Thalys train ticket to Amsterdam

I am planning on buying a one way Thalys train ticket to Amsterdam. If I get the printout tickets, it is pretty easy? I just go to one of those machines at the station and it prints my ticket right?

If I get lost or confused, it there a person available to help me answer my questions at the train station?

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And yes, I am leaving from Paris as the departure.

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You should print the ticket on your computer at home (and in all cases, choose %26quot;delivery in France%26quot; as your option because otherwise it will send you to the Eurail site, which typically is much more expensive). Use the SNCF web site (English language option) to do this. Don%26#39;t worry that it says to use European size paper - it just means business letter size, and people from the US routinely use standard 8x11 with no problem.

If you try to pick up the tickets from a machine at a station, it won%26#39;t work because credit cards from the US don%26#39;t have the right electronic information and the machines won%26#39;t recognize them (I tried to do this last May). What you can do, if you prefer not to print your own, is to reserve and pay on line, then print out the confirmation information and take that, plus the SAME credit card you used for payment - very important - to a ticket agent in the station and get a ticket printed at the station before you leave. (If you do that, you will need to validate it - if you print your own on your computer, you won%26#39;t.)

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You can only %26#39;print your own%26#39; if you buy discounted tickets, and only round-trip tickets are discounted. However, they are often discounted to well below the cost of the one-way (full) fare, so you can do that and use a %26#39;fake%26#39; return date. You just don%26#39;t have to actually use the return ticket. The lowest fare is called %26quot;Smilys%26quot;.

If you don%26#39;t find those fares, you can choose to pick up your ticket at any SNCF ticket office. You must show them the email confirmation +and+ the same credit card you paid with.

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if you are going to be in Paris for some time before the trip, you can just get the tickets at any travel agency -- they do sell out close to the date sometimes, so you do need a few days advance time if you do it this way

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Thanks. I think that%26#39;s what I%26#39;ll do. I%26#39;m going to see a travel agent and purchase.

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I%26#39;m still trying to organise a get-together with a group of friends (always difficult to find a time which suits everyone) so still don%26#39;t know whether I%26#39;m going to Brussels on Friday or Saturday.

I%26#39;ve got no means of printing out a ticket. Well I suppose I could make it into a pdf, put it on my memory stick, and ask the hotel if they can print it - but short of that what can I do?

I hadn%26#39;t really given this much thought!

I do have a credit card with a chip in it.

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What I meant to say is I can%26#39;t print the email confirmation - not the ticket (which won%26#39;t apply, obviously).

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Kiwi-di: it might be just as easy, since you%26#39;re in France, to just go to a station as soon as you know your dates and deal directly with a ticket agent (just use the internet to try to figure out in advance what your options might be). I%26#39;m not sure you need the printed confirmation when you order and pay on line but have the ticket agent print - I took the printed confirmation because my French is not great and I figured (correctly) that it would be easier than trying to have someone look it up if there was a problem. Most likely, the confirmation number would be enough (but, since you won%26#39;t be getting much of a discount if you book so close to departure, no reason not to use an agent.)

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