Probably, the best way to travel between amazing Paris and outstanding Amsterdam is the high-speed train of the French-Belgian operator Thalys. It is fast, comfortable and charismatic. How does it feel to ride this bullet beauty? Dig into nuances with the help of the following text!
Departure from Amsterdam
The starting point of this trip is Amsterdam Centraal, the largest railway station of the capital of the Netherlands. This transport hub has the complex inner structure and the bright 19-century exterior with references to Gothic architecture.
I meet this building at a time of partial facade restoration, but most of its decorative elements and ornamental details can still be seen. I check out historical stone bas-reliefs and enjoy the looks of a contemporary geometric structure in the entrance hall before moving further.
In order to get to trains you have to be in a current status of active passenger — there are ticket gates at all the entrances. Lookie-loos are not welcomed here, although the access to a number of shops and cafes is not restricted. I already know about those hurdles, albeit this knowledge was gained in an awkward way (after an improper throwing out of an important card). This time, I am prepared: there is an electronic ticket on my smartphone, with a valid QR-code that works fine and allows me to get inside the station.
There are lots of platforms, but it is impossible to get lost. The main railway hall is straight, and the inner navigation is clear. Besides that, all the Thalys trains always depart from the same track, which is convenient. The right number to remember is 15a.
A moving staircase smoothly takes me up to the place of boarding. It is crowded with people who want to get to Paris (well, who doesn’t?). The train appears, stops and invites all of the fellow travelers to take their seats.
The vehicle I am about to ride has a red-and-white livery and a logotype with a face in profile (it is a bit of a quest to see it in this, but only for the first time). The character in this picture is commonly assumed to be female, and I am not going to argue that.
This train is not only good-looking, it is also capable of building up an impressive speed of 300 km/h. Before getting to the top of its possibilities, Thalys leaves Amsterdam in a slow manner. This allows a passenger to take a good look at charming canals, tiny boats and cute houses of the city.
I feel a bit sad about leaving this one-of-a-kind place. At the same time, I can’t wait to get to another distinctive city. And also I am excited to have the experience of being on the board of the renowned train. So, no more melancholic thoughts. Let’s have a bon voyage!
The 1st Class of Thalys
The interior of the Thalys 1st Class matches the outside appearance: the dominating colors here are also red and white. Someone would say that red is aggressive and pushy. In many cases I tend to agree, but not now: here, the color is used in a way which somehow creates a nice cozy feeling. The warmth of the tone, together with the softness of floor carpeting and chair upholstery, envelops me pleasantly.
As for the chairs, they definitely deserve a special mention. First of all, the seats are really huge (yet stylish!). Also, there is a lot of legroom — and every tall person knows how important this detail is. The back of the seat is comfortable and has a big built-in pillow. The armrests are cushy. And the textile is lovely, with a velure-like feeling. In other words, Thalys chairs get the solid second place in my personal rating, being surpassed only by the perfect ones in Snabbtåg.
Another feature that adds a considerable amount of enjoyment to this trip is free Wi-Fi. It has a traffic limit of 1000 MB, but that’s more than enough for the time you spend here. Especially if you do not have urgent business tasks and prefer to embrace the speed of the train more than the speed of the internet connection.
Some necessities are near every seat: a tiny personal trash bin, an electric socket and a footrest. There are also clothes hooks, located between wide windows — it’s a matter of chance whether your place is close to them or not. Mine is not, but I have more of an outside view instead, which is even better.
And here is even more of the good things! A simple pleasure of having a meal is included in the price of the ticket. You can choose from a number of options, including the vegetarian one. All the staff members who offer the food speak Dutch, French and English, as well as the conductor who performs a discreet ticket control.
The lunch is tasty. The coffee is good. By the time the train reaches Paris, I feel rested, refreshed, sated and overall satisfied. Isn’t this the perfect way to get to the destination point?
The route
Thalys makes it from Amsterdam Central Station to Paris Nord in a little more than three hours. It has only four intermediate stops — in Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels — each of them takes just about five minutes.
The train crosses two borders on its way, goes through the territory of Belgium and as a result covers a distance of approximately 500 kilometers. There are 10 departures from Amsterdam every day, starting from insanely early morning hours and finishing with the last ride at around 8 o’clock in the evening.
The landscape is plain, but apart from the lowland fields there are also a number of tunnels. In urban areas, you will meet a traditional fence — a constant companion of any high-speed railway. And if you have a weird addiction to wind turbines (which I share enthusiastically), you will love the scenery.
The terminal station is Gare du Nord, known to English speakers as Paris Nord. This place (hooray, a fun fact!) can be seen in a couple of movies about a former CIA agent, an amnesiac Jason Bourne. And for the useful information: the station is connected to Paris Métro, the subway system of a special charm and decent convenience, so although you can’t see the Eiffel Tower from here, you can easily get to it.
Places to stay
Having such an effective way to travel between the two of European capitals, it is reasonable to spend time in both of them and do some exploration and sightseeing. That is why I would like to briefly introduce to you a couple of hotels, which I happened to use.
Pension Homeland, Amsterdam
Formerly a stay for marine officers, now it is a small hotel with a vintage mood, friendly atmosphere and amusing interior.
There is an additional feature of great value — this place is also a brewery! They do not sell their beers in bottles or cans, but there is a bar on the ground floor where the fresh local beverages are available on taps (yummy!).
It is 25 minutes of walking from here to the central station, but you can save a couple of minutes by taking a shortcut in Amsterdam style. Just use those wooden catwalks on water!
Find cheap hotels in Amsterdam
Citizen M, Paris
A big modern hotel from the international chain, perfectly located in close proximity to Gare de Lyon, one of the biggest railway stations of Paris. The rooms here are comfortable and playfully classy.
This hotel is obviously targeted on young, active travelers — which affects the design and the communicative approach, but only in a positive way.
Related links
Have I already recommended the Amsterdam—Paris trip by Thalys? Right. It is highly recommended. So, I won’t bother you any longer and just give a couple of useful links. To book a ticket: one, two. Merci pour votre attention, dear readers of the rail.cc blog!
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