transportation from Amsterdam airport to brussels and Paris

Train is cheapest and fastest. From Amsterdam to Brussels take the regular inter-city train, departures every hour. Simply purchase your tickets at the station on the day of your departure fare is about 40 euros. From Brussels to Paris take the Thalys High-Speed train. For the cheapest fare it's essential to purchase tickets 90 days in advance via http://www.thalys.com. You can print your ticket out at home.

DON't take the Intercity trains. They have been unreliable for 2 years (they are slatted to elimination as new Fyra trains are going to be run on the high-speed line, but the train delivery is late so they are using beyond-the-expected-life which are frequently cancelled or shortened at Rotterdam). Go by Thalys instead.

If you decide to take Thalys trains for both Amsterdam-Brussels and Brussels-Paris, you can save a lot of money by booking well in advance (up to 90 days) at thalys.com. The standard 2nd class fare for Amsterdam-Brussels is €69. The cheapest Smoove fare is €29 (cheaper than the fare for IC trains). The standard 2nd class fare for Brussels-Paris is €90. The cheapest Smoove fare is €25.

We took the Intercity from Amsterdam to Brussels and back. Our train departed from Amsterdam 25 minutes late due to engine troubles, but we had enough of an overlap between trains in Brussels that it wasn't a problem for us (we caught Eurostar in Brussels to London). The return trip on the Intercity from Brussels to Amsterdam at the end of our trip was on time and there were no delays. That being said, you do save an entire hour between Amsterdam and Brussels if you take the newer hi-speed Thalys train. If I were doing it again, I'd spend the extra money and take the Thalys to Brussels and enjoy the extra hour I get shopping at the Brussels train station.

Thanks for all the feed back. I am traveling solo and when I can have things figured out before getting there helps alote. I am leaving a week for Monday, so will not be able to purchase my tickets ahead of time.

Actually, you do have time to book your Thalys tickets now. Choose "Paper ticket" and print them yourself. You have one option that is cheaper than the train. You can take a Eurolines bus from Amsterdam to Brussels and from Brussels to Paris. Each leg will cost under €30. Travel time is 3 1/2 hours for the first leg and 4 hours for the second.

Train (Thalys), not bus. Time is money. Bus is also prone to be stuck in traffic jams (which are not rare in that region).