ticket.

For transportation within Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent, you can also buy a pass on the tram/bus system, De Lijn (Brussels has a separate transit system). Many train stations have a "Lijnwinkel"(literally, "Lijn Shop") or automated teller where you can buy a pass.

Posted by
36 posts

Your conundrum is that you want flexibility. That is what rail passes are for! Get a rail pass.

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