Amsterdam to Paris

Hi travelers,

Can someone please guide me on how to get from Amsterdam to Paris? Im staying at a hotel in Montparnasse and I know there is a station there (Gare de Montparnasse) but I%26#39;m not quite sure how to get there? What form of transportation do I take? Thalys train? Eurorail? TGV? This is my first trip to Europe so I am completely unused to taking the rail (Im from California :P Which station should I take and which rail? Im on this website:

raileurope.com/train-faq/…index.html

But it keeps sending me to Paris Nord station, not Montparnasse! I would appreciate anyone%26#39;s help. Thanks!

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Train travel is different than airports. You have to go in the direction of the tracks. thus to get north, you head to the Gare du Nord to get to Northern countries (England, Belgium, Netherlands). Montparnasse station serves south and southwest destinations (Bordeaux). Your hotel should have access to buses and metro which can get you to Gare du Nord. www.ratp.fr for all public transportation within Paris.

Thalys is a nice way to travel to Amsterdam. Try going directly to thalys.com.

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There are six major train stations in Paris - all are terminus stations. The trains to and from the North (Belgium, UK, Netherlands) all leave from/arrive at the Gare du Nord. The gare de Montparnasse is for trains to and from the west and south-west of France.

So if you arrive from Amsterdam by train, you will always arrive at the Gare du Nord (unless you take an enormous detour). From there, you can take the metro (or RER, the train that connects the suburbs to Paris) to your destination in Paris (or to another train station if you%26#39;re only passing through).

The fast speed train to/from Belgium and the Netherlands (also some German cities) is called Thalys. Reservations are required, ticket sales start 90 days in advance. Ticket prices vary according to availability and conditions of sale - the cheapest tickets are non-refundable and cannot be changed, more expensive tickets offer more flexibility in case you have a change of plans.

www.thalys.com

The Thalys website links you through to the RailEurope website if you%26#39;re trying to order from the US - but the RailEurope prices are significantly higher. I think the trick is to order the tickets via the Thalys site, and pick them up after your arrival in Europe (instead of having them sent to your home by RailEurope). Do a search on this forum for more detailed hints.

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The train from Amsterdam is going to take you to the Gare du Nord station. Thalys train direct from Amsterdam to Paris: I will be taking the same ride in October but from Paris to Amsterdam. The ride is between 4-5 hours and you will take the train from the Amsterdam Centraal Station to Gare du Nord in Paris. And I would book directly with Thalys and not raileurope which is awfully confusing, and I find th tickets less expensive.

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Wonderful info. Thank you all so much!