ninasdream

I just reserved a room in a hotel I found online here for an overnight stay in Brussels. Must the ticket be reserved in advance? Or is there an alternative like a commuter train that may take longer? I would need to buy my ticket w/in 1-2 days to get the 14 day advance discount. Thanks for any suggestions

BTilke

The Thalys train does not require 14 day advanced purchase to qualify for a discount. Who is telling you there's a 14-day advance discount? The Thalys has a certain amount of tickets available in the various discounted categories and they keep selling those until they're gone. The cheapest category is, I think, the Lybris (from time to time Thalys decides to give these ticket categories new names). They sell out the quickest. I usually go to Paris on the Mezzo Plus option for first class (Confort 1) and have almost always been able to get those tickets the day before the trip (sometimes the day of the trip). So in your case, I would just buy the ticket in Paris. By the way, the cheapest category is a return trip ticket, but nobody at Thalys cares if you only go one way and toss the return ticket (Thalys is making a tidy profit unlike the money-losing Eurostar, which is trying to run itself like a nondiscount airline, and showing similar bottom line results.)
There is *one* non-Thalys late night "milk run" train, but you do NOT want to take that train!
BTilke (Brussels)

MyriamC

The lowest fare on Thalys is called Smilys. These are round-trip tickets in 2nd class and cost about 50 euro. They sell out very quickly, especially on the peak hour trains (around 9 am and 6 pm) AND they're only available until 14 days before departure. So you got that one right, ninasdream!

Librys is normal fare (68.50 euro one-way) ; Mezzo is 51.50 one-way and Mezzo Plus is 37.50 one-way. Both have some restrictions.

Sometimes they offer Last Minute tickets at 34 euro one-way in 2nd class or 54 euro in 1st class (non-exchangeable, non-refundable).

Good info on www.thalys.com

BTilke

Myriam, thanks for the info about the Smilys/Librys confusion. But I *have* been able to get the cheapest ticket (the Smilys) for a friend 3 days before a trip to Paris--I bought the ticket at the Gare du Midi.

ninasdream

I located non-refund, nonchangeable tix @ 17E each way & I cannot find the website again! I did look at the Smilys. BTilke, ITicket prices were more than I expected and I was trying to compensate by getting the best fare, therefore the 14 day. How did you know I was considering the milk run? Thanks for the heads-up! So, if I do not buy in advance, and I show up at the station, I could end up paying for the highest fare ticket - ot with no ticket if they are sold out? Then I also would be committed to pay for my hotel. So now I am still unsure. I saw an non ref non change ticket for 31 euro, 14 day advance. I would need to buy it today to get that rate. MyriamC - do you recall about how much you've paid for thise tix 3 days before in comparison to a 14-day advance rate? In general are these tickets are for the specified date only? And my hotel in Brussel says they are near the Central Station- Is that Midi? This is my first post here - thanks again!

ira

Hi nina,

Since you know what day you want to travel, why not buy your discount fare ticket now?

Are you planning on not going to Brussels?

ninasdream

Hello, Ira - I have 12 free days in Paris and I promised myself this trip I wouldn't overdo it, I'd take advantage of no itinerary to just really feel each place. After reading up on Brussels on this site, which was where I found my little hotel in Paris, I really do want to see Brussels. The overall cost was a little more than I'd planned for just 2 days. To boot, the train schedule for the bargain fare leaves at 10 & arrives after 1 pm (13h) so it makes for less time to explore. I am usually an early bird. All life should have such tough decisions, right? I guess I'll mull it over today & decide. Once I buy the train tix, I've pretty much commited to this side trip is all.

ira

Hi nina,

I went to the SNCF website

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/...geUK&WB=HP

and found RT for Paris/Brussels on 4/18 and again on 4/21 for 24.5E each way for the 0755 THALYS.

MyriamC

Nina, I've never bought a Smilys ticket only 3 days ahead. That was BTilke!
Smilys are a fixed price of 49 euro roundtrip (NON refundable, NON exchangeable).
That's the type of ticket Ira found but sometimes you will be able to find an outbound journey where you can use the Smileys ticket but no return journey! For instance, you will be able to travel to Brussels on this type of ticket on Apr 18th 06h55 or 07h55 and the first available return (on this type of ticket) will be on Apr 20 21h40.
If you know your dates, just do a few simulations on www.thalys.com or www.voyages-sncf.com
I don't know where you could have found tix at 17 euro. Are you sure it was Paris Nord to Bruxelles Midi?
FYI Bruxelles Midi (Brussel Zuid) and Bruxelles Central is only one stop. Thalys, though, only stops at Midi so you'll have to change trains there.

ninasdream

MyriamC - I had been using these sites, but this time I had the correct stations. There were over 10 listed with 24.50-37.50 each way, but I didn't get the fare, the flashed to show 50-60 euros, even tho only 1 had been marked "hurry last available..." So thanks for the directions. Now I have to wait until Monday to see if the hotel has another date open. I just can't do 120 euros, esp with the exchange rate. I am not sure I'd want to take a chance on last minute availability, and I don't want to spend time online on my trip. I guess I could just go to the Paris Nord station and check next week. I think I need to take a break from this for a while. Any other suggestions are welcome. I think I am getting punchy.Thanks again.

ninasdream

Well, now that I have had more time to research, I see from this site that I am not the only one perplexed by the train schedules & websites. I was in a time crunch, so thanks for coming for to the rescue with info - and for being so civilized. No one suggested I do a search on the topic, but gave me some good suggestions directly. I hpe the htoel can find me a room 1-2 days later. Or else I'll try Brugge. What happens if I purchase online from US? Can I ask them to hold the tix/reservation at the Paris station? Can I just go up to the window with a confirmation # & the credit card I charged it on? Thanks once again.

MyriamC

As for your last paragraph, that's exactly the way to proceed. If you order online you will get a reservation number. In the Paris train station, you go up to the window with that reservation number & the credit card you charged it on.

Brugge would be very nice for a daytrip from Brussels too! You won't have to buy tix in advance. Just go to the train station, buy your ticket at the window and hop on the first train to Brugge. That's it.

ninasdream

MyriamC - Good news- I got the round trip tix for a later date @ 50e. Hooray! Thanks for the help! This Hotel Noga listed on Fordo'r w/great reviews is already a pleasure to deal with. I have done research here, and read quite a few guides on Belgium now...I was thinking to see some museums Sunday, then wander about Brussels Monday, when they're all closed. And I was thinking about a little ride to Brugge. Anyone have a fave museum in Brussels? Will a 2-4 hours in Brugge be an ok introduction?

MyriamC

With only 2-4 hours in Brugge you'll have to rush it! Something I personally don't like. I'd rather not go then.

ninasdream

MyriamC - Which city do you think deserves more time to explore? And if you were going to visit museums while there, would you choose those in Brussels or Brugge. I know it's all according to individual taste, too. (I'm just so happy to have my trainfare!)

MyriamC

To be honest, I'm not very familiar with Brussels. BTilke has been giving some great advice on Brussels. So maybe you could do a little research here on Fodors.

I for one prefer Brugge. It's small and intimate and all the highlights of the city are concentrated around the Market and Burg Square. For such a small city, Brugge has quite some museums as you can see on the Brugge website: http://www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/museaen.htm
I also like to make a guided city walk (with a paper guide, I mean) when I'm in a new city. I can recommend the "Unsurpassed Bruges" walk, that will lead you along all the highlights, incl. the museums.

ninasdream

Thanks Myriam. With the museums closed on Mondays, I thought I'd hit 1 or 2 Sunday & then spend the rest of the time looking around the 2 cities. I guess I'll just have to see how much time it would take to explore Brussels, and what my research turns up on the museums. Everyone have a great holiday. Thanks for making me feel at home on my first post on the Board.