Thalys Review! France to the Netherlands by High Speed Train!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- A trip aboard a Thalys high speed service from Paris to Rotterdam in 2nd class.
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Date of Travel: 28 July 2020
Class of Travel: 2nd Class
Rolling Stock: PBA/PBKA
Cost of Ticket: €55 (£50.10, $64.96)
Origin: Paris Gare du Nord
Destination: Rotterdam Centraal
*Currency conversions correct as of 16/09/2020
Menu: www.thalys.com...
If you noticed some parts of the video sounded a bit "off" this is due to a camera fault. New equipment has now been bought although a few of my upcoming videos may also sound a bit strange. Apologies for this.
its all good
No worries don't worry
The picture is more worth than the sound!!
^ agreed! no worries, still an awesome video like always :)
I'm confused...you didn't have to go through security check where they scan your bags/body?
Passing by a motorway on a bullet train is so satisfying.
Exactly
100% agreed
Everything's satisfying now a days huh?
Such warm feelings about this train. Taking my wife to Paris for a romantic weekend. Taking her and my son to Disneyland years later. All that good stuff. The sort of experience a plane journey could never provide in my opinion. Hard to describe, but even just watching this brings up that warm fuzzy feeling again.
@Jhon Krasnovskiy forever single lol
Really What a beautiful trains in Europe....
I thought only automobiles are look attractive but after watching European trains i really fall in love with trains....
Rightly said bro. These trains are amazing 👌👌👌
Not only cars and trains, but also the people are very attractive. Disclaimer: I'm from Europe, so I might be slightly biassed.
@@SeverityOne Europeans are more attractive then Americans
@@shukracharya_ As a European myself, I couldn't agree more. 😁 (Leaving open the possibility that I might be slightly biassed.)
@John Saunders and fatty
Hi Dylan ! Nice video as usual...
Thank you for sharing. :-)
I know the Gare du Nord very well, because I live in the suburbs and I pass by this station almost every day... I remember our trip to Poland, in 2014, first we took the "Thalys" from Gare du Nord (1st class confort, with yummy snacks and red wine), after we changed the train at Köln Hauptbanhoff and finally took the night sleeper train "Euro Night" Jan Kiepura and we traveled to Poznań... It was a very pleasant journey...
Thanks! Sounds like a good trip!
@@DylansTravelReports Oh yes it was a pleasant trip for for those who like to travel by train... rail.cc/en/train/paris-to-warsaw
@@DylansTravelReports could you do a review of first class on this train?
I’ve travelled standard on Thalys from Brussels to Rotterdam and Amsterdam a couple of times it’s a pleasant journey if not too crowded.
It's a great train and journey. The Thalys only feels a little narrow if you carry a suitcase.
Thank you.. hope you loved my France
I was only a train passenger one time in my life. It was a trip from Detroit Michigan to boot camp just north of Chicago, Illinois back in 1968. I really enjoyed the trip and since the US Gov't paid for my ticket, the price was right! Now, I enjoy traveling with you, from the comfort of my computer. Thank you, my friend.
Ah yes, I imagine that is the best price! Glad you're enjoying the videos 😁
Last time I went on a Thalys was back in January. I sat down, and promptly fell asleep for the entire Brussels-Cologne trip! Such a comfortable train.
16:04 Just think: that's 16 coaches and 4 locomotives in under 3 seconds. I remember being quite surprised about how spectacular that was when I was a first-timer on Eurostar. :-) Nice job on catching that train zapping by the window!
Speaking of the window, you've picked a good seat too, that time!
I rode Thalys from Aachen to Paris in early 2000; the upholstery and cabin trim looked in slightly better shape back then.
I did Rotterdam to Brussels couple of years ago on thalys, fantastic trains, better than all the UK trains, such a comfy ride
Very nice video again Dylan, this time through my country Belgium.
I've traveled on Thalys several times over three different journeys in France. Always found it to be a comfortable, nice ride. Some lovely scenery on your route and it looked like a nice day in Rotterdam.
Thanks for the video, Dylan. Stay safe and see you on Monday!
Love Thalys and the service thay give. Train is by far the most comfortable highspeed trains I have experienced. Especially the first class service with fantastic food and snacks.
How about Asian hs train? Have you tried them?
IMO taking the Thalys is the best way to get to Disneyland from the Netherlands or Belgium, the direct trains leave Rotterdam at 8:00, getting you at the park gate by 12:00, so you have plenty of time to check in and visit the park. It's an hour shorter than taking the trip by car.
If you need to get somewhere in a hurry on a very colorful train this is the one for you. I love the color of the seats and the livery on this one.. I get a bit tired of the old Amtrak blue LOL. Nice review as always.
@Jhon Krasnovskiy oh I am definitely blessed to be able to travel at all I know this. I don't need a reason to travel, a lot of times I just looked at a picture of a place and if it looks good I try to go there.
55 € for Thalys to Rotterdam is an excellent price. Their trains look incredible although I haven't been on them yet! Excellent video as always :)
Nice report! Ride the New Jersey Transit/Metro north Port Jervis line from Hoboken, NJ to Port Jervis, NY. It is a long 2 hour ride with lots of great scenery. The town of Port Jervis is nice as well
Antwerp station looks very nice from brief glimpse Dylan. It does make sense to integrate Thalys into Eurostar and reduce the need to have a competing Eurostar through to Amsterdam if that is what they are trying to stop for cost reasons.
Antwerp station is the cathedral of European stations.
Excellent, not expensive compared to UK train travel
Use TrainPal
Out of all of the train stations I traveled through in Europe and the UK, I cared the least for Paris. In this video it seemed orderly but I’m sure the Covid lockdowns may have had something to do with it, but when I was there, in July of 2018, it was pure and maddening chaos (which set the tone for my overall impression of Paris in general). I found more order in NYC than Paris and that’s really saying something.
Pleasant, speedy ride! I love the look of the Gare du Nord station-gracious architecture, lots of light and space. Thanks for another great video. 🍂🍁
..I do love seeing the vibrant atmosphere at European train terminals...I visited my sister, Sue during a sabbatical she had in St. Etienne, south of Lyon; and was lucky to travel from Paris to Lyon aboard the SNCF TGV ( Train Gran Vitesse)...an awesome experience...dedicated foodie Parisians on board just to have dinner at their favorite Lyonnaise restaurant...AND the fact that les chiens ( digs) are welcome to travel...the French adore their pets..
Merci, Dylan pour le video fantastique!!
De rien 😁
@Jhon Krasnovskiy ...is that "Jhon" ..really, Mr. Snarky McSnark...not all who appreciate France are snobs...you must be a mighty unhappy turd who just likes to spread it around...Merde!
The Thalys PBKA is still one of my favorite trainsets, I believe beautiful, and one I'd love to experience one day...
Took Thalys back in 2000 and 2003 - absolutely amazing experience (except it drops its speed when riding through Brussels/ Belgium).
You seem to have paid a steeper fare, mine was less than 30 Euros, I remember.
I've done Brussels to Cologne 4 times on Thalys. Timing was generally good except once when they had point problems at Aachen. The first time was before they had built the high speed line between Brussels & Aachen. Slower but more Scenic, especially after Liege and we lost WiFi access on crossing into Germany. Good, comfortable trains, though as you said. 55 Euros Paris to Rotterdam is much better value than journeys of similar distance here in UK.
I just travelled thalys in 2016 such a great memory still in my head
It was really cool seeing the train pass by an area I know
Hi Dylan, thanks for another great video. I really enjoy watching them after I get home from work. Very relaxing.
Glad you like them!
Thanks, Dylan! Oh dear, I know the RER D and also the A (Disneyland) very well. A part of A and B is managed by the RATP, the other parts and the other RERs by the SNCF. Very nice vision of the double TGV, I know these trains by heart. On the other hand, I never imagined the high-speed line so long, I used to take from Marseille to Paris or Marseille to Disneyland and / or Roissy. You showed the train very well, I would have a lot to say. For information, on some TGVs, they still closed the bar. Again, everything is very well explained. And you do a remarkable job and we have fun. A huge bravo to you!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed 😁
Did this two years ago. Surprisingly bumpy ride
Another great video, as to why there are seemingly "empty" cars, when I was commuting to and from work in Boston Ma. the conductors would put most of the riders in the same car during off peak hours in order not to have to go all the way through the train just to punch a couple of tickets. I don't know if this the case in Europe.
@Jhon Krasnovskiy I agree, but then again when I was commuting, they still had steam locomotives LOL!
Nicely done, Dylan and thanks for providing the menu link. We did the PBA in both directions but in separate years, in the early nineties. It was the most luxurious train I'd ever been on at that point! The meal service was also very good; a definite upgrade to the 2nd class menu.
7:20
I doubt if you don't know by now😜, but it's intended to keep items in place during corners, braking, accelerating, and whatever else creates (sudden) movements. Best example being beverages, for which they once were invented! (they've been in Dutch intercities for quite some time now)
Would make sense! Cheers!
@@DylansTravelReports Cheers!
That's a first for me! Seeing a Double decker Train underground! I wonder if London will ever think of that given how busy their Underground is. I know they and I believe Glasgow will be having driverless Trains.
Dylan the distance from Paris to Brussels is about 320 km,and from there another about 120 km to Rotterdam,but a great video as always.
Huh, I thought I'd removed that part 😅 Thanks!
@12:03 It looks like this camera doesn't have the rolling shutter problem that your other camera had. With that one the poles looked curved when you were going at high speed.
It does pay off to keep track of special offers that can be had for trips with a Thalys train. You can get a single trip to and or from Paris for as litte as 25 euro if you watch advertisements regularly and book well in advance
Signage: 1
Dylan: 0
Also
Southern rail: 20 minute delay? That’s rookie numbers
😂
In the Netherlands this would likely lead to egging trains.
I they bunch reservations up , sometimes you get it in uk, once I was sat next to someone with seat reservation, while rest of coach was empty. I moved to get more space
I thoroughly enjoyed your review. I'm a huge fan of all the TGV types including the Thalys variants. For the journey time, the fare was good value in my view, and 1st Class can be obtained for a very reasonable increase, and that gives much better seat spacing too !
Glad you enjoyed 😁
Thanks Dylan, very informative as always. Stay safe and I look foward to your next vlog
Glad you enjoyed.
I’m currently in gare du nord and since I came an hour earlier, I’ll be watching this. Will also go to Amsterdam!
Thank you, love train travel, love Europe!
I can confirm that the seat pitch is very tight on these trains, particularly if you have a 36" inside leg length. I was on a rush hour train between Bruxelles Midi and Amsterdam.
The view outside the window was incredible, going up onto bridges and the diving straight into tunnels under lakes, rivers and canals, and racing the motorway traffic (a one way contest of course.)
The speed we were going, on the down slopes it felt like the train was trying to take off! One thing you will never notice: the switch between the three voltage systems as the trains go through each country or enter/leave the HS lines (like the motorways/airways but on rails.) The only clues would be the speeds HS Lines vs national rail lines, and the overhead catenary. For some reason, the older Belgian stanchions look quite artistic.
Having done this trip many times, Paris-AMS, and vice versa all I can say is Thalys is OK. Cars are a bit worn at the elbows, they are generally on time, and that the Welcome Bar is closed is a blessing. In best French style you are expected to drink hot coffee, standing, at 200kph. Uncomfortable, at best. And the stretch in Belgium between Brussels and Antwerp has been under construction for years and proceeds at a Belgian bureaucrats pace, like the train. If you book 2-3 months in advance you can travel for 35 euros- a nice bargain.
On a note regarding the price, 55 EUR one way is probably one of the cheaper fares. We looked at booking a one way Thalys from Paris to Amsterdam for two of us, and the price was over 200 EUR. There are maybe one to two trains per day that are "off peak" where you can get fares that low. Thalys is definitely on the pricier side for trains, but still cheaper, more convenient, more comfortable, and probably quicker from door to door than flying.
Hello Dylan! I just stumbled upon this video. Nice coverage! I liked it...I have subscribed. Take care! :)
Thanks 😁
Brilliant video, love the speed at which the train travels at and how smooth it is 👌
Thanks!
Wonderful Compilation. Thoroughly Enjoyed
Very nice high speed ride; train looks a little worn but still ok. The menu looks alright but if those prices are euros, it's pretty steep in my money (Canadian). Meeting that passing train at speed reminds me of the Shinkansen, same rush ! I noticed that the doors are slow to open, it seems all the trains and buses with these outwardly opening doors are very slow and worse in winter. Good report Dylan. I still like those Koplopers !
Hi Dylan I like the train and that is double decker!!! I like that.to bad there no cafe car on the train . Excellent video!!! See you next Monday!!!
Good one Sir enjoyed a lot.my cousin stays at lille.
You can get quite cheap tickets on Thalys if you book well in advance. You also need to be absolutely sure what time you want to travel because the cheap tickets give no flexibility - it's the train booked or none!
A correction : The distance Paris Rotterdam is about 450km and not as stated by you 370km
Ah yes, I thought I'd gone back and removed that part 😅
Thanks for an another fun filling video Dylan ! Keep it up !
Thanks! Will do 😁
Cheers Dylan. Brilliant video! I fancy every video you produce! :)
Thanks!
Im happy to see everyone masking up. Ya no however it has to be done. No snacks boo boo not happy. Great video
Why are you happy to see everyone masking up, do you think governmental conformity is to benefit us all as was the case in Soviet Russia?
you filmed my house you could (almost) see me standing there
From 12:45
Most beautiful / impressive view, I love it to enter Brussels-South (Zuid/Midi) , it's really massive.
might be able to try this in june next year if this pandemic is over by then
its the first on my list
Keep up the fine work laddie
Your videos are good material and help me with my business trips across Europe
Well done, will be trying that
great video on thalys between paris and rotterdam i reallly like the red based interior on there trains looks really comfortable
Thanks!
@@DylansTravelReports no problem
Compliments on yet another nice, informative video Dylan! Too bad your "running gag" stopped running... ;-)
Unfortunately, I had a poor experience on one trip with Thalys. My girlfriend and I travelled from Amsterdam to Paris for a long weekend on the Thalys service in First Class. On the outward trip, we were given seats very close to the locomotive. They were side facing seats rather than forward or reverse facing, and arranged, if I recall correctly, 4 each side facing each other, with armrests between each seat. It was not only uncomfortable, but with the seatbacks so high, there were no windows to look out of. When the meal arrived, it was served onto tray tables that came out of the armrests, and the seats were not that wide either. An absolutely disgraceful way to treat passengers who've paid for a premium service, although we did get allocated normal seats in the 2+1 area on the return. It was a few years ago (2002/3) so I hope they've improved since then.
(9:55) Like locomotives and the multiple units themselves, wagons have schedule schedules. Even if a train is minimally occupied, the entire train will be needed again for the next mission. Until the train finally returns to its first mission (e.g. Paris Gare de Nord) where the mission begins again for a new cycle. - Cheers, Heinz
Another great trip report
Thanks!
Thalys, one of my favourite TGV.
I lived in Paris for a number of years and never got to take the Thalys. I guess I just didn't go anywhere! :-)
Another very nice and informative video
Thanks!
I think Josh Cahill did a review of the Thalys few weeks back and he mentioned the ticket pricing is a big scam.
Though the interiors of the train seem fine but nothing like a wow experience.
Yeah Thalys has a bit of a punctuality issue. I go by Rotterdam Centraal daily and it's delayed around 80% of the time.
Let me guess...........the Dutch blame SNCF.....the French blame Dutch Railways.......and both blame Belgian Railways!
Great trip here! Did I see a guy swap seats so he could open the door for you? Prices still reasonable for that length of journey, (and comfort) compared with many UK ticket prices. The Gare du Nord is a Paris icon and much better now than when I used to use it when I worked in France some years ago.
Wonderful video of Paris to the Netherlands most people had their masks on l always wondered why some parts of train lots of people and other parts hardly any people lol high speed rail beats driving on roads.
Thank you for the video
In Russia, if a train delay happens, it's always announced "Dear passengers, the train number XXX destined to YYY is delayed NN minutes by technical reason. We apologize for the inconvenience". It's a shame that no announcement was made on the boarding time.
There probably was some sort of announcement but there was too much noise at Gare du Nord to hear it.
Good video this👍🏽
Currently trying to emulate this loco on train sim world 2 using an ICE3 403 lol
Thanks!
@@DylansTravelReports i did it.
What class is this one called with the rounded front?
And what is the tgv looking one called?
Tbh lol both classes look like they are used on tgv services lol, ive been on one or two types of tgv but not the thalys.
Nice video! You should really check out Antwerp Central Station, it's gorgeous!!
Thanks! A lot have said Antwerp Centraal is really nice so maybe I will at some point.
I miss Paris so much!!
legroom is a huge problem. The biggest reason for me to ride a train is the extra space, with legroom that bad I would just take a plane. There have to be seats with more legroom!
I`m no expert, but I think the strap is to contain very small naught children from running about and causing chaos !! .... Only kidding.
Maybe the strap is to secure drink containers? The fold down metal bracket to secure your laptop, note book or phone?
Exceptional video Dylan.
Thanks!
I think it's to hold magazines and newspapers upright if you put them in the pocket. So they don't flop over.
Dylan, nice video! I do love the Thalys. One question. I know the UK is leavingthe EU... But could you also show us the the speed in km/h???😁
Unfortunately the app only displays in MPH for me but I do try and convert all speeds in the captions.
Great.
I like the ride !!!
Another great video !!
Thanks!
I wish that GO Transit here in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) was like RER, instead of the overbig and polluting diesel monstrosity-based commuter train system we have now.
Enjoyable and informative as always! Curious if your next video will be a ferry from the Netherlands, back to the UK.
I've already released the video of the ferry th-cam.com/video/cF0t1aQrXuQ/w-d-xo.html
@@DylansTravelReports thanks!
If you think that the legroom in a Thalys is bad, try the TGV in the direction of Bordeaux. I think it was an Atlantique at the time, in 1999. I'm 1.85m (Dutch, obviously) and the friend I travelled with is slightly taller than I. The legroom in the Thalys was OK, but the next leg to Bordeaux... no. We simply couldn't fit.
As for the cars, because trains drive on the left in France, the bit between Lille and Paris is much more fun in the opposite direction. You see the cars on the motorway and it looks like they're standing still, but because they still have different speeds to one another, it looks like they do a sort of moonwalk. Also fun: driving on the motorway (Péage) at around 140 km/h, and then a train overtakes you.
Finally, €55 being expensive... compared to what? I noticed that you used "expensive" as well for the Nightjet, but you don't provide a reference. There's a difference between "a lot of money" and "expensive". €50,000 is a lot of money, but not expensive for a Ferrari 250 GTO in mint condition, for example.
For example, a similar length journey on an SNCF TGV would likely only set you back in the region of €30-40 in 2nd class. That said, booking ahead will always save you a bit of money.
Hello Dylan. I enjoyed your review. You asked about why train operators bunched people up in cars? It is strange now especially with covid. I believe it may be to make things easier for the conductors. Just my opin. Cheers.
Glad you enjoyed! Cheers for your opinion 😁
Great french social distance on RER when people get on off
10:29 That guy don't have a ticket and also the guy looking over his schoulder. You can notice right away.
nobody likes smart asses like you!
Hi Dylan, i enjoy all your videos, pls shoot video in swiss gotthard express..none done by anybody. Cheers - Arun
Hopefully will do some day 😁
RER metro train looks a lot like a double decker bus in England.. except this is on metro rails!! Interesting!!
Nice train 👍
5:03 The POS and PBKA have, though they look similar, nothing in common. The PBKA has a newly built power car based on the duplex power cars with Resseau style passenger cars and the POS has a renovated duplex power car with renovated Resseau passenger cars. The resseau power cars of the POS sets went to the duplex passenger cars.
PBKA and POS are basically exactly the same just PBKA were purpose built (coaches were not ex-Réseau) where as (as you said) POS are Duplex locos with Réseau passenger cars.
@@DylansTravelReports I said "Reseau style passenger cars"
Hey, i missed some info of how far the seats recline, how smooth and quiet the ride was and how good the HVAC of the train worked. Also can you do a Dylans fafourite economy, first, sleeper, scenic, etc. vids?
This train reminds me of KTX I in South korea, Red version
Hi, I really like your videos!
I am wondering, if there are 2 train units, how to know in which train my seat is located? Do those 2 trains have different car numbers so they dont overlap?