We have a 3:45 p.m flight departure from Amsterdam Schipol. I would like to take the Thalys train the same day from Paris at 0730 or 0830. I have never done this route or been to Paris - am I leaving myself too little time? Is it better to go the evening before (although we are trying to have as much time in Paris as possible)? Thank you.
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I presume you will have already done your time in Amsterdam..?
You can take a direct train at 8:25 to AMS Schiphol airport, arrive about 12:15pm.
Personally, I might find that a little stressful and would go back the evening before.
Next time, and for others planning multi-city trips - - you can buy %26#39;open jaw%26#39; flights so you don%26#39;t have to do this backtracking. Some airlines, if using freq fly miles, may require you to book a r/t flight, while others don%26#39;t care.
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Yes, we will have had a few days in Amsterdam. Plus our flight is direct, non-stop which we can%26#39;t get from Paris at that time of the year so taking the train back to Amsterdam is fine with us.
I%26#39;m wondering how reliable the train schedule is...
Thank you.
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I once was on the Thalys from Amsterdam to Paris and it was delayed in the countryside for over 4 hours -- the train was full of people who missed their flights out of CDG
It is always crazy risky to have a close squeeze for a high stakes transportation --
On the trip we just returned from, our flight to Amsterdam was 5 hours late because we turned back to Gander halfway there -- to off load an irrational passenger -- I%26#39;m glad we planned to spend a few days in Amsterdam before going to Paris and weren%26#39;t losing the value of our Thalys tickets (and of course it is much worse to lose the value of your airfare)
On our trip to catch the Thalys to Paris two weeks ago, the Amsterdam tram broke down and we had to walk several blocks to the train station with our luggage -- because we had left plenty of time, it was no big deal
go to Amsterdam the night before -- enjoy a nice meal of snerk and stamppot or a rice table and stroll the gorgeous streets
probably you will be fine with the train -- but it is a high stakes miss if you are not
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I%26#39;ve never had a problem with the train (having taken it half-dozen trips or so), but it can certainly happen (just when you least need a problem).
I will say that once, on a German train, we had to sit a while as some poor soul had decided to end it all by jumping in front of another train that was ahead of ours.
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the cause of our Thalys being 4+ hours late into Paris was the same -- someone jumped in front of the train and killed themselves and they had to replace the train crew -- so we waited about two hours for that and then there was an electrical problem that stalled us out for another 2+ hours meaning we arrived over 4 hours late
the Thalys ticket was refunded -- but I don%26#39;t know that Thalys paid for rebooking all those Paris flights to the US etc
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I%26#39;m one of those anal folks that is regularly called %26quot;paranoid%26quot; because I like to have time in hand when I have to catch a flight, and I always have trip interruption insurance. I think that each insurance company has its own policy, but the time you have allowed to get to the airport is the basis for paying or denying your claim on this insurance. I was told by the adjuster when I missed a flight because of a train delay, that I was the sort of passenger they loved to hate simply because I was on a train that should have arrived in AMS a shade over 10 hours in advance of my check in time.
Because of the fear that the accident that detained us had been caused by terrorists, the police required that we remain where we were (on the train), for several more hours than that. All I needed to collect on my insurance was a note from the lead detective, on his calling card, that I had been detained %26quot;at his pleasure%26quot; for 16 hours, and some newspaper tear sheets reporting the accident.
The moral of the story is that you should have good insurance and not be scheduled to arrive at the departure airport just in the nick of time.
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Don%26#39;t worry, there won%26#39;t be any problems on that day ..... unless
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I%26#39;m doing the same kind of timetable Paris to Heathrow by Eurostar/Tube in September and have to just hope for the best. Never say never, Claire, but Thalys is about as reliable as it gets save a real catastrophe. Get insurance, go with the flow and, worst case scenario, you%26#39;ve got some time in Amsterdam while you arrange alternate transport in the event of that catastrophe. I%26#39;d be trying for the earliest train possible just to give you an advantage if something goes sideways.
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