Buy tickets from Bruges to Amsterdam from €29.30 at www.b-europe.com...

What are Fyra trains like?

The new Fyra train are smooth and quiet, with comfortable, bright interiors with first and second class seats and a trolley selling refreshments.  The trains have been styled by Pininfarina, with an unusual but distinctive front end like a beagle puppy crossed with a 1959 Ford Popular.  Seat reservation is compulsory for international journeys, though not for domestic trips, for example Brussels-Antwerp or Rotterdam-Amsterdam.  There are cheaper fares if you pre-book, more expensive flexible fares if you buy on the day.  You can only travel on the specific departure you have booked, although with certain types of flexible ticket you can get on the train before or after the one you've booked without a reservation, and sit in any empty seat.  For details, see www.fyra.com.  See full-screen panorama photos of 1st & 2nd class seats on Fyra.

2nd class seats on board a Fyra train...		1st class seats on board Fyra...

A Fyra V250 train at Rotterdam...		Amsterdam Centraal station, in the heart of Amsterdam.

Seating plan, power sockets, smoking, quiet carriage...

There's a seat numbering plan for Fyra on the Fyra mini-site at www.fyra.com/~/media/ImagesNew/OnlyFyra/Maps/SeatmapFyraENG.ashx.

All cars on Fyra are non-smoking.  First class seats have 2 power sockets for every 3 seats, 2nd class ones do not have sockets.  Car 33 is designated as the Quiet Car, it's half 1st class, half 2nd class with no mobiles, loud conversations or personal stereos allowed.  There is currently no WiFi on Fyra.

Luggage, bikes, dogs...

You take your bags with you onto the train and put them on the racks above your seat or in the space between seat backs, or on the larger racks at the coach ends.  There are no luggage weight limits, although in theory Fyra limits luggage to three bags per person.  Fyra does not carry bikes.  Fyra will take dogs, but you need to buy a ticket for the dog before boarding.

First class lounges in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Schiphol...

If you have a first class ticket for Fyra, you may use the first class NS HiSpeed lounges in Amsterdam Centraal, Schiphol and Rotterdam before or after your journey, with WiFi and complimentary tea & coffee, soft drinks and beer.  Look for the signs to 'NS HiSpeed Lounge'.  However, there is no lounge in Brussels or Antwerp.

Fares & more information...

You can find full details of the Fyra fare structure and timetable at the SNCB/NS HiSpeed Fyra mini-site www.fyra.com.

If you already have a normal domestic Belgian ticket for Brussels-Antwerp, you can use Fyra for a €4 supplement paid at the station before boarding. 

If you already have a normal domestic Dutch ticket for (say) Rotterdam-Amsterdam, you can use Fyra for a €2.80 supplement in 2nd class paid at the station before boarding.  This would also apply if you had (say) a London-Amsterdam Dutch Flyer train & ferry ticket and wanted to use Fyra for this stretch.

How to buy tickets:  www.b-europe.com

You can buy tickets via Fyra from anywhere in Belgium to anywhere in the Netherlands at the Belgian Railways website www.b-europe.com with print-at-home tickets, or you can equally well use the Dutch Railways website www.nshispeed.nl.  Booking opens 4 months before departure.  B-europe.com works for anyone from any country, nshispeed.nl should also work, but has been reported to struggle with some overseas credit cards, so try b-europe.com first.

Watch the Fyra video...