Antwerp Forum: Antwerp Railway station - transfer times

There are two big stations in Antwerpen.

Antwerpen-Centraal and Antwerpen-Berchem.

If you come from Amsterdam your train will stop in Antwerpen-Centraal on level - 2 which is underground.

The train to Brugge leaves on platform 1.

You will have to go in the lift or on two or three escalators to get there.

For experienced travellers without luggage this will take at least 4 or 5 minutes.

I would advise you not to try it but to enjoy our beautifull station in Antwerpen by a cup of coffee while you wait for the next train to Brugge.

Thank you Maenan - I think we will take your advice, enjoy a coffee and catch the next train.

Regards, Frank

I'd also say not to worry about the connection times. Domestic services in Belgium are not reservable so if you miss one, just get the next. In fact you have 24 hours to complete your onward journey after the arrival of your Thalys train so you could even spend a bit of time in Antwerpen if you wished.

Ok, thanks

Hello,

We have the opposite going on - traveling from Bruges to Amsterdam via Antwerp. I haven't booked tickets yet. I'd like to go with Thalys to cut down the travel time, but I too was concerned about the 5 minute connection time.

wirewiper, are you saying that even if we purchase tickets (on the SNCB site) with a 9:05 departure from Bruges, we could actually use that same ticket to catch an earlier train? I like the idea of catching the 8:05 train and having a nice breakfast at the station in Antwerp before heading on.

We will also be traveling on Sunday morning, if that makes any difference.

Thanks for the help!

< We have the opposite going on - traveling from Bruges to Amsterdam via Antwerp. I haven't booked tickets yet. I'd like to go with Thalys to cut down the travel time, but I too was concerned about the 5 minute connection time. >

If you are travelling from Bruges to Amsterdam via Antwerp - changing on to the Thalys at Antwerp - you can take any train you like from Bruges to Antwerp.

Your Thalys ticket is valid only for one specific Thalys train from Antwerp to Amsterdam, but you are not obliged to take the train from Bruges which will leave only 5 minutes connection time at Antwerp just because the online journey planner (a computer program) suggests it.

The 5-minute connection time at Antwerp is not really feasible in any case. You would have to run - and know exactly where you were going.

>>> wirewiper, are you saying that even if we purchase tickets (on the SNCB site) with a 9:05 departure from Bruges, we could actually use that same ticket to catch an earlier train? <<<

I'm saying exactly that. And Colin56 has just confirmed it.

>>> I like the idea of catching the 8:05 train and having a nice breakfast at the station in Antwerp before heading on. <<<

Sounds like a plan then!

Hi Colin56,

Yes, I know the Thalys portion of the trip will be fixed for a specific train. I just wanted to double-check on the Bruges to Antwerp portion because I'm assuming that when I check out, the tickets that I print will have a specific time and train # for each part of the trip.

So, if the tickets do state a 9:05 departure from Bruges, do we just find open seats on the 8:05 train and show the 9:05 tickets when asked, or will we need to present them at a ticket window beforehand to have them changed?

I guess an alternative would be to just buy the Thalys ticket from Antwerp to Amsterdam now, and buy the Bruges to Antwerp ticket when we are in Bruges. I'd prefer to have them all arranged beforehand so it's one less thing to deal with.

Thanks again!

Sorry, I was putting my last post together while wirewiper was responding. I guess my only remaining question is do we have to exchange the 9:05 tickets in Bruges, or do we just get on the 8:05 train and show the conductor our 9:05 tickets?

Thanks again!