FIP travel advice.

[revenueadvice]

Hi I am looking to travel on Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels then onto Amsterdam, stay for a couple of days then go into Germany maybe stopping in Bremen and then onto Berlin. Me and the wife both have FIP passes. Can anyone give advice as to the best way to do this. I see coupons cannot be used on Thalys trains so would need to pay FIP fare. If I take the longer route and change a couple of times between Brussels and Amsterdam can that be done on coupons?

Also I read somewhere that coupons are only valid in Germany for staff and not for family members, Is the correct?

The only previous time we have travelled FIP was Eurostar to Brussels and coupons to Bruge. So any advice is welcome.

Many Thanks.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Sadly coupons are only available for the member of staff in Germany but the good news is there is no supplement payable on ICE trains etc. From Brussels you can take the regional trains to Antwerp Central (4 per hour). From Antwerp there is a broadly hourly service (but with gaps) to Den Haag and from there a frequent service onward to Amsterdam via Schipol. These are available using coupons. Alternatively you could change at Rotterdam and travel on the High Speed Line - coupons were not available but the services are now operated by NS after the FYRA fiasco. For Bremen take the Berlin services from Amsterdam and change at Osnabruck.

 

[revenueadvice]

Ok thats great thanks for the help.

 

[reb0118]

Check out the spärpreis tickets within Germany for your good lady wife. These may be cheaper than 50% off the full fare ~ albeit less flexible with regard to change/refund.

 

[30907]

Check out the spärpreis tickets within Germany for your good lady wife. These may be cheaper than 50% off the full fare ~ albeit less flexible with regard to change/refund.

To get from NL to Bremen cheaply (and without losing very much time) you can go via the new Lelystad-Zwolle line to Groningen and then via Leer to Bremen. use your coupons to the border at Nieuweschans (Weener gr?).

If you don't want to waste a coupon on a short journey, a Niedersachsen-Ticket is EUR26 for the two of you and is valid from the border itself, but you'd have to buy it in advance (online). This gives you the run of Bremen public transport for the day as well. Might that be easier to book than the FIP half fare too?

 

[reb0118]

If you don't want to waste a coupon on a short journey, a Niedersachsen-Ticket is EUR26 for the two of you and is valid from the border itself, but you'd have to buy it in advance (online). This gives you the run of Bremen public transport for the day as well. Might that be easier to book than the FIP half fare too?

Deutshe Bahn UK, who deal with our staff bookings anyway, may be able to issue this ticket in advance.