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Amsterdam to Rotterdam

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I'm planning on doing a Rail Sail from Liverpool Street via Harwich to Amsterdam and return in June.

Outward I would go direct to Amsterdam which is fine.

Return I would like to go to Rotterdam then to the ship at Hook, would my ticket cover this ?
I'm thinking the answer is NO, So looking at http://www.ns.nl/ I see there are regular trains Amsterdam/Rotterdam.

On the journey planner their appear to be 3 train compaines,
1. NS
2. Thalys
3. Intercity Direct

NS appears to call all station with journey 1:10 €14.80 Purchase Online
Thalys and Intercity Direct journey 40mins approx can't be booked.

Why can't I book the faster trains?


I'm travelling June but used a test booking date of Fri 17 April
 
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fowler9

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I'm planning on doing a Rail Sail from Liverpool Street via Harwich to Amsterdam and return in June.

Outward I would go direct to Amsterdam which is fine.

Return I would like to go to Rotterdam then to the ship at Hook, would my ticket cover this ?
I'm thinking the answer is NO, So looking at http://www.ns.nl/ I see there are regular trains Amsterdam/Rotterdam.

On the journey planner their appear to be 3 train compaines,
1. NS
2. Thalys
3. Intercity Direct

NS appears to call all station with journey 1:10 €14.80 Purchase Online
Thalys and Intercity Direct journey 40mins approx can't be booked.

Why can't I book the faster trains?


I'm travelling June but used a test booking date of Fri 17 April

I've just been on the Thalys website and can't get it it sell me a ticket from Amsterdam to Rotterdam on any number of dates or times, first or second class. Don't know if I am doing something wrong or there is a fault with the system. Keeps saying this promotional fare is no longer available. I've not tried to use a promotion, just book a single from Amsterdam to Rotterdam.

Just tried booking Amsterdam to Antwerp which I've done before and it worked fine. Anyone know if you just can't get a ticket from Amsterdam to Rotterdam on Thalys, I know it stops at both.
 
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Groningen

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At 8.26 with change in Schiedam you are in Amsterdam at 10.01. Hoek van Holland - Amsterdam Centraal is 17,30 with change in Schiedam. Hoek van Holland - Rotterdam is 5,50 + Thalys Rotterdam - Amsterdam at 21 makes 26,50 euro. There is 8 minutes to change trains in Rotterdam for the Thalys and you arrive in Amsterdam at 9.42.
 

30907

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Assuming you have booked Railsail both ways, your ticket is valid to/from any Dutch station.
No problem over going via Rotterdam or breaking journey.
IIRC the Dutch ticket is now issued as a chipkaart day rover which makes it even better.

However, ICD trains carry a small supplement - a more recent traveller will know where you pay this, a machine on the platform at R'dam?

Thalys you'd have to pay separately as Groningen has said.
 

Groningen

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Supplement for IC Direct Schiphol - Rotterdam and v.v. is 2,30 euro (one way).

https://www.ns.nl/producten/toeslagen/p/intercity-direct

I could be astound if your ticket is valid on the Thalys. The Thalys is a fully reserved train. From the website of Stena Line > Terms and conditions: The 'Dutchflyer' fare does not include travel on Dutch high speed rail services. Should you choose to travel on a high speed service additional supplements will payable for your journey.

One would ask whether IC Direct is considered a high speed rail service; otherwise it would not be valid. You can tweet the NS at @ns_online btw for answers.
 

radamfi

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I wonder if the Dutchflyer is valid across the border to Leer on Arriva trains?

There is a day ticket offer at the moment from the Blokker shop, which regularly has day ticket offers, as do other Dutch high street shops:

http://www.treinreiziger.nl/reizen/..._vrij_dagkaart_voor_15_euro_april_2015-146897

Bij Arriva is het treinkaartje zelfs geldig tot aan Leer (Duitsland). Je moet dan wel in Leer in- of uitchecken (dat kan). In andere situaties kan je met de Blokker Dal Vrij dagkaart tot aan de grens reizen. (Let op: alleen dagkaartacties die op wegwerpchipkaarten worden geleverd zijn geldig tot aan Leer. AH- en Hema-dagkaarten dus niet.)

Translation: "With Arriva, the train ticket is valid to Leer in Germany. You must touch in or touch out in Leer. (Yes, it is possible). In other cases, you can travel to the border. (Caution: only day ticket offers that are on disposable smartcard are valid to Leer. Albert Heijn and Hema day tickets are therefore not.)"

The Dutchflyer ticket comes as a disposable smartcard so by that logic should be valid to Leer. The Blokker offer requires a supplement for ICE (Amsterdam to Utrecht to Arnhem) and Intercity Direct (Amsterdam to Rotterdam to Breda) so following that pattern would imply the same applies to Dutchflyer. Unusually, though, no mention of Thalys. I think it is assumed that Thalys isn't allowed. As mentioned above, you won't have a reservation so that would bar Thalys in any case.
 
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30907

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Interesting thought, as I had wondered about Dutchflyer plus Niedersachsenticket for travel to N Germany in the past, the latter being valid from the border.
 

radamfi

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I've just been on the Thalys website and can't get it it sell me a ticket from Amsterdam to Rotterdam on any number of dates or times, first or second class. Don't know if I am doing something wrong or there is a fault with the system. Keeps saying this promotional fare is no longer available. I've not tried to use a promotion, just book a single from Amsterdam to Rotterdam..

I've just looked on the Belgian Railways site and it is offering me Thalys on Friday morning at 0617 from Amsterdam to Rotterdam for 21 euros.

Same on the Thalys site.
 
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Groningen

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Thalys Rotterdam - Amsterdam at 21

So 3 different websites and all they can do is offer a one way ticket for 21 euro. I believe there is no need so look any further. So for gaining 20 minutes you can pay 21 euro. Please; do not do that. We have Delft (with the new traintunnel), Den Haag, Leiden and Haarlem. All beautiful cities, just not at the railwaystation itself.
 

radamfi

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It is only slightly longer from Amsterdam to Rotterdam on Intercity Direct than Thalys. Arguably, Intercity Direct is more comfortable as in my experience it is not very crowded but Thalys is usually full. I certainly don't think it is worth paying for Thalys unless you are going into Belgium. But, yes, you miss a lot if you don't go by the classic route.
 

Greenback

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I found Thalys very crowded and uncomfortable when I used it. I'd much rather save a some money and travel on the classic route.
 

fowler9

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I found Thalys very crowded and uncomfortable when I used it. I'd much rather save a some money and travel on the classic route.

I didn't find the Thalys at all bad compared to the Pendo I got the same day on a recent trip. That said the classic intercity we got in Belgium that day was nice.
 

Greenback

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Thalys trains are better than Pendo's maybe because of the larger loading gauge overseas, but they are simply not worth it compared tot he 'proper' Dutch trains!
 

fowler9

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Thalys trains are better than Pendo's maybe because of the larger loading gauge overseas, but they are simply not worth it compared tot he 'proper' Dutch trains!

That is true, also being reservation only and running on modern purpose built tracks. I was chuffed to have a go on one, I do prefer the more traditional trains though which are good value.
 

anme

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Thalys trains are better than Pendo's maybe because of the larger loading gauge overseas, but they are simply not worth it compared tot he 'proper' Dutch trains!

Agreed, and Thalys isn't worth it between the Netherlands and Belgium either, unless you're really in a hurry and someone else is paying. The worst thing is the lack of flexibility and the high prices if you want to travel at short notice.

Thalys is fast and sometimes good value between Belgium and France, although sadly the alternatives are now just road and air. :(
 

fowler9

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Agreed, and Thalys isn't worth it between the Netherlands and Belgium either, unless you're really in a hurry and someone else is paying. The worst thing is the lack of flexibility and the high prices if you want to travel at short notice.

Thalys is fast and sometimes good value between Belgium and France, although sadly the alternatives are now just road and air. :(

I'm probably doing something wrong on the website but the fares I am getting 2 months in advance for Schipol to Antwerp on Thalys are about twice what I paid last October! They were about the same as the regular intercity fares showing now and of course the journey took about half as long. (It was a crazy day trip from Liverpool including Brussels and Eurostar so traveling fast was useful in our case).
 

Greenback

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I was happy to give Thalys a try, but having tried it between Antwerp and Amsterdam I'm in no rush to use it again.

I probably would if I were travelling between Paris and Amsterdam, but between Belgium and the Netherlands, and definitely in the Netherlands itself, I prefer the traditional trains and routes even if Thalys fares are similar or only a little more.
 

fowler9

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I was happy to give Thalys a try, but having tried it between Antwerp and Amsterdam I'm in no rush to use it again.

I probably would if I were travelling between Paris and Amsterdam, but between Belgium and the Netherlands, and definitely in the Netherlands itself, I prefer the traditional trains and routes even if Thalys fares are similar or only a little more.

I would tend to agree there. One thing I would add about my Thalys experience, which on the whole I enjoyed, was that there was a massive tourist party who's tour guide spent most of the journey up and down the aisle faffing around with hotel bookings, day trips etc. that was mildly annoying.
 
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fowler9

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I suppose that can happen on any train, it's just bad luck!

Yeah, and to be fair it didn't really bother me. No one was misbehaving. They were an older party from all over the English speaking world from the accents I detected. Can't really grumble about older folks finding their seats a little slowly. It does amuse me that some people seem to panic because it is a foreign country even though everything is signed in English and all the staff speak English (Better than me, ha ha).
 

Greenback

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Many from North America and Australasia have never taken a train in their life before and are pretty bewildered by the whole concept of public transport in Europe. Then there are those who took a few trains forty years ago when they were inter-railing, and can't understand why everything isn't the same!
 

Groningen

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can't understand why everything isn't the same!

Sorry, but that is a non issue. Do you still have to open the window of the train to open the door of the train. One can blame 1 certain Margaret from Lincoln, who thought that privatization was a good thing. The difference in the Netherlands now and say 30 years ago is that we have know not just the NS, but Veolia, Connexxion and Arriva. But those last 3 ones only operate only on the lesser lines. Further the price of a ticket for travel all day long is 51,40 (2nd class) and 87,40 (first class). We are not idiots; so mainly in the weekend we use Blokker, Kruidvat or AH for around 15 euros. And remember that NS all dayticket is not valid on those 3 other carriers.

This is the current one (Blokker until April 26 buyable): http://www.blokker.nl/nl/blknl/ns-dal-vrij-dagkaart-2015-1
 

fowler9

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Sorry, but that is a non issue. Do you still have to open the window of the train to open the door of the train. One can blame 1 certain Margaret from Lincoln, who thought that privatization was a good thing. The difference in the Netherlands now and say 30 years ago is that we have know not just the NS, but Veolia, Connexxion and Arriva. But those last 3 ones only operate only on the lesser lines. Further the price of a ticket for travel all day long is 51,40 (2nd class) and 87,40 (first class). We are not idiots; so mainly in the weekend we use Blokker, Kruidvat or AH for around 15 euros. And remember that NS all dayticket is not valid on those 3 other carriers.

This is the current one (Blokker until April 26 buyable): http://www.blokker.nl/nl/blknl/ns-dal-vrij-dagkaart-2015-1

I don't think that is what Greenback was saying to be honest.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks for the replies, all booked sailrail from Liverpool St and 2 days Amsterdam, looking forward to it.

Hope you have a great trip mate. Am off on the train in Germany a week on Monday. Hope mine goes smoothly to.
 

92002

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Thanks for the replies, all booked sailrail from Liverpool St and 2 days Amsterdam, looking forward to it.

Thalys is considered as an International train. So not available for a domestic Dutch trip.

Inter City Direct carries a supplement of €10 a trip. So unless you are in a massive hurry, its not worth the extra cash.
 

radamfi

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92002 said:
Thalys is considered as an International train. So not available for a domestic Dutch trip.

Inter City Direct carries a supplement of €10 a trip. So unless you are in a massive hurry, its not worth the extra cash.

Earlier in the thread it mentions bookable fares between Amsterdam and Rotterdam on Thalys.

Also, earlier in the thread it says the supplement for Intercity Direct is only 2.30. Where are you getting 10 euros from?
 
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Greenback

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Sorry, but that is a non issue. Do you still have to open the window of the train to open the door of the train. One can blame 1 certain Margaret from Lincoln, who thought that privatization was a good thing. The difference in the Netherlands now and say 30 years ago is that we have know not just the NS, but Veolia, Connexxion and Arriva. But those last 3 ones only operate only on the lesser lines. Further the price of a ticket for travel all day long is 51,40 (2nd class) and 87,40 (first class). We are not idiots; so mainly in the weekend we use Blokker, Kruidvat or AH for around 15 euros. And remember that NS all dayticket is not valid on those 3 other carriers.

This is the current one (Blokker until April 26 buyable): http://www.blokker.nl/nl/blknl/ns-dal-vrij-dagkaart-2015-1

I don't know why you've quoted part of what I said. Your post seems to have n relation to what I was talking about, which was the way international visitors seem to be when they visit Europe for the first time in maybe forty or fifty years.

It had nothing to do with privatisation, I can assure you.
 
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