On 23 May 2006 02:24:15 -0700, "Neil Williams"
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

I'm sure there is but try finding it. Rail Europe's site is singularly
unhelpful - it quoted me a fare of almost £500 for a First Class return
to Amsterdam as apparently only business fares are available. I know
this to be incorrect but there are no options for a first class leisure
fare.

Try booking it in 2 bits, the E* via their site and Thalys via theirs
(or DB). You can always check availability first.

Well yes - the question still remains as to why I should go through all
this nonsense. There either is a through ticket or there is not. Bring
back BR International at Victoria. The service might have been slow but
at least it worked and the people behind the desk knew what they were
selling.

The other issue is that you can get to Brussels but Thalys is often full
and it is impossible (IME) to get a ticket covering the slower service
to Amsterdam via Eurostar's site.

Buy that on the day at Midi if you need to. Reservations are not
required, and IMX, except in the height of summer, they're not even
helpful - the Benelux-Treinen are pretty long, traditional LHCS trains.

Do you mean half full? I have used these a number of years ago and would
agree that it's a decent if somewhat slow service.

As with the Oostende-Koeln D-Zug (though the ICE is still there and is
a good choice, as is the local service), it'll be a sad day when these
are Thalys-ed when the HSL Zuid opens.

If HSL Zuid ever opens. It is extremely depressing reading about the
mess that Dutch Railways and railway policy in the Netherlands seems to
have become. They seem to be hell bent on copying the absolute worst
aspects of UK policy and project delivery. The Dutch government are
also being "done over" by the private sector when it comes to the
operational concepts for HSL Zuid and also the Betuwe freight line.

I'd much rather do the journey by train but the whole system is so
unfriendly that I won't put myself through the needless complexity. The
only people who lose are Eurostar, Dutch Railways and the tourist
industry in Holland - I'll go on holiday somewhere else.

I do agree with that.

And what a shame given that it's a great country with good, friendly
people (IME).
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!