A Thalys train from Brussels to Amsterdam

Amsterdam to Brussels by train

A Thalys at Brussels Midi.

Buy Thalys train tickets

What is Thalys?

Thalys was originally a consortium of the French, Belgian & Dutch national railways formed to run the high-speed trains between Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Schiphol, Amsterdam & Cologne.  Thalys merged with Eurostar in 2022 to form Eurostar Group and Thalys trains are being gradually rebranded with the new Eurostar Group star logo.

Thalys is faster than flying - Paris to Brussels in 1h22, Paris to Amsterdam in 3h20, Paris to Cologne in 3h20, city centre to city centre.

small bullet point  Thalys' 3 classes of travel explained

small bullet point  What are Thalys trains like?

small bullet point  Travel tips:  Luggage, WiFi, railpasses, food...

small bullet point  How to check times & buy tickets

small bullet point  Route map

small bullet point  Thalys video guide

small bullet point  Paris Gare du Nord station guide

small bullet point  Brussels Midi station guide

small bullet point  Cologne Hbf station guide

small bullet point  Amsterdam Centraal station guide

Thalys' 3 classes explained

In 2017, Thalys switched from its original two classes Confort 1 (1st class) & Confort 2 (2nd class) to three classes of service:  Standard, Comfort & Premium.  The trains still physically have two types of seating which I'll call 2nd class & 1st class, but some 1st class cars will be designated Comfort and others Premium.  You will choose your class when buying your ticket.

The 3 classes are correctly & clearly shown when you book at www.thalys.com or www.nsinternational.nl but with other booking systems you may need to look closely at the fare details to see whether the 1st class ticket you're booking is Comfort or Premium!

What are Thalys trains like?  Virtual tour

The majority of Thalys trains are still as shown below.  However, trains are currently being refurbished with an all-new interior called Thalys Ruby.  The new seating includes larger tray tables and the cafe-bar is replaced by an open space with vending machines.  The first refurbished train entered service in Autumn 2021.

A Thalys train at Brussels Midi   2nd class seats on a Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam

A Thalys train from Paris at Brussels Midi...

 

Standard class seats, 2+2 across car width.  Larger photo...

1st class seats oin a Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam   Cafe-bar car on a Thalys high-speed train

Premium or Comfort seats, 2+1 across car width.  Larger photo.

Cafe-bar (being discontinued).  Larger photo.

Premium class food on a Thalys train between Amsterdam & Brussels   Older Thalys train

In Premium a tray meal with wine is included. Larger photo.

 

An older Thalys type at Brussels Midi...

Tips for travel with Thalys

A Thalys train from Brussels at Paris

A Thalys with the new Eurostar Group branding at Paris Gare du Nord.

NS HiSpeed lounge at Amsterdam Centraal station   Luggage on Thalys goes on the racks just inside the door.

1st class lounges:  Comfort & Premium passengers may use the lounges in Amsterdam & Rotterdam.  This Amsterdam Centraal, on platform 2b.

 

Luggage:  It's easy - just bring your bags on board and place your suitcase on the racks.  There's usually no problem finding space.

Premium food on Thalys   Club duo table for two on Thalys

Premium class:  Another example of the premium food served to Premium class passengers between Amsterdam & Brussels...

 

Seating options:  In Comfort or Premium, the best seats for couples are the face-to-face tables-for-two, known as Club Duo.  Note the space for bags between the seat backs.

Boarding a Thalys to Paris at Amsterdam Centraal

Boarding a Thalys to Paris at Amsterdam Centraal platform 15...

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How to buy tickets

Route map

Paris to Brussels is 312 km (194 miles).  Paris to Amsterdam is 524 km (326 miles).

Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam/Cologne Thalys route map

 

Click for larger map

Highlighted = Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam, Paris-Brussels-Cologne.

Red = high-speed line.  Green = scenic sections.

Reproduced from the excellent European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. 

I recommend buying a copy of the European Rail Map for your travels, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu with shipping worldwide.

European Rail Timetable and map

Video guide: Thalys trains


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