I am planning a trip to Europe for September. I want to take the train from London to Paris, Paris to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam back to London.
I would appreciate any advice regarding the best options, as well as information on the most efficient way to buy the tickets.
Everyone one I've know to go to Eurpoe rave about the trains and the service and say the did it with Eurail Pass. Ask your travel agent for details or Bing Eurail Pass.
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Sam1 I am planning a trip to Europe for September. I want to take the train from London to Paris, Paris to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam back to London. I would appreciate any advice regarding the best options, as well as information on the most efficient way to buy the tickets.
Sam1: It has been several years since I was there but your best bet may be a France pass. It really depends on how long you are staying in France. Some detective work needs to be done as a Eurail pass and maybe a France pass will get you a discount thru the Chunnell. The last I looked the tunnell tickets are rather steep at certain times and less at other times.
You will ride SNCF from Paris to Amsterdam and also Amsterdam to Brussels then Eurostar back to London. If you have not bought your airline ticket yet ; you may consider rail costs can be reduced with an open jaw ticket (for instance DFW - LON; Amsterdam - DFW) It is all a matter of costs. A pro travel agent may be your best bet??
Sam I retract some of what I posted. The Benelux - France pass is what you would want. 4 days $416; 5 D $457, 6 D $496; all in a 2 month period. Things changed since I last looked. Don't know if seniors get a discount anymore or maybe just on some passes??? But before you buy this pass check if just straight booking would cost less?? If more than one of you going a pairs or more pass may be cheaper. It really gets complicated.
The reason I mentioned an open jaw ticket I found that one trip in the daytime thru the chunnell is enough. Definitely go during day time.
To fine tune what 'blue streak 1" & "henry6" have said:
Eurostar is the high-speed service through the Channel Tunnel, to Paris and Brussels. Service to/from Amsterdam requires an easy change of train at Brussels.
The high-speed service Paris - Amsterdam (and Brussels - Amsterdam) is called Thalys. Since the Thalys trains are virtually identical to the Eurostar equipment, you might want to consider a non-high-speed option (not much slower, and somewhat cheaper if you're paying by segment).
Rail Europe (www.RailEurope.com) is a good site, with lots of schedule and fare info. If you decide to use a Eurailpass (or some other pass), you must buy it before you leave the US, and can get it through your travel agent or Rail Europe.
I have found (in the distant past) that once in Europe, you may be able to get better deals/specials on fares locally than here in the US. Get the info online before you go and compare. The French National Railways (SNCF) has a good English-language site at http://www.sncf.com/en_EN/flash/. Eurostar has its own website, www.Eurostar.com. (I would suggest comparing fares if you log in as a US resident vs. as a UK resident, which presumably are the fares you would get if bought there.)
sam1: I concur with the others. You might want to get just the Eurostar ticketsand depending on how many trips in France, Netherlands (and Belgium?) just buy tickets from place to place. You might also consider 2nd class: same trains, almost as good seating.
http://railtrains.raileurope.com/train-faq/european-trains/eurostar/how-to-book.html
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Sam,
There is a web site call www.seat61.com (called The Man in Seat Sixty-one) that has tons of usefull information on European rail travel.
Bruce
I live in Northern england and am a regular traveller by Eurostar London to Bruxelles. The price varies enormously with time of day. So if you can adjust your travel times you can save over 100%. The Eurostar website is quite good at giving alternative times. The best way for me to buy tickets is on-line
One of the great advantages of travelling by train is the short amount of time spent in security and customs.
On my last trip we caught 7.30pm (always called 19.30) from St Pancras (London) we showed our computer print out ticket at 19.00 took less than 2 minutes through customs and 3 minutes through security . We were led upstairs to our train at 19.20 Set off at exact time and arrived two hours later at 22.30 (because of time zone change.
It took five minutes to walk past the 18 cars and get off the platform. No ticket barrier - No customs- No security.
8 minutes after arrival we were buying metro tickets.
Coming home the 8.10 am from Bruxelles Midi ( Brussels Central) arrives in St Pancras at 8.50 not bad for 250 miles (100 minutes)
My next USA journey is Chicago to Cleveland 300miles and SEVEN hours by Amtrak. No comment!
I have travelled a number of times by Eurostar. True, it can be expensive, but worth the trip. There are times when cheap(er) fares are available.
Europen railways are different from North American in many ways, but that's part of the fascination.
Try and get a Thos Cook Continental Timetable. It's a mine of info and, again, worth the investment.
Don't forget to do some travel on British lines. Despite modernisation, there are many interesting things to see and experience. Also, museum lines that try to relive the 'good old days', if that interests you. The Severn Valley line is one of the best, but other lines exist in many parts of Britain.
You may also wish to check to see if any of the European operators are linked to any frequent flyer programs to which you belong and the conditions involved. As an example, certain DB (Germany) trips may be part of AAdvantage (American Airlines) but you have to book through AA.
As a very regular Eurostar traveller to and from Brussels one thing to note is that once you have checked in there is not much to do at either St Pancras or Brussels other than sit and wait. You certainly can't see the trains until you are called to your platform. For cheaper tickets midweek if best, Eurostar in general has a heavy weekend bias - Sunday evening trains can be completely full, and so tickets are cheaper midweek.
If you have got time at Brussels Midi go up onto one of the other platforms and walk to the end and just watch. The vista is wider at the South end, so the wonder factor is rather higher, narrower at the North end, but then the trains are all nearer. I've never seen a freight train at Midi; but significant variation nonetheless; at least four Belgian multiple unit types, at least five locomotive types, plus Eurostars, two types of TGV and one German ICE. Everything is electric.
At St Pancras try just to walk around and look up - at the wonderfully restored roof.
Amsterdam Centraal (sic) I'm less familiar with, but from memory it's a multi-track through station with abundant passenger trains and very little freight. Again all electric.
Have a great time, and if you can do post observations.
Sam
Have you firmed up any travel dates yet?
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