Thalys is a
consortium of the French, Belgian, Dutch & German national railways
formed to run the high-speed trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne.
How to buy Thalys
tickets.
1st class seats on Thalys...
2nd class seats on Thalys...
A Thalys
about to leave Brussels...
Facilities on board Thalys & at stations...
All Thalys trains have 1st & 2nd class seats and a
cafe-bar. On Thalys, 1st class is marketed as 'Comfort 1' and
2nd class as 'Comfort 2'.
Like Eurostar, advance
reservation is obligatory and special fares apply, which include a seat
reservation on a specific train. Ordinary 'open' rail
tickets are not valid.
Railpass holders must
pay a special fare costing a whopping 39 euros in 2nd class, 62 euros in 1st class, if your pass
covers all the countries you will pass through. This is only 6 euros
less than the cheap 'Smoove' fare you can get without a pass at
www.thalys.com.
Food & drink included in
1st class: Comfort 1 fares include a complimentary meal served
at your seat between Paris & Brussels, or drinks & snacks served at your
seat between Brussels & Amsterdam or Cologne.
Power sockets: There are power sockets for laptops & mobiles
(2-pin, 220v) at all seats in both Comfort 1 & Comfort 2.
WiFi for laptops &
smartphones is available on all Thalys trains,
free of charge in Comfort 1, in Comfort 2 it costs 6.50 euros for 60 minutes or 13 euros
for your whole journey. You can log on and pay on board,
or buy a card in the bar car.
Baby changing facilities are available in cars 7,
17 & 27. There are special family areas in cars 6 & 7. Children
under 12 are no longer allowed to travel alone on Thalys trains.
Wheelchair spaces are provided in cars 1, 11 & 21,
together with wheelchair-accessible toilets. There's more information
for travellers with disabilities at
www.thalys.com.
Luggage & bikes: All luggage must be labelled with your name.
Folding bicycles and bikes in zip-up bike bags no bigger than 120cm x 90cm
are carried, but not undismantled bikes. There's more detailed
information at
www.thalys.com.
For information on taking bikes by train in Europe, see the
bike by train page.
Dogs & pets: Small dogs & pets in carriers no bigger than 55 x
30 x 30cm travel free, but larger dogs require a special ticket (not bookable
online), see
www.thalys.com
for more details (UK travellers should note that Eurostar does not carry
dogs, see advice here). Guide dogs go
free on both Eurostar & Thalys.
First class lounges at Amsterdam, Schiphol, Rotterdam
& Cologne: Anyone with a 1st class
international ticket or railpass can use the elegant first class lounges at
these stations, with
complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks and beer. In the Netherlands,
look for signs to the 'NS HiSpeed lounge'. In Germany, look for signs
to the 'DB Lounge'.
First class lounges at Paris & Brussels:
Unfortunately, only holders of special frequent traveller cards can use
the lounge. If you intend travelling 1st class on Thalys make sure you
apply online for a free 'TheCard' at
www.thalysthecard.com
before you travel, then you can use the lounges.
A Thalys arrived at Paris Gare du Nord...
Cafe-bar car: All passengers
may use the Thalys cafe-bar car...
First class
food: An at-seat
meal or snack is included in the 1st class fare on Thalys.
1st class lounges:
1st class
travellers may use the lounges in Amsterdam, Rotterdam & Cologne.
An at-seat
meal or snack is included in the 1st class fare. This is an
afternoon snack with wine...
Seating tip: If you're a
couple in 1st class, book a 'Club Duo' table-for-two, much nicer than a
'Duo' pair of side-by-side seats.
You can buy Thalys tickets or check Thalys train times & fares at
the Thalys website,
www.thalys.com. You print out your own ticket.
UK travellers can book Thalys as
part of a through journey from London via Brussels to Amsterdam or Cologne
at either
www.eurostar.com or
www.raileurope.co.uk,
but (top tip!) for London-Amsterdam it's also worth trying
www.nshispeed.nl.
Travellers from other countries
should book Thalys using
www.thalys.com. You print out your own ticket.
