Is there a day pass for travels from Paris to Amsterdam? My husband and I are travelling to Paris on March 24th and I wanted to know if there is an inexpensive way to take a day trip by train to Holland. Thanks, Elaine
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
The trip by high-speed train, run by the Thalys company, takes 4 hours each way, and no rail passed cover Thalys (correct me if I'm wrong, peanut gallery). This really is the only way, other than by air, to go from Paris to Amsterdam via daytrip, and it isn't cheap. Here's the website:
http://www.thalys.com/fr/en/timetables/Paris/Amsterdam
You could take the regular trains, but you would have to change trains several times, and it could take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9101 posts
There are no day passes but you can purchase cheap nonrefundable/non-changeable tickets if you book well in advance via www.thalys.com When the site asks you where you live and/or where you will be picking up your tickets say "France".
(take the no "negativity" pledge-this post contains no negativity)
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15601 posts
Maybe a day trip to Belgium is more feasible. It's only 2 hrs from Gare du Nord to Brussels, and not so far to either or both Bruges and Ghent (which is quite pretty after dark).
Posted by
Delft, Netherlands
242 posts
Since it is so soon and you have missed the cheap fares, you can wait until the Tuesday before and check if you can get a half off round trip, last minute deal on Thalys. On Tuesdays they release their unsold tickets for very cheap and it is a great way to get a ticket.
Posted by
Fort Wayne, IN, USA
2349 posts
Elaine, perhaps Amsterdam is a little too far away. Would you take a fast train that took only 4 hours to get to Minneapolis, and then return the same day? Holland is just not as close as it looks.
(Michael, I'm really trying hard with my pledge. How'd I do?)
Posted by
Minnetonka, MN, USA
5 posts
YOu need an advance reservation for the fast train, but there probably is not enough time now to get one (you can pay for overnight delivery but even that sent Monday may not be enough -- perhaps you can get them to send it to you in Europe??). Day trip? It's 4 - 4.5 hrs. by train so if you go and come back it's 8 to 9 hrs of train travel. I suppose you could come back late at night. That's a lot of train for a day trip. Well, once I flew MSP to SFO for lunch and a meeting and back!