THALYS LET ME DOWN !! Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- My favourite high-speed rail company left me disappointed. I travelled in Thalys Comfort Class from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord. The journey was smmoth, quiet and very comfortable, but with a blocked toilet, no water, a water leak by the Thalys Welcome Bar and glacial service, I was left let down. Had I been looking at Thalys through Ruby Red tinted glasses?
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*** TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:04 Brussels Midi Station
00:02:13 Thalys
00:03:33 Thalys the journey
00:04:47 Thalys the disappointment
00:07:09 Paris Gare du Nord
Your videos are superb , Ido not get out a lot , you have inspired me to use public transport again , yesterday I caught a bus from Plymouth to torquayamd enjoyed it thoroughly. Nice and quiet too , many thanks 🙏
Do so enjoy your videos as you present them so well and with a good sense of humour.
Oh Brussels Midi - I was walking around there a couple of days ago! Right, I haven't tried Thalys, but I was on Eurostar and felt the trains were a wee bit tired looking if I'm honest. Very friendly service though onboard and in terminal, and the numbers stack up well in terms of price/speed, so I'll let them off. But Thalys also look like their product needs a good freshen up. Cheers for taking us along as always, loved you walking into the galley :D
Eurostar trains "were a wee bit tired looking" ... that's surprising because its Siemens trains (which replaced most of the original sets) operate the Brussels run. But I agree Thalys is really tired. It's acquired no new trains since the late 1990s ... although refurbishment is planned.
@@alexmcwhirter6611 Just the seats could have been better, I'll have a review up soon to show you what I mean (not a great review though, it was a busy service, not on Scott's standard of video!)
I have pictures taken in 2019 in Brussels Midi, I even managed to try the double decker regional trains. Boy do they accelerate fast! I also watched as the Eurostar pulled in and all the security involved in that train.
By product do you mean train.???
@@littlebigman5791 no I mean everything by Scott’s review!
I did Thayls and Eurostar in 2010 and enjoyed both. It was at the time of the volcano eruption so everyone was catching trains, as no flights. I had prebooked all my train trips from the bottom of the world, so had a seat. First class all the way through to Liverpool from Amsterdam via Belgium. The only prob I had was on one of the trains from France to Belgium was businessmen stressing they couldn’t get to meetings in London and were yelling into there phone. At times like that you have to go with the flow. I enjoyed both train services.
I've been on both a few times. Never any issues on either of them, however if I had to pick one over the other it would be Eurostar, based on the pricing structure.Thalys is normally too expensive and rarely has promo deals.
Just a wee heads up, Fixbus has started aberdeen to glasgow services, although the start beside marshial college in the centre of aberdeen
Last week people couldn't get out of a Thalys that stood in the middle of nowhere for six hours.They had to destroy some windows because there was no airco and no info.A day later a similar thing happened on another Thalys.
I only thought British trains were like this and all European trains were marvellous. Actually I had a friend who moved to the south west of France and he said the local train service was an ancient diesel railcar twice a day with a top speed of 20 mph.
All told Thalys suffered three breakdowns in roughly two weeks. These units were taken out of service for repairs. Thalys now short of capacity and has revised its timetable.
It stood outside of a Paris train station. People at the station tried to help.
@@GoogleGebruiker That was the second one.The first one was in Belgium and was worse.In the news they talked about the Thalys breaking down when it's very hot, euh like this next week (Erik from Belgium)
Love all your vlogs. Gives me great motivation to travel solo. Love travel. Best wishes from Ireland.
3:07 indeed the Thalys trains are being completely revamped with a new livery (I think thats the third livery the trains will be getting?) and interior. The first ones have already been put into service. Looks quite good, the front isnt my style but the side looks quite chique and modern.
Love my Sunday PTE videos 👍
Good job !!!
I love thalys Metronom and flixtrain.
Good video thanks 👌
Thank you for blocking the loo, I am nearly always eating or having a drink when a UA-camr springs that on us.
With Thalys, if you actually manage to depart and don’t get stuck along the route due to a faulty train, that’s already a huge succes for them. I’m afraid your expectations were to high.
Love your video Scott 👍👍
Great video Scott. Now that both operators have merged will things improve? Not sure as (Brussels-Cologne excepted) both hold a monopoly of important routes.
I was on Thalys a good number of years ago (like maybe 15) from Paris to Brussels, Brussels to Amsterdam, and then Amsterdam back to Paris. I must have been in the Premier Class as food was complementary. I thought Thalys was a lot better than Eurostar. Looks like the service has declined.
The US answers the challenge of high-speed trains.
High-speed buses.
Hi Scott, I've been traveling Eurostar to Brussels regularly for the past few years but only just had the chance to sample this same journey on Thalys. I was surprised by the age of the fleet but have to say the comfort of the seats and smooth ride were streets ahead of other trains I've been on, they also beat Eurostar for price too at least for for our trip. I hope that the Eurostar takeover doesn't hike the prices.
Great video
I last travelled on both Thalys and Eurostar on same day in 2012 from Koln to London via Brussels. Followed by a delayed 7 hour journey from Kings Cross to Glasgow. After that I vowed never again!
My first ride with Thalys was from Rotterdam Central Station to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, I had reserved seat, I like ride ICE(DB German railroad) especially on first class. I got nice view of the train driver, cabin crew was friendly too
I traveled in 2nd class and found it to be really pleasant, no issues and comfy seats, granted we didn't check for food so that may have been an issue...
Did London to Paris (Eurostar) then to Brussels (Thalys) and back to London (Eurostar) back in 2009, Enjoyed both services.
I was at this station just two weeks ago changing, once getting of Eurostar and the other time I went to the Eurostar terminal and then went on the Eurostar back to London.
Seams a good great service having a bad single day.
I frequently travel Thalys and Eurostar Premier First. Lounge, Service and Food on Eurostar is definitely much better. However the last minute tickets for both trains are expensive.
That especially applies now because some travellers have deserted air for rail owing to aviation's problems.
Its crazy how quiet those TGVs are. Makes it more stressfull traveling with kids when you can hear a pin drop!
Hello Scott, another nice film. I always find the bar service on Eurostar pretty good. Haven been on Thalys once between Brussels and Cologne, was on time but it was crazy busy, either was overbooked or people had tickets without seat reservations. The sleeper train on OBB from Cologne to Vienna was amazing. All part of going from London to Budapest by train
Usually you can't travel on Thalys without a seat reservation, but, whilst their services are overloaded I think this is overlooked, i..e let passengers on any train going, problem is the luggage capacity on Thalys is woeful, even in Comfort Class
I travelled on both eurostar by far the best
Last time I was on Eurostar, it arrived in Paris one hour late. This meant I missed my last train and had to spend the night in Paris---thankfully, SNCF looked after that.
like watching your videos. what app do you use to show the speed your going ?
I traveled on both. I'd say Thalys (or Eurostar Ruby now) has the kindest and most helpful personel. However their trains are getting older and the owner (SNCF) isn't spending enough TLC on them. The Eurostar (blue) services are the most chaotic, not always being the most attractive way between London and the european mainland. Their trains however do get lots of attention, of course also due to the strict rules surrounding the Eurotunnel. So I think both have their pro's and cons, both caused by their own situation.
Your videos are nice
I think Eurostar will be managing Thalys trains going forward
That station has been upgraded since i was there in 1976. I see what you mean looks clinical now.
Been on Eurostar several times, only in economy. I felt the seats were very uncomfortable and tight, but I'm also tall so there was zero legroom. The food offer was fine, but expensive. I liked the older model Eurostar more than the new, the seats were better.
I found it slow getting from Paris to Brussels and then very quickly from there. Not a bad service all up. That was a long time ago (20+ years) though so things have probably changed in that time
hi stev tks for dublin to limerick video Next time try dublin rosslare n dublin westport lines i know been in big stations no one totalk Brian was n Scotland 3times
8:17 Thank god because there even delays of 5 Hours!😊
It's been a while since I travelled on Thalys, but I think it's fair to point out that the trainsets are getting somewhat old, so maintenance issues are to be expected. I remember travelling on one of the original Eurostar units a few years ago and I noticed it was in dire need of refurbishment. I suspect the same is getting to be true of Thalys. In terms of ride comfort, the original Eurostar units were in effect the same as the Thalys/TGV units with just a different front end and the extra fire security doors, having been built in the same factory to the same basic design.
Why is it when most vloggers use music on their videos they have it so loud? I'm sure, like me, a lot of viewers watch these using some kind of headphone/ear-piece and boy was that music loud..... any chance of turning it down during editing.
Shame your journey didnt live up to expectations. Most videos I've watched have praised them so hopefully this wasn't a common problem.
Great video! i really enjoy your channel! :) what is the name of the speed reader app?
Scott..its clear tht Eurostar is miles ahead of Thalys..but dont knock it..in the UK we can only dream of having intercity trains that run at 300 kph . We have alot to learn from the continent about PUBLIC transport.
Never took a ride on Thalys even know I have spotted them before but have been on Eurostar and hope improvements are made when the merger happens
Both have already merged.
Bring back Izy, stopped less than a month ago. Used the conventional line.
If needed, try other lavatories or WCs til you find one that works properly.
eurostar is best also what app do you use for mph/kph please
My journey from Amsterdam to London was meant to be Thalys from Amsterdam to Brussels South then Eurostar from Brussels to London. The Thalys was cancelled at short notice (as was the previous Thalys departure, an hour earlier). I managed to get to Brussels in time by using the Dutch Railways (NS) intercity train, though that train was unbelievably crowded. The Eurostar journey from Brussels was, by contrast, bliss. The departure area at Brussels South is ghastly.
I live in Belgium and commute several times a week via Brussels South. I can confirm that Thalys cancellations are a regular occurance and this has been the case for at least the past half year. And last month, two Thalys trains failed on their journey between Paris and Brussels, leaving passengers stranded on a crowded train for several hours without air conditioning and water in the middle of a heat wave. I think the service has seen better days and is in dire need of some investment.
Brussels Midi might not have character but it's one of the best connected stations I know. how many other stations have direct connection with 4 other capital cities in trips less than4 hours?
It kind of helps being where it is. It would be a bit unfair to expect Oslo, say, or Reykjavic to be within a four hour train ride of four European capitals
Did you not seek out other toilets on board?
Eurostar is much better in my opinion although from a passenger comfort point of view the older 373 sets are much fewer but much more comfortable than the 374 sets and ride which can ‘wallow’ a bit with the newer sets. I have done 2 Thalys from memory, both from Amsterdam and they were fine but a little dated internally. I recently did a few TGV trains, one single and one double decker and the double decker was really great and more preferable. 314 km/h recorded on the Strasbourg - Paris Est. I would say that Thalys were third behind SNCF TGV and first would be Eurostar.
Belgium stations doesn’t have pianos
How do Eurostar and Thalys trains compare to Inoui trains, all are majority owned by SNCF?
Eurostar always seems well maintained and Thalys had that worn look but the quality of service was about the same but on Thalys the service was little more sparse. I travel from UK to cologne then onto Dresden.
From what I can tell we've been doing basically the same trips a couple of days apart!
Your Thalys was way cleaner than mine. But frankly I think you'd have had to bring your own dirt for it to be worse. Accessible loo was hilarious, absolutely no possible way I could have got a wheelchair in there, so I'm glad I didn't need it. Nice cakes on both trains, though. Catering definitely the only thing going for it.
Good videos.
But I think I mentioned before about railway or bus station fast food.
Much better to take a local bus to a working area where you'll get good wholesome food at local prices and which will fill you up for the day.
If you're still hungry later, have a packet of nuts and a bottle of water.
If you want juice, get a liter type carton and only from a supermarket, no small bottle railway kiosk suggery rubbish AT EXACTLY THE SAME PRICE.!!
I learnt all these things from my own travelling.
I didn't travel on Thalys but i get the feeling every international service has declined since Covid. I remember my first journey on Eurostar (before covid) the train was proper clean, but when i traveled a few weeks ago the exterior of the train was very filthy (it looked brown) and the interior was also not as clean as I expected.....
Eurostar but pricing can be eye gouging... usually try and upgrade to Standard premier and the Brussels / Amsterdam trains the complimentary catering and service usually excellent
Ive enjoyed the Thalys service on many occasions and I think its a very good way to travel from Amsterdam to Paris. The journey takes about 3h15 which is a lot longer that the 1 hour flight but it is in reality a lot faster. You get to skip airport security and all that and its city centre to city centre, the local RER train from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris city center takes 50 minutes by itself already. Also the train is a lot more comfortable than an economy plane seat obviously. My only complaint is the price. You have to book months in advance to get a decent ticket. They really should have some comptetiton on this route.
Euristar. 2018 - London to Cologne return. Switch from eurostarto Thalys at Brussels Midi (when is direct Lopndon-Cologne eurostar happening?) . And while Thalys was fine, it seemed a ;little rougher train & service wise.
London-Cologne ought to happen eventually now that E* and Thalys have merged.
Eurostar customer service is better in my opinion. And unlike yourself I've never been keen on the Thalys colour scheme, I think it's drab compared with Eurostar or ICE. Anyway, I enjoy all your videos, keep them coming!
At 1:41 that looks like a decent burger place, plus the Leffe is definitely nice. A wise choice and glad you went there not to ''Quick'' which is cheap and nasty.
I love your videos! I want to get back to doing this! Makes you actually realise that UK stations are much better (and safer) than a lot of mainline stations on mainland Europe
I travelled on Thalys some years ago from Brussels to Cologne and found the seating accommodation somewhat cramped compared with Eurostar, which latter I prefer.
Messy beaucoup
I really like the Thalys product but its clearly a budget product especially the low prices for younger people make it really attractive. It is also a backbone for the Transport between the Western part of Germany to Belgium and France. It for sure has it problems but for what it is, it is good.
I remember, with fondness the old Etoile de Nord service. As for Thalys it promises but Eurostar is better
The restuarant on the Etoile was ace.
That’s early 90s “TGV Réseau” rolling stock with a coat of red paint. Some of them still run on the French domestic network and the toilet is atrocious.
The lack of water in the loos just reinforces the importance of carrying a small bottle of hand sanitiser gel whenever you travel. It's more common than you think on trains and coaches. I was carrying it years ago long before covid, especially useful when driving through France as a few times I've stopped at an ''aire'' (a rest area on the motorway but not a service station as such) with a toilet building which was locked...round the back there were piles of poo in the open air where people had needed to take a number 2 yeugh. But I just had a pee and was able to clean my hands before continuing.
Travelled on both. Much prefer Eurostar. I hope the merger brings standards up, rather than down! Cheers for the video Scott
Trains look tired, am I right in saying these trains are to be replaced?
I've always found Thalys crowded, expensive and just not enjoyable. Only ever used it as a last resort or if I needed to get somewhere in a timeframe. Otherwise it's usually Brussels to Amsterdam on the longer Intercity service with more space.
Not much luck of late Scott…good watch…
Eurostar does not go from Brussels to Paris. So I dont understand the comparison
Eurostar is definitely the better of the two services…..I recently traveled on both between Amsterdam and Brussels-MIdi (in premier on both) and Thalys was lacking in all respects ….love the videos…..👍
It's Belgium and you expected a public building to have personality??
Been a couple of years since I travelled on Thalys but comparing similar class to similar class Eurostar, in my experience, is far ahead of Thalys particularly in regard to catering.
I know them both and Eurostar is by far the better, when we talk about the first class. In second class they are equal to me. Having said that, I have never experienced the new Eurostar trains but the first generation only (based on the TGV but adapted to the narrow British profile, because back then they had to use the old railwaylines between the Channeltunnel and London Waterloo). In november I hope to travel with the new Eurostar from the Netherlands to London St. Pancrass and I am curious how it is.
Will be interested in your feedback. Discerning travellers say they prefer the original Alstom trains to the newer Siemens units in terms or ride, onboard lighting and (for first class) a 'posher' feel.
I still think that Eurostar are definitely the best out of them to
I think sadly the quality of rail travel is going down in Europe, thalys and Eurostar both used to be excellent but both have dipped. Though I agree theThayls livery is striking
Does the country you hale from have regular high speed service between national cities, which is already almost 15 years old, and can cost just 29€ (90 day advance ticket price Bruxelles - Paris)? We have been using the service since 1999, 90% of the time with no issue (multiple times a year), so some times things aren't perfect. Worst case was when someone committed suicide by throwing themselves off an overpass unto the tracks of the train at high speed, we arrived with six hours of delay to Köln from Paris, things happen when you travel. It is an adventure and if you don't like adventures, stay home. Also most well organized travelers buy food and drink prior to getting on any train where the selection is always limited and issues arise with staffing; you will be much better served doing that in any of the stations that Thalys crosses through (Monoprix-Paris/Carrefour-Bruxelles/Antwerpen-checking for you/Albert Heijn-Rotterdam CS-Schiphol-Amsterdam CS. All of the country's local supermarkets just named branches offer a wide choice of prepared sandwiches, salads, snacks, and beverages. On the subject of WC, you must be joking, you are on a train hurdling through time and space sometimes at 300 km/h (168 mp/h), are you looking to have a board meeting while in the WC? Really if you need so much space to do your private business, the original 1st class car (wagon #1 or #11) depending on what train set you are on has a WC where you should be able to get 4-5 people in there with you. Finally a bit of trivia for you (if memory serves us right), the interior design and livery color scheme was done by the master of color associations Monsieur Christian Lacroix, Patsy and Edina would have gotten that in second.
Uploaded on my birthday lol.
The train is great but the service ane amenities need to be improved. Water is important for flushing and hsndwashing. That's why it's best to always have one's own isoprophyl alcohol for disinfection, wet wipes and a roll of tissue (for emergency).
I've done Thylas but the other direction from Koln or Aarchen, can't remember which, to Brussels.I wasn't particularly impressed with all the people arguing about seat reservations strangely enough always in English despite being in Germany and Belgium I was lucky that nobody argued with me as the arguments where frequent.Makes you wonder if seat reservations are more trouble than they are worth?
AFAIK seat reservations on Thales are compulsory.
Well German names are difficult for foreigners so please allow two corrections. The city of Cologne is written in German as Köln or Koeln because the german "ö" didn't exist in english and the second city named is Aachen without an "r"
My experience of Thalys has always been either mediocre or downright poor - I'd always arrange a trip through Brussels to use the German ICE if I could. The ICE has a nicer, lighter, interior (despite the black leather seats) and the staff are usually friendly. My impression of Eurostar is much more positive though I think the e320 trains, despite them being based on the ICE, are a step backwards in comfort compared with the old e300 ones. Eurostar staff are, in my experience, invariably polite and helpful.
The reliability of the Brussels-Frankfurt ICE3 has been terrible recently. Trains regularly cancelled just before departure or terminating in Aachen on the way back from Frankfurt. When it is running, I agree it is preferable to Thalys.
But you got an exeptional compensation says the PDG
Surely those small toilets don't meet Access for disabled regulations. Or do they not have anything like that?
i am very disappointed in the thalys. i traveled from amsterdam to pars and back in premium last november the train was not clean @ all on both trips. the toilet was horrible. dirty and there was like a lake of urine. apart from that the train was relatively on time. the price of my ticket was very high.
I haven't travelled with EuroStar or Thalys. I avoided the former since the fares tended to be quite dear, even with the student discount I had at the time. Often it was cheaper to fly out of London City airport to wherever I wanted to go in Europe. As for Thalys that really wasn't much of an option for me since when visiting continental Europe I tended to visit Germany or Switzerland. Now if we were to compare Thalys to LNER, I would maintain that Thalys is better. I can't tell you the times where LNER trains were chock-a-block with passengers sitting on the floor to London (for York) or vice versa. I also found that on UK rail operators be it LNER or Grand Central, the toilets were always a disaster. Nappies in the toilet, piss on the floor, a real disgusting affair. Now granted the Thalys you were on had no water, but at least the stall was clear. I would give Thalys the benefit of the doubt here that the water issue was a one-off thing.
I think I'd put it down to a bad day. Seems pretty pricey though!
Did Brussels to Cologne recently in same class- bar closed v early. I prefer the seats and the decor to DB on this route - and (of course) the staff are friendlier. Wouldn't go the other way- France seems to have a particular problem with runaway inflation. As for comparison w Eurostar- I can see how a merge would work. I think they are similar. Thalys has the better buffet, more comfy seats, better wifi but hard to compare given how different the routes are. I welcome it if it means better prices between Cologne and the UK again- despite Brexit.
@Aitcho. “the real world” of worthless paper money
@Aitcho. great and I am with mine
Very interesting and informative video as always but one thing is crystal clear: the continental Europeans invest in their railways and have done since the end of the Second World
War whereas we try do do things on the cheap - witness the fact that it is taking forever to build HS2, a distance of only 110 miles (170 km).
HS2 is hardly being built on the cheap, it is gold-plated ! A lot of this is to placate the Green Blob, so a lot of unnecessary work is to be done to make its impact nil, something that is, quite frankly, impossible. The European HS lines didn't have to suffer under this yoke.
@@frasermitchell9183 The future construction of HS2 is bleak, most of the (useless) managers jumped ship from Crossrail to HS2. The Spanish or Chinese should have been given the contract to build the line, using British labour but not management.
Thalys service looks the same as a typical intercity second class here in the UK. Eurostar is better, having used it.
Oh, tell me, since when ist there 2+1 seating plus increased legroom in 2nd class on a typical intercity train?
Take the coach from london Victoria to Dublin
Eurostar v Thalys. My winner is Eurostar.!!!
Grotty window @ 4.34
done thalys once, and eurostar a few times - neither are as good as french TGVs or german ICE trains IMHO...
I usually land at Charles de Gaulle then get the train into Gare du Nord then metro to the Bastille to a lovely if cheap and nasty hotel perfect for the market and a lovely area of Paris. I go in August when its warm and most Parisians have left the city. Bliss. M
An interesting video and perspective given the merger that is coming. I really enjoy your videos, but on this occasion a little bit frustrated by how much text you used without a voiceover - as I am partially sighted, no voice, no audio, and just text accompanying the video, really is useless. It’s a trap too many amateur UA-camrs fall into; and at the best of your videos, you are miles above this, so hope you can keep it that way more of the time. Thank you. And, hello from Glasgow too, wherever you are, home or afar, while reading this 👋