trying to book thalys

Hi everyone,

I have booked for Aug. 5 a 14 day trip which you have all graciously given me a lot wonderful advice on. I thought one could book the thalys 6 months in advance (I was told the earlier the better). When I go online to do so, it won%26#39;t let me go past May 5. (3 months) It is a bit confusing also when you get up to the exact types of tickets you want (students, etc) Any experience with this matter? (I am flying into Paris and want to take the thalys a few days later to Brussels. I am then going on to Amsterdam after 3 days in Brussels, then flying home) Thanx.

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I have never tried to reserve a train seat 6 months in advance, and in any case you don%26#39;t say WHICH website you are using, but I would have thought the answer was obvious: wait 3 months and then make your booking! %26quot;Earlier the better%26quot; is a manner of speaking, there is actually no advantage in booking more than a month or two in advance.

As for the different types of ticket, most people go for the cheapest ticket offered for the date and time they want to travel. Using the Thalys site, when you fill in the date and time of travel it will list the various trains and price options available (some cheap tickets are limited to specific trains). Note that the very cheapest ones are available only for return tickets, so not one way as in your case, the conditions are all set out on www.thalys.com. If you are not a student, or under 26, obviously you can rule out those options. The main factor you have to consider is flexibility, i.e. are you likely to want to change to a different date and/or time, or can you live with something you can%26#39;t change?

I don%26#39;t know whether it allows booking further in advance (it could be that the timetable changes in May) but you could also try buying your ticket from French Railways rather than Thalys:

www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage…

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That%26#39;s correct: you can only book 3 months in advance. I always use the Thalys website www.thalys.com (browse to %26#39;France%26#39; in the box %26#39;ticket issued or sent to ...%26#39; box), and take the option of picking up the tix at the station.

The various types of tickets are described here: http://www.thalys.com/fr/en/fares

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I don;t know where I got six months from.. I think a travel agent told me that. Anyway, I emailed thalys and they said you can only reserve 89 days in advance. They also said there are no student rates. I tthought someone on this forum told me student prices were available.

thanks for the info.

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Apparently you didn%26#39;t check out the link to the fares I provided. The person you talked to misinformed you. Maybe it%26#39;s not called %26#39;student fare%26#39;, but children, youth and seniors (60+) travel at a reduced fare. Once again, check out that link!

One other bit of advice: don%26#39;t book thru RailEurope. I know they%26#39;re %26#39;big%26#39; in the States but they%26#39;re way too expensive.

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i emailed the thalys website after i emailed this forum and before i got your email. i remember now who told me to book six months in advance. raileurope has a phone number and when i called a few months ago they told me to book six months in advance. since then, you told me they were more expensive so i have not contacted them again.

i think you had also told me that thalys will have a high speed train by august going from brussels to amsterdam. i guess i will decide if we should go intercity or thalys 3 months before the trip. from previous emails, i can buy the intercity the day of travel at the station.

thanx for the advice.

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You%26#39;re right, that was me!

It%26#39;s very quiet lately about the new high speed tracks between Brussels and Amsterdam! Last year they said the tracks would be ready by May 2007. Now they just say %26#39;in 2007%26#39; ...

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if i was a betting woman, i would say i%26#39;ll be taking the intercity train.......

thanx again!

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My wife and I are also taking a trip to France and Belgium. We%26#39;re planning on going to Paris, Brussels, then Avignon. I%26#39;m checking the Thalys website and it is much cheaper than RailEurope. But I have a few questions. What does this mean:

• SMILYS. : Return ticket compulsory. Non exchangeable. No refundable.

Specifically, the part saying (Return ticket compulsory). Does it mean that it is not included in the price?

Also, do you recomend any website for rail tickets from Paris to Avignon? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks!

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%26gt;What does this mean:

• SMILYS. : Return ticket compulsory. Non exchangeable. No refundable.

Specifically, the part saying (Return ticket compulsory). Does it mean that it is not included in the price?

It means that you can only book the Smilys ticket as a part of a return ticket. In the best case you can book another Smilys for the return trip.

%26gt;Also, do you recomend any website for rail tickets from Paris to Avignon?

It is as always reasonable to buy the ticket from the service provider, in this case SNCF (www.voyages-sncf.com). You can also buy the Thalys tickets from them.

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When you give your date and rough time of departure the Thalys website produces a selection of trains and tickets available on those trains. Given the %26quot;return%26quot; requirement, the system will not let you book a Smilys ticket for one train when you are not booking the return journey, whether at Smilys conditions or not; and as I understand it you are not returning to Paris therefore you cannot have a Smily%26#39;s ticket (unless you book a return you aren%26#39;t going to use and that will usually be the same as the cost of a normal single, so you wouldn%26#39;t save anything). As I have said before, the cheapest options available on Thalys are for RETURN tickets, and if I understand correctly you are travelling one way, Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam. The other conditions seem to me to be self-explanatory, what is it that isn%26#39;t clear to you? Basically, once you have booked a non-flexible ticket, you can%26#39;t change your departure, exactly like a PEX flight.

As people can%26#39;t always find the English version of the French Railways website, it%26#39;s www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage…