Book your Thalys train tickets

On account of specific check-in procedures and stricter customs controls, Eurostar passengers need to be at Eurostar check-in at least 30 minutes before departure (at all Eurostar stations).

Thalys passengers travelling from Paris Nord (Paris) and Lille Europe (Lille) need to be at the station 20 minutes before departure, due to stricter security measures at French Thalys stations.

Furthermore, non-systematic and non-permanent security checks will be introduced in the train stations of Brussels-Midi, Antwerp-Central and Liège-Guillemins for Thalys, TGV^® and ICE passengers as from July 2017. Taking into account that you may be subject to these security checks, we ask you to foresee a safe time margin and make your way to the platform sufficiently on time.

At other stations, allow yourself enough time to find your way around the station (this varies greatly from one station to another) and to catch your train with complete peace of mind. Generally, we recommend being on the platform around 5 minutes before departure of the train.

For most high-speed trains (notably Thalys, Eurostar, TGV^®, TGV Lyria and ICE), the cheapest fares are available in limited quantities. So to benefit from the best prices, we suggest you avoid peak times and book your journey as far ahead as possible.

To help you find the lowest prices on the main Thalys and Eurostar services, we can offer you a clever fare calendar: at a glance, you can see all trains with seats at the lowest prices over a period of several months.

In some circumstances, it can be more cost-effective to travel as a group, as some rail companies offer fares which are exclusively available to small groups of 3-5 passengers. Examples include the Thalys "Mini Group" fare or the "Pack Tribu" fare from TGV^®.

Finally, many railway operators regularly run temporary offers on fares, offering passengers good deals on rail travel. To ensure you don't miss out on these offers, we recommend you visit our website or Facebook page regularly, or sign up for our newsletter.

Check our fare calendar for Thalys and Eurostar >

The booking period can vary from one type of train to another. The main international trains at a glance:

• Eurostar, ÖBB Nightjet, ICE, IC-Bus and other Deutsche Bahn trains: booking possible 6 months before travel.

• Thalys, TGV Lyria, Nightjet, Thello and Trenitalia trains: booking possible 4 months before travel.
  Exception for Thalys seasonal services: for Thalys Snow to the French Alps, booking possible from the end of the summer for the whole ski season. For Thalys Sun to the south of France, booking possible from the end of the winter for the whole summer season (date to be specified each year).

• TGV^®: booking possible 3 months before travel.
  Exception: TGV^® early bird sale for travel in winter periods (Christmas and ski season) and summer periods (July and August). For these periods, the date of the early bird sale is to be specified each year.

• "Conventional" international trains (InterCity or regional trains): buying tickets without booking a seat, particularly to the Netherlands, Lille or Luxembourg, is possible 335 days (11 months) before travel. But unlike the other trains mentioned, there are no restrictions on the various fares on these "conventional" trains, so these are available up to the last minute.

Exception: every year in mid-December, different European rail companies simultaneously amend their train services, with new timetables taking effect more or less throughout Europe.

On certain rail networks (particularly in Germany), the new timetables for mid-December are only confirmed and published at some point during October. When this occurs, bookings for rail travel from mid-December onwards can also only be made after a given date in October.

On board Thalys, you can take 1 item of hand luggage + max. 2 items of luggage (max. dimensions 75 x 53 x 30 cm) per passenger.

Weight may not exceed 32 kg per item of luggage and overall dimensions (length + width + height) may not be more than 158 cm per item of luggage. If you are travelling with a child, you can also take a buggy in addition to the amount of luggage specified above.

For safety reasons, any luggage carried on board Thalys must carry a label showing the passenger's name.

Cumbersome luggage

Some cumbersome items of luggage are allowed on board Thalys under certain conditions:

• Buggies must be folded and placed in the storage areas situated in the carriage in which you are seated.
• Bikes must be folded. If your bike is not a folding bike, it must be placed in a cover measuring max. 135 x 85 x 30cm (both wheels unclipped).
• Musical instruments ans sports equipment (skis, surf boards, golf clubs etc.) must be carried in their cases (preferably rigid) and should not exceed 2 m in length.

If you are carrying a cumbersome item of luggage, you can carry 1 item of hand luggage and 1 item of luggage (max. 75 x 53 x 30 cm) in addition to the cumbersome item.

Items forbidden on board Thalys:

• Unusual products such as perishable foods giving off an unpleasant odour.
• Hazardous products and items, such as (open list): knives, firearms, explosives, inflammable liquids or other hazardous products (chemical, biological, etc.).
• Products intended for trade, the quantity and/or packaging of which show that the "passengers" ticket is being misappropriated for the transportation of goods which should have formed the subject of the services of an operator specialising in this area.
• Products prohibited by customs or any other administrative authority (e.g.: drugs).

Do you have another connection in Belgium before or after your journey with Thalys, Eurostar or TGV^®? If so, you will need a specific ticket for this connection.

We advise you to buy our 'Connection' ticket in addition to your international ticket at a fixed price of €7.60 in second class or €11.60 in first class.

This 'Connection' ticket will enable you to take any train on the national SNCB network on the specified date between the Belgian station of your choice and the Belgian departure or arrival station of your international high speed train (Brussels-Midi, Antwerp-Central or Liège-Guillemins). However, you will need to specify your departure or arrival station in Belgium when you buy your 'Connection' ticket.

To buy your 'Connection' ticket online, simply select your actual station of departure or arrival (e.g. Bruges, Namur or Antwerp instead of Brussels-Midi) when you book your international journey.

Online booking >