Train Bruges to Amsterdam

Every traveler has luggage! But 20 minutes shouldn't be a problem unless your train is late. I can cover a mile in 20 minutes. You should even have time for a coffee and pastry if you want. My wife's a slow walker too - so if our train is late, I tell her to run.

Thanks for the info I can do a 15 minute mile but not with her on my back. Running for her is not an option. Since this station has 4 levels I wasn't sure if we had to change levels would cause us problems/delays.

As you noted, Antwerpen Centraal is huge, and if you needed any extra time in any station in Europe, this would be it... but 20 minutes is more than enough. I once barely made a 10 minute connection (got stuck behind a very slow group on one of the escalators), but even with a relatively slow walking wife, you should be fine. And worse case scenario, if you're taking the non-Thalys IC connection between Antwerpen and Amsterdam, you only have to wait an hour for the next one. There's no reservations on this train, so you can take any one you want. For Thalys... different story.

Thanks! You answered is just what I wanted to know. I wasn't sure about being able to catch the next train.

Antwerp Centraal is huge, but it was thoroughly renovated, with new elevators and escalators that unify four levels of tracks. If your train is on time, look at the computer displays as soon as possible so that you know the track you're going to. (Note: Don't waste time looking at the printed paper schedules posted because you want to know the actual track of the next train, and the tracks on the paper postings are not 100% right all the time. I did exactly that in Antwerp and missed the train.) If your train is not on time, it's regrettable, but not the station's fault that you miss your second train! Frankly, the trip from Bruges is far enough that 20 minutes late is entirely possible.

Tom you reminded me of something that always comes to mind when it I'm using escalators and the moving walkways in airports. That is I wish people would embrace the autobahn requirement and to stay to the right unless passing, those of us that don't mind walking up an escalator would appreciate that, hey I would even say vroom, vroom, and imitate a Audi if needed!

There is a webpage for the station at http://hari.b-holding.be/infsta/InfoStation.aspx?StationId=1000037&Lang=3 which confirms in my memory that there are lifts - elevators - which may help in this case. I'd be pretty surprised to see SNCB drop more than a few minutes between Brugge and Antwerpen. I just looked at the live arrivals board and the 1240 arrival was right time, only 2 trains on the 50 I looked at today were late, one 5 minutes, the other 10 - because of a fault on the line for the train from Charlerois (poor Ryan Air).