Quick question about booking train from AMS on Thalys web site

[Turtles06]

I'm going to be booking tickets for the Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris, and I know that the earliest I can do this on the Thalys web site is four months before the travel date.  But what isn't stated on the web site, and what I haven't been able to find out from using the web site's "contact us" feature, is the following:  what time of the day (local time in Amsterdam) does the web site "open" for bookings for that date four months out?    Put another way: if we want to book tickets for April 23, 2020, at what time in Amsterdam on December 23, 2020 will we be able to book those tickets on the Thalys site?    Midnight? [that doesn't seem to be the case]  7am? 8am?  Some other time? 

 

I'm in the U.S., so I imagine I'll need to do this sometime in the middle of the night my time.  I have no problem with that, but I have no idea what time that will be, which is why I'd appreciate any information as to when (what time in Amsterdam) the Thalys web site "opens" for bookings for a specific date in the future that is four months out.

 

Thanks for any help!

[princeton123211]

On 12/13/2019 at 10:39 PM, Turtles06 said:

I'm in the U.S., so I imagine I'll need to do this sometime in the middle of the night my time.  I have no problem with that, but I have no idea what time that will be, which is why I'd appreciate any information as to when (what time in Amsterdam) the Thalys web site "opens" for bookings for a specific date in the future that is four months out.

I've booked this train a few times. It won't make a difference from a price standpoint if you book it the moment that it can be booked on the 23rd or later that day. 

[Turtles06]

35 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

I've booked this train a few times. It won't make a difference from a price standpoint if you book it the moment that it can be booked on the 23rd or later that day. 

 

Thank you!   I was more concerned about being able to get the seats than the price.  I think 8 AM local time seems to be the time the web site "opens," but we'll see.  

[gnome12]

34 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Thank you!   I was more concerned about being able to get the seats than the price.  I think 8 AM local time seems to be the time the web site "opens," but we'll see.  

I wouldn't worry. This isn't like trying to get the only 2 business class seats available for points redemption on a plane; this is a whole train. However, the pricing does increase over time so you want to purchase fairly soon after the train opens if you are sure of your date and time.

[MAVIP]

It is open for bookings 7 days/week en 24 hrs/day.  If you try to reserve 4 months before the date of travel, and booking is not possible at that very moment, you can already open a file at the chat service of the Smart Assistant.  Because sometimes the booking possibility opens 3 instead of 4 months ahead.  I hope I am clear enough? 

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, MAVIP said:

It is open for bookings 7 days/week en 24 hrs/day.  If you try to reserve 4 months before the date of travel, and booking is not possible at that very moment, you can already open a file at the chat service of the Smart Assistant.  Because sometimes the booking possibility opens 3 instead of 4 months ahead.  I hope I am clear enough? 

Thank you.  The web site is always “open,” but the ability to book for a specific date that is four months in the future does not begin at midnight in the Netherlands.  It begins at some time later in the day than that, and I was just asking if anyone knew what that time was.  I appreciate your help.  

[Turtles06]

Thanks again to everyone who has replied here.  As it happens, some insomnia and mock bookings have revealed the answer I was looking for:  the Thalys web site will “open” for a booking for a specific date four months in the future at 6:00 AM in the Netherlands on the date that is four months before the date you want to book.  If anyone ever does a search here for the same information, I hope they find this thread. 😃

 

Again, thanks to all.

[MAVIP]

30 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Thank you.  The web site is always “open,” but the ability to book for a specific date that is four months in the future does not begin at midnight in the Netherlands.  It begins at some time later in the day than that, and I was just asking if anyone knew what that time was.  I appreciate your help.  

I just asked the Dutch office for their answer. Please be aware that special promotions etc. can cause 1 month "delay". I will come back as soon as I have the official answer.

Edited December 17, 2019 by MAVIP
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[Turtles06]

1 minute ago, MAVIP said:

I just asked the Dutch office for their answer. Please be aware that special promotions etc. can cause 1 month "delay". I will come back as soon as I have the oficial answer.

 

Thanks but no need!  I have learned the answer -- it's 6:00 AM and I posted it in my comment number 7 above.  You are very kind to have asked for an answer, and I really appreciate your effort to help!   I love Cruise Critic for these reasons.

[Turtles06]

19 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I wouldn't worry. This isn't like trying to get the only 2 business class seats available for points redemption on a plane; this is a whole train. However, the pricing does increase over time so you want to purchase fairly soon after the train opens if you are sure of your date and time.

 

This made me smile, as I have been in that position in the middle of the night of trying to use frequent flyer miles to get business class seats on a flight halfway around the world, when it really mattered to have those seats.   And the airline did not "open" the flight for booking at a specific time, but rather over the course of several hours during the wee hours of the night.

 

I'll add this in case anyone else is looking for similar information:  it really isn't the "whole train."  As on many planes, there are three classes of tickets on the Thalys train -- standard (the seats are narrower, with two rows of two seats each in the rail cars), comfort (wider seats, the cars are 1 x 2), and premium (same seats as comfort, with some services added in, and much more expensive than "comfort").  Naturally, the prices for each class are different.  We are looking for "comfort" class, and the Thalys site says that, on weekdays, only 1 of the 8 cars is a "comfort" class car.   

[MAVIP]

Excuse me for continuing my answer. I just received the reply of the Belgian Thalys Office: If f.e. you wish to book for April 2nd a Thalys train leaving at 14.00 hrs, you can book from January 2nd 14.00 hrs. If the train leaves at 18.00 hrs it will be January 2nd 18.00 hrs. And so on for all different times of departure.  It is still a long time before your trip, but I wish you a happy stay in our country and in Paris.

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

We are looking for "comfort" class, and the Thalys site says that, on weekdays, only 1 of the 8 cars is a "comfort" class car.   

True, but it is still 1 full car, not 2 seats. 😊

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, MAVIP said:

Excuse me for continuing my answer. I just received the reply of the Belgian Thalys Office: If f.e. you wish to book for April 2nd a Thalys train leaving at 14.00 hrs, you can book from January 2nd 14.00 hrs. If the train leaves at 18.00 hrs it will be January 2nd 18.00 hrs. And so on for all different times of departure.

 

Thank you, you are incredibly kind to have pursued this for me.  The information you received is similar to what the Thalys people sent me through their "contact us" feature a while ago.  Unfortunately, it's just not correct, as I found out myself on various days when I happened to be awake during the middle of my own night and did some mock bookings.   

 

Last night, by chance, I found the answer, which I noted in my earlier post is 6AM for all trains.  I happened to be awake and on line just before 06.00 hours (6:00 AM) in the Netherlands, and you could not purchase any tickets at all for any train from AMS to Paris on April 17, 2020 (four months in the future).  But just after 6.00 hours (6:00 AM), the web site allowed booking for all trains on April 17, 2020, no matter the time.     

 

2 hours ago, MAVIP said:

It is still a long time before your trip, but I wish you a happy stay in our country and in Paris.

 

Thank you so much!  We have been to Paris before, but this will be our first visit to your country, and we are very excited about it! 

 

My next on line ticket booking will be for the Anne Frank House, which explains on its web site that it releases 80% of its tickets on line two months in advance, at 12PM your time.  So at least I know when to be awake and at my computer, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to get those tickets!

 

Huge thanks again for your kind help, and I wish you a very happy holiday season! 

 

 

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

My next on line ticket booking will be for the Anne Frank House, which explains on its web site that it releases 80% of its tickets on line two months in advance, at 12PM your time.  So at least I know when to be awake and at my computer, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to get those tickets!

 

The Ann Frank House tickets DO sell out quickly, so this one you need to know.

[Turtles06]

25 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

The Ann Frank House tickets DO sell out quickly, so this one you need to know.

 

Yes, thanks. I know.  Much appreciated! 

 

Happy holidays!