We leave in just under six weeks! This will be our first trip to Europe, and our first experience with train travel. I need to understand how to get us from Haarlem to Paris on May 2nd. Gard du Nord is the closest station to the apartment. I looked online, but am confused about options, and their relative pros and cons. Please help me understand so I can go ahead and buy tickets. Thanks all.
Donna
Direct Thalys trains depart from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Nord at 8:17, 9:17, 11:17, etc. Book tickets ahead for the best price (available now). Allow a half hour before that departure time for the local train from Haarlem (15 minutes plus transfer time); buy that ticket at the Haarlem train station any time.
You can see more schedule options (but not buy tickets) at How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online.
Ticket prices differ significantly, depending on day and hour. »Comfort 2« is what normally is called 2nd class. It is comfortable enough for most people. »Semi-flexible« and »flexible« refer to the possibilities to change your travel day or hour. Your travel plan is fixed, so the cheaper non-changeable »economy« ticket is what you need.
And indeed don't have your connecting train from Haarlem too tight. These are unknown stations to you. And if you are really much too early at Amsterdam Centraal, you can always have a coffee before boarding the train, or use your last chance of trying the Dutch delicacy of a »broodje kroket«.
It would help to know which options you are concerned about??? What do you want to know?
Apologies for taking so long to get back to say thank you. The tickets are booked. We'll remember to leave adequate transfer time in Amsterdam.
Frank, to answer your questions...... When I checked Rome2rio, it was taking us through Rotterdam on what seemed to be the Intercity. But I had seen many a comment here about Thalys, hence the novice's confusion.
One other novice question...... We'll both have backpacks and rolling suitcases. Where does the luggage go?
Thanks again.
Donna and Dennis, Rome2Rio is a good place to start to find out what methods of transport are available, but not all its results are the best. Once you've decided (air, train, road) it is better to go to a site for that method of transport.
We'll both have backpacks and rolling suitcases. Where does the luggage go?
On trains, all luggage is hand luggage. You are responsible for carrying all your own luggage. There are overhead racks, space between the backs of back-to-back seats, and on longer distance trains extra racks often at the end of the coach.
See here for more info: http://www.seat61.com/luggage-on-european-trains.htm
The golden rule is, your luggage is your problem, if you can't schlep your own luggage through the station, onto the train and into the racks, don't bring it.
That website in general is the best one for answering novice and advanced questions about rail travel.
Donna, I don't want to dwell on it, because everything is all set for your first train trip! But do you understand that the proximity of Gare du Nord is not relevant to your train arrival? It's not a subway train, but a long-distance railroad, whose tracks were laid before World War I. The train goes to where the train goes. You've learned a good lesson that backtracking a short distance (to Amsterdam in this case) can pay a big dividend.
Look up your train's layout on the Thalys website, or at the station, so you can be near the carriage in which your seat is assigned, so you don't hump through narrow aisle after aisle, with your luggage hitting other passengers. Get to the station early enough to buy some food and use the (often, pay) toilets. Yes, the train has food and toilets, too.
Be prepared for crowds at both the taxi line and the Metro station at Gare du Nord. Think about whether you "dare" to buy a single Metro ticket from a roaming tout, to avoid a 20-minute wait at the ticket window. Read Rick's travel advice, top left links.
Edit: Have you made sure your "Disruptor of obsolete Economics" AirBnB apartment is legal and reliable?
Metro ticket from a roaming tout, to avoid a 20-minute wait at the ticket window
Just go to one of the métro ticket machines (exit train, turn left follow signs for métro, down stairs) and buy a "carnet (10 tickets at reduced price). A lot quicker. Though I once got stuck behind a foreign tourist who spent 3 minutes trying to stuff his credit card into the banknote reader, followed by 3 minutes trying to stick an €10 note into the card reader, followed by walking away swearing about the machine not working :-)
To add to what Tim said. Yes all trains from Northerrn France, England, Belgium and the Netherlands arrive in Paris at Gare du Nord. There is no choice. When they built the High Speed Line (LGV Nord (Ligne à Grande Vitesse), opened in 1993) they ended it at the same station as the 19th century line.
You just lucked out an chose a hotel near the correct station.
