That's also my experience. Some people, mostly older, do say Flemish/Vlaams, but most don't.
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Interesting journeys in Belgium and the Netherlands
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hermit
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This unremarkable bit of country has an interesting history. From 1816 to 1921 it was the territory of Neutral Moresnet, ruled jointly by Belgium and Prussia/Germany.
This whole area is a fascinating one for collectors of border oddities. The High Venn railway was a strip of Belgian territory running through Germany, leaving a series of exclaves between it and the border. These still remain even though the line is now closed.
For some years steam excursions were run along the line, and I was fortunate enough to experience what must have been one of the last ones, in the 1990s. A spectacular and very long trip starting at Eupen behind a German loco (a Kriegslok?) with a leisurely stop for lunch at a lakeside resort.
I don't think that Liège to Luxembourg via Troisvierges has been mentioned. This is a very scenic route although the best parts are in Luxembourg. It is relatively slow as a lot of the journey is single track, although if you are travelling Brussels to Luxembourg it is not that much longer in time than the direct train as the journey to Liège is fast and connections there are good.
Hello! I meant to come back a while ago but, er, forgot. Sorry 
Anyway! Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions I had an excellent time in Belgium and the Netherlands. It was a very railway travel heavy visit, deliberately so, as on this occasion I decided I wanted to travel by train more than I wanted to stop off and visit. So certainly I agree that the best way to actually see a country is to stop off at places along the way (my usual approach) but I felt like bashing this time more than being touristy and there was an Interrail burning a hole in my pocket so... Besides there's always next time! 
For those that would like a tl;dr there is a map via the Interrail app of my journey see the next post which will show you what I got up to, if you'd prefer a narrative style with pictures, read on!
Day 1 - Wednesday 20 March
Having sketched out a plan on the Eurostar over the night before I took the advice of those that suggested heading south and started from Brussels Midi on the 0955 IC508 in the hands of a Class 18 locomotive hauling some modern double-deck carriages to Liege-Guillemins a station which I had been through several times on DB heading to/from Germany but had never gotten off at and wow! What an amazing station!
(Picture shows the wonderful glass canopy of Liege station in it's multi-coloured glory casting shadows onto the platforms below)
After a short interchange I then joined the 1111 regional service to Marloie along with an absolute hoard of school age children who appeared to be going camping? Anyway I had a seat so not exactly a problem. The run along the valley formed by the Ourthe river was very pretty and the Class 08 EMU (yet another version of the Desiro) whilst nothing special was certainly a perfectly servicable train and better than many units that would run similar services in the UK.
Arriving at Marloie having just missed a train south towards Luxembourg as the local train arrives a minute after the intercity service (who said it's only Britain that can't arrange connections properly?) there was an opportunity to have a wander into what passes as the high street and visit a Spar (which always seem to be far more highbrow compared to their UK cousins or is that just me?) to collect needed supplies.
Returning to the station it was onto the 1323 IC2111 hauled by a Class 13 but with some very comfy old single deck carriages and it was here things went a little bit sideways but ended up working out for the best. I had planned to arrive at Arlon in time for the 1439 service back towards Libramont (but the very long way round rather than going the direct mainline) with a comfortable fifteen odd minute connection. However level crossing failure, ironically enough in the Libramont area, meant that we got to Arlon at 1441 watching the tail lamps of the 1439 vanishing round the corner (who said that it's only Britain that doesn't hold connections?). However, with the next train not for an hour, this gave an opportunity to have a quick wander around Arlon which turns out hosts a rather wonderful cathedral with a beautful, modern, stained glass window.
(Picture shows an utterly georgous stained glass window with strong blue and orange colours framed by the organ of the cathedral)
Back to Arlon station and onto the 1539 to Libramont going the longway round via Athus and Bertrix in the hands of another Class 08 and another quite pretty journey to Libramont. A quick ten minute change at Libramont onto the 1715 and another Class 08 this time heading towards Namur back via Bertrix (I doubled back just to kill time rather than waiting at Bertrix and also to scratch the line between Bertrix and Libramont which otherwise would have been an annoying short gap).
(Picture shows a Class 08 at Libramont shortly before departure to Namur)
This time the journey was much more picturesque and I would definitely recommend it. Whilst annoyingly the final twenty or so minutes into Namur were in the dark the majority of it was in daylight and the journey was spent weaving between the hills of south western Belgium, sometimes skirting their edge with the flat valley on one side and steep hillside on the other with the final run spent running along the Meuse river which was very attractive.
On arrival at Namur it was definitely time for something proper to eat and my tastes led me to Huggys a burger joint about five minutes from the station for a very tasty bacon and cheese burger along with a beer for around £20. Not cheap but the food was tasty, good qualtiy and the service swift meaning that I was able to make it back to Namur station fully refreshed in time for the 2017 IC2141 service back to Midi in the hands of another Class 18 hauling some modern double-deck stock.
Day 2 - Thursday 21 March
Having spent the previous day in the south it felt right to go north this time before heading to Rotterdam in the evening. I also wanted to try some DMUs so I decided to head out towards the east of the country towards Hamont and Hasselt first and then work my back in towards the centre in time to get a train to Rotterdam early in the evening. Things, however, would not go according to plan...
I started by getting the 0933 IC3408 which was in the hands of delightful old Class 75 EMU, really funky looking from Midi to Lierre.
(Picture shows a lovely Class 75 rolling into Midi)
However things were quickly going arry as this train was about five minutes late and the connection at Lierre was only seven minutes some time was made up but then more time was lost and we ended up arriving at Lierre about six minutes late but the train to Hamont was still in the platform directly opposite, a cross island interchange, connection made with ease! However, for whatever reason, the driver of the Hamont train had locked up and despite some desperate waving refused to re-open the doors despite having to wait several minutes for the train I arrived on to depart and clear the signal section. Therefore connection, in fact, well and truly missed due to a driver locking up, as far as I could tell, before his booked departure time.
Your roving reporter then began kicking themselves as they realised forlornly that if they'd stayed on the same train they arrived on it would have almost certainly beene possible to make the connection at Herentals instead with his original train firmly in front of the Hamont train but! No time to mope, onwards! Instead of going to Hamont, back to Mol and then onto Hasselt he would instead go to Hasselt, then Mol and then to Hamont and then... Somewhere...
Recriminations over it was onto the 1035 from Lierre to Hasselt which was in the hands of anothe retro unit a Class 80 EMU. Arriving at Hasselt gave time for a quick walk into the town centre and another visit to Spar to collect more supplies before joining the 1207 regional service towards Mol which was in the hands of a Class 41 DMU. Dinky little units (quite a climb up to get in though) which are better than a Pacer or a 150 but probably not much better than a 156 and certainly worse than a 158 or anything more modern (like a 185 or 170). The line towards Mol was nothing special, fairly typical rural scenary and the novelty of the unit soon wore off.
After a brief pause in Mol it was time to catch the next train on to Hamont, now at this point I got slightly confused as in rolled a Class 27 electric locomotive hauling a rake of double-deck coaches which foxed me slightly as the map I was using from SNCB suggested it was a diesel route (and the train I missed back at Lierre had been a DMU), however a nearby member of SNCB staff confirmed it was indeed the train Hamont so I boarded the 1307 IC4312 service up to Hamont. Nothing particularly remarkable about the route mixture of rural and industrial scenary out of the window.
(Picture shows a slightly graffiti ridden Class 27 basking in the sun between services at Hamont)
Having had a brief pause in Hamont it was back down towards Antwerp on the 1419 IC4335 service along with some quick thinking about where to go next. Having consulted the SNCB map I decided to stick to the north and proceed as far as Antwerp-Berchem and then head north towards Ghent before going back to Midi for a bite to eat before heading to Rotterdam.
The plan immediately, but thankfully temporarily, collapsed in a heap as my train lost time and turned an eleven minute connection at Antwer-Berchem into a one minute connection which, the reader will not be surprised to learn, was not possible to make. Thankfully there are a lot of trains towards Ghent so I caught the next train at 1612 which was IC1837 in the hands of a Class 18 locomotive. There was even entertainment during the wait in the form a SNCB conductor having to carry out "percusive mainteance" on a door which refused to close on their train (they kicked it repeatedly until it stayed closed).
I was pleased I'd followed the suggestion of visting Gent-Sint-Pieters as it was indeed a very impressive station even allowing for the building site aspects that it also included! Well worth a visit even a brief one like mine as it was soon time to head to back to Midi on the 1724 IC516 in the hands of another Class 18 hauling modern double-deck stock. Arriving into Midi and in need of food I found a pizza place within sight of the entrance to Midi station called A Modo Mio where I was able to get a very tasty pizza and a coke for £15 which I thought quite good value for something which was good quality and that close to Midi! To end the day it was back to Midi and onto the 1846 IC9263 Intercity Direct to Rotterdam Centraal in the hands of a pair of NS Class 186 locomotives top and tailing some hauled stock, but sadly by this point it was of course dark so not really able to sample the scenary!
Day 3 - Friday 22 March
Waking in a new city and with only a vague sense of plan it was back to Centraal station to start with a move to Den Haag Centraal and also to admire an utterly stunning station modern station frontage which I had seen the night before but was even more stunning in the daylight.
(A picture of Rotterdam Centraal stations main entrance with its tremendous modernist design)
So, the Netherlands was kinda fast and furious as there are so many trains it became quite easy to just design a plan that was "and then this, and then this and then this" etc etc
But I started with the 0948 IC1126 again in the hands of a pair of Class 186s top and tailing coaches (very comfy actually) to Den Haag Central. I then had a minor breakdown at the sight of a station which had mainline trains on one level and then a multiple tram tracks coming inside the station building above the concourse with a full size bus station positioned above the mainline platforms and the realisation that we will never manage public transport infrastructure of that sort here in the UK. Anyway, having recovered, I decided I would head towards the far south of the Netherlands before making may way up the eastern edge of the country. This meant that it was straight back onto a train to join the 1055 IC1739 towards Utrecht which was in the hands of the awesome ICM "Koploper" units and what excellent units they are. Looking very weird on the outside but inside very well modernised by NS, I can see why they've become something of an institution.
(A picture of an ICM sat on the blocks at Den Haag Centraal)
On arriving at Utrecht there was time to get to a shop to grab some supplies before joining the 1209 IC2941 towards Roermond operated by a VIRM unit (another excellent double-deck unit). A minor excitement occurred at Roermond as changing trains onto an Arriva service went from a tight four minutes to very tight two minutes but with a little bit of jogging the connection was made onto the 1333 Arriva service towards Nijmegen in the hands of a Stadler GTW unit (again a very good regional unit, as so many are in Europe!).
At Nijmegen things took a slightly heartwarming turn. Initially I noticed a lot of NS staff were making their way to the far end of the platform near where I was stood, then another member of NS staff with a loudhailer started walking down the platform saying something in Dutch to everyone which caused everyone to move towards the edge of the platform and as the next train rolled in the gathered passengers burst into applause, as the train rolled in horn sounding, siren blaring to cheers of their NS colleagues at the end of the platform (by which point I had a fair guess at what was going on). Off stepped the driver who through their work bag in the air to more cheers from the NS staff followed by what was clearly family who had been travelling on the train with them. At this point I was able to find a friendly looking Dutch person who explained that, as I suspected, the driver was retiring today, that had been their last train after a 42 year career as a train driver.
Anyway, onwards! Next was the 1524 IC3650 towards Zwolle in the hands of a VIRM and at Zwolle a quick change onto the 1651 Blauwnet (some sort of Arriva/Keolis partnership outfit) operated by another Stadler unit, this time a Flirt, which, as with all Stader products was excellent heading towards Enschede. At this point due to the weather (it was pouring with rain) and the time to get back to Rotterdam meaning I wanted to be on a train heading that way soon I ended up going to the station Burger King for dinner. Somewhat boring but needs must?
To cap the day off a pair of trains both happily operated by ICMs meaning a very pleasant few hours of travel starting with the 1845 IC1770 as far Utrecht Centraal with a quick change there onto the 2033 IC2870 back to Rotterdam Centraal capping a very enjoyable day.
Day 4 - Saturday 23 March
The final full day and having spent most of the previous day in the south it seemed logical to head northwards but I thought I'd start by heading south again from Rotterdam towards Eindhoven Centraal (new track to be scratched!) on the 0914 IC1131 another lovely locohauled set in the hands of a pair of Class 186s but, due to what can only be described as a catastrophic failure of planning on my part, I managed to arrange a one minute connection at Eindhoven and sure enough missed my intended connection. This failure remains inexplicable to me.
Anyway having junked the initial plan of going north to Leeuwarden from here and then possibly doing the bus across the Afsluitdijk, it was instead north to Groningen. Firstly by getting the 1034 IC2934 in the hands of VIRM unit (I really like those) for what was supposed to be a very easy nearly thirty minute connection at Utrecht onto a train to Gronigen but due to a broken down train in the 's-Hertogenbosh area causing wrong line running the connection become somewhat worrying but in the end simple seven minute connection onto the 1149 IC539 in the hands this time of a DDZ unit which was very similar to the VIRM and also very good.
Arriving into Gronigen it was a bit of a building site on the platform side but worth the visit at the station building turned out to be a very attractive one indeed.
(Picture shows one of the main halls in Gronigen station with wonderful neo-gothic styling)
Back onto Arriva for the 1354 to Leeuwarden in the hands of a nearly new Stadler WINK (again, another excellent Stadler unit) for the journey across the north eastern side of the Netherlands. Very very flat with lots of drainage ditches in evidence in this part of the country! From Leeuwarden there was just time to quickly have a walk around which involved the slightly surreal experience of hearing Sweet Caroline being played from a bar in Dutch. Back at the station and it was time to start heading towards Amsterdam (where I was staying that night) so I decided to skirt it first by getting the 1517 IC7650 to Den Haag Centraal (another DDZ unit), then heading for Leiden Centraal (on the 1820 IC2267) which I'd gone through heading to Den Haag but figured I'd scratch the line and besides the train back to Leiden from Den Haag was formed from the same unit so was impossible to miss!
Changing at Leiden onto the 1820 IC2267 (back onto a VIRM) for Haarlem. I'd been to Haarlem before so knew what to expect so can only echo those who suggested it on this thread. It really is an absolute gem and worth stepping off to visit.
(Picture shows a VIRM unit admiring a glorious sunset at Haarlem as the rain storm was finally passing)
Sadly at this point a biblical rain storm arrived which meant I had to hide out in the station for ten minutes before being able to leave the safety of the station and find sustenance at De Pizzabakkers who, despite being extremely busy (it was Saturday night after all) were able to squeeze me and provided me with an excellent pizza and a beer for £17 which I thought was very good value overall. Having been fed and watered it was time to head to Amsterdam Centraal on my final NS train of the trip which was the 2025 IC2164 (one last VIRM) which glided to a halt under the wonderful trainshed at Amsterdam Centraal bang on time at 2040.
Your intrepid correspondent then took themselves off to their hotel as they had an early start the next day to catch the Eurostar at 0817 from Amsterdam Centraal back to London and from there onwards back home to the North East. Including the travel to and from home in the UK I travelled on 37 different trains and covered 2,663 miles during the trip.
Thank you all for your suggestions they really were helpful
Anyway! Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions I had an excellent time in Belgium and the Netherlands. It was a very railway travel heavy visit, deliberately so, as on this occasion I decided I wanted to travel by train more than I wanted to stop off and visit. So certainly I agree that the best way to actually see a country is to stop off at places along the way (my usual approach) but I felt like bashing this time more than being touristy and there was an Interrail burning a hole in my pocket so... Besides there's always next time! For those that would like a tl;dr there is a map via the Interrail app of my journey see the next post which will show you what I got up to, if you'd prefer a narrative style with pictures, read on!
Day 1 - Wednesday 20 March
Having sketched out a plan on the Eurostar over the night before I took the advice of those that suggested heading south and started from Brussels Midi on the 0955 IC508 in the hands of a Class 18 locomotive hauling some modern double-deck carriages to Liege-Guillemins a station which I had been through several times on DB heading to/from Germany but had never gotten off at and wow! What an amazing station!
(Picture shows the wonderful glass canopy of Liege station in it's multi-coloured glory casting shadows onto the platforms below)
After a short interchange I then joined the 1111 regional service to Marloie along with an absolute hoard of school age children who appeared to be going camping? Anyway I had a seat so not exactly a problem. The run along the valley formed by the Ourthe river was very pretty and the Class 08 EMU (yet another version of the Desiro) whilst nothing special was certainly a perfectly servicable train and better than many units that would run similar services in the UK.
Arriving at Marloie having just missed a train south towards Luxembourg as the local train arrives a minute after the intercity service (who said it's only Britain that can't arrange connections properly?) there was an opportunity to have a wander into what passes as the high street and visit a Spar (which always seem to be far more highbrow compared to their UK cousins or is that just me?) to collect needed supplies.
Returning to the station it was onto the 1323 IC2111 hauled by a Class 13 but with some very comfy old single deck carriages and it was here things went a little bit sideways but ended up working out for the best. I had planned to arrive at Arlon in time for the 1439 service back towards Libramont (but the very long way round rather than going the direct mainline) with a comfortable fifteen odd minute connection. However level crossing failure, ironically enough in the Libramont area, meant that we got to Arlon at 1441 watching the tail lamps of the 1439 vanishing round the corner (who said that it's only Britain that doesn't hold connections?). However, with the next train not for an hour, this gave an opportunity to have a quick wander around Arlon which turns out hosts a rather wonderful cathedral with a beautful, modern, stained glass window.
(Picture shows an utterly georgous stained glass window with strong blue and orange colours framed by the organ of the cathedral)
Back to Arlon station and onto the 1539 to Libramont going the longway round via Athus and Bertrix in the hands of another Class 08 and another quite pretty journey to Libramont. A quick ten minute change at Libramont onto the 1715 and another Class 08 this time heading towards Namur back via Bertrix (I doubled back just to kill time rather than waiting at Bertrix and also to scratch the line between Bertrix and Libramont which otherwise would have been an annoying short gap).
(Picture shows a Class 08 at Libramont shortly before departure to Namur)
This time the journey was much more picturesque and I would definitely recommend it. Whilst annoyingly the final twenty or so minutes into Namur were in the dark the majority of it was in daylight and the journey was spent weaving between the hills of south western Belgium, sometimes skirting their edge with the flat valley on one side and steep hillside on the other with the final run spent running along the Meuse river which was very attractive.
On arrival at Namur it was definitely time for something proper to eat and my tastes led me to Huggys a burger joint about five minutes from the station for a very tasty bacon and cheese burger along with a beer for around £20. Not cheap but the food was tasty, good qualtiy and the service swift meaning that I was able to make it back to Namur station fully refreshed in time for the 2017 IC2141 service back to Midi in the hands of another Class 18 hauling some modern double-deck stock.
Day 2 - Thursday 21 March
Having spent the previous day in the south it felt right to go north this time before heading to Rotterdam in the evening. I also wanted to try some DMUs so I decided to head out towards the east of the country towards Hamont and Hasselt first and then work my back in towards the centre in time to get a train to Rotterdam early in the evening. Things, however, would not go according to plan...
I started by getting the 0933 IC3408 which was in the hands of delightful old Class 75 EMU, really funky looking from Midi to Lierre.
(Picture shows a lovely Class 75 rolling into Midi)
However things were quickly going arry as this train was about five minutes late and the connection at Lierre was only seven minutes some time was made up but then more time was lost and we ended up arriving at Lierre about six minutes late but the train to Hamont was still in the platform directly opposite, a cross island interchange, connection made with ease! However, for whatever reason, the driver of the Hamont train had locked up and despite some desperate waving refused to re-open the doors despite having to wait several minutes for the train I arrived on to depart and clear the signal section. Therefore connection, in fact, well and truly missed due to a driver locking up, as far as I could tell, before his booked departure time.
Your roving reporter then began kicking themselves as they realised forlornly that if they'd stayed on the same train they arrived on it would have almost certainly beene possible to make the connection at Herentals instead with his original train firmly in front of the Hamont train but! No time to mope, onwards! Instead of going to Hamont, back to Mol and then onto Hasselt he would instead go to Hasselt, then Mol and then to Hamont and then... Somewhere...
Recriminations over it was onto the 1035 from Lierre to Hasselt which was in the hands of anothe retro unit a Class 80 EMU. Arriving at Hasselt gave time for a quick walk into the town centre and another visit to Spar to collect more supplies before joining the 1207 regional service towards Mol which was in the hands of a Class 41 DMU. Dinky little units (quite a climb up to get in though) which are better than a Pacer or a 150 but probably not much better than a 156 and certainly worse than a 158 or anything more modern (like a 185 or 170). The line towards Mol was nothing special, fairly typical rural scenary and the novelty of the unit soon wore off.
After a brief pause in Mol it was time to catch the next train on to Hamont, now at this point I got slightly confused as in rolled a Class 27 electric locomotive hauling a rake of double-deck coaches which foxed me slightly as the map I was using from SNCB suggested it was a diesel route (and the train I missed back at Lierre had been a DMU), however a nearby member of SNCB staff confirmed it was indeed the train Hamont so I boarded the 1307 IC4312 service up to Hamont. Nothing particularly remarkable about the route mixture of rural and industrial scenary out of the window.
(Picture shows a slightly graffiti ridden Class 27 basking in the sun between services at Hamont)
Having had a brief pause in Hamont it was back down towards Antwerp on the 1419 IC4335 service along with some quick thinking about where to go next. Having consulted the SNCB map I decided to stick to the north and proceed as far as Antwerp-Berchem and then head north towards Ghent before going back to Midi for a bite to eat before heading to Rotterdam.
The plan immediately, but thankfully temporarily, collapsed in a heap as my train lost time and turned an eleven minute connection at Antwer-Berchem into a one minute connection which, the reader will not be surprised to learn, was not possible to make. Thankfully there are a lot of trains towards Ghent so I caught the next train at 1612 which was IC1837 in the hands of a Class 18 locomotive. There was even entertainment during the wait in the form a SNCB conductor having to carry out "percusive mainteance" on a door which refused to close on their train (they kicked it repeatedly until it stayed closed).
I was pleased I'd followed the suggestion of visting Gent-Sint-Pieters as it was indeed a very impressive station even allowing for the building site aspects that it also included! Well worth a visit even a brief one like mine as it was soon time to head to back to Midi on the 1724 IC516 in the hands of another Class 18 hauling modern double-deck stock. Arriving into Midi and in need of food I found a pizza place within sight of the entrance to Midi station called A Modo Mio where I was able to get a very tasty pizza and a coke for £15 which I thought quite good value for something which was good quality and that close to Midi! To end the day it was back to Midi and onto the 1846 IC9263 Intercity Direct to Rotterdam Centraal in the hands of a pair of NS Class 186 locomotives top and tailing some hauled stock, but sadly by this point it was of course dark so not really able to sample the scenary!
Day 3 - Friday 22 March
Waking in a new city and with only a vague sense of plan it was back to Centraal station to start with a move to Den Haag Centraal and also to admire an utterly stunning station modern station frontage which I had seen the night before but was even more stunning in the daylight.
(A picture of Rotterdam Centraal stations main entrance with its tremendous modernist design)
So, the Netherlands was kinda fast and furious as there are so many trains it became quite easy to just design a plan that was "and then this, and then this and then this" etc etc
But I started with the 0948 IC1126 again in the hands of a pair of Class 186s top and tailing coaches (very comfy actually) to Den Haag Central. I then had a minor breakdown at the sight of a station which had mainline trains on one level and then a multiple tram tracks coming inside the station building above the concourse with a full size bus station positioned above the mainline platforms and the realisation that we will never manage public transport infrastructure of that sort here in the UK. Anyway, having recovered, I decided I would head towards the far south of the Netherlands before making may way up the eastern edge of the country. This meant that it was straight back onto a train to join the 1055 IC1739 towards Utrecht which was in the hands of the awesome ICM "Koploper" units and what excellent units they are. Looking very weird on the outside but inside very well modernised by NS, I can see why they've become something of an institution.
(A picture of an ICM sat on the blocks at Den Haag Centraal)
On arriving at Utrecht there was time to get to a shop to grab some supplies before joining the 1209 IC2941 towards Roermond operated by a VIRM unit (another excellent double-deck unit). A minor excitement occurred at Roermond as changing trains onto an Arriva service went from a tight four minutes to very tight two minutes but with a little bit of jogging the connection was made onto the 1333 Arriva service towards Nijmegen in the hands of a Stadler GTW unit (again a very good regional unit, as so many are in Europe!).
At Nijmegen things took a slightly heartwarming turn. Initially I noticed a lot of NS staff were making their way to the far end of the platform near where I was stood, then another member of NS staff with a loudhailer started walking down the platform saying something in Dutch to everyone which caused everyone to move towards the edge of the platform and as the next train rolled in the gathered passengers burst into applause, as the train rolled in horn sounding, siren blaring to cheers of their NS colleagues at the end of the platform (by which point I had a fair guess at what was going on). Off stepped the driver who through their work bag in the air to more cheers from the NS staff followed by what was clearly family who had been travelling on the train with them. At this point I was able to find a friendly looking Dutch person who explained that, as I suspected, the driver was retiring today, that had been their last train after a 42 year career as a train driver.
Anyway, onwards! Next was the 1524 IC3650 towards Zwolle in the hands of a VIRM and at Zwolle a quick change onto the 1651 Blauwnet (some sort of Arriva/Keolis partnership outfit) operated by another Stadler unit, this time a Flirt, which, as with all Stader products was excellent heading towards Enschede. At this point due to the weather (it was pouring with rain) and the time to get back to Rotterdam meaning I wanted to be on a train heading that way soon I ended up going to the station Burger King for dinner. Somewhat boring but needs must?
To cap the day off a pair of trains both happily operated by ICMs meaning a very pleasant few hours of travel starting with the 1845 IC1770 as far Utrecht Centraal with a quick change there onto the 2033 IC2870 back to Rotterdam Centraal capping a very enjoyable day.
Day 4 - Saturday 23 March
The final full day and having spent most of the previous day in the south it seemed logical to head northwards but I thought I'd start by heading south again from Rotterdam towards Eindhoven Centraal (new track to be scratched!) on the 0914 IC1131 another lovely locohauled set in the hands of a pair of Class 186s but, due to what can only be described as a catastrophic failure of planning on my part, I managed to arrange a one minute connection at Eindhoven and sure enough missed my intended connection. This failure remains inexplicable to me.
Anyway having junked the initial plan of going north to Leeuwarden from here and then possibly doing the bus across the Afsluitdijk, it was instead north to Groningen. Firstly by getting the 1034 IC2934 in the hands of VIRM unit (I really like those) for what was supposed to be a very easy nearly thirty minute connection at Utrecht onto a train to Gronigen but due to a broken down train in the 's-Hertogenbosh area causing wrong line running the connection become somewhat worrying but in the end simple seven minute connection onto the 1149 IC539 in the hands this time of a DDZ unit which was very similar to the VIRM and also very good.
Arriving into Gronigen it was a bit of a building site on the platform side but worth the visit at the station building turned out to be a very attractive one indeed.
(Picture shows one of the main halls in Gronigen station with wonderful neo-gothic styling)
Back onto Arriva for the 1354 to Leeuwarden in the hands of a nearly new Stadler WINK (again, another excellent Stadler unit) for the journey across the north eastern side of the Netherlands. Very very flat with lots of drainage ditches in evidence in this part of the country! From Leeuwarden there was just time to quickly have a walk around which involved the slightly surreal experience of hearing Sweet Caroline being played from a bar in Dutch. Back at the station and it was time to start heading towards Amsterdam (where I was staying that night) so I decided to skirt it first by getting the 1517 IC7650 to Den Haag Centraal (another DDZ unit), then heading for Leiden Centraal (on the 1820 IC2267) which I'd gone through heading to Den Haag but figured I'd scratch the line and besides the train back to Leiden from Den Haag was formed from the same unit so was impossible to miss!
Changing at Leiden onto the 1820 IC2267 (back onto a VIRM) for Haarlem. I'd been to Haarlem before so knew what to expect so can only echo those who suggested it on this thread. It really is an absolute gem and worth stepping off to visit.
(Picture shows a VIRM unit admiring a glorious sunset at Haarlem as the rain storm was finally passing)
Sadly at this point a biblical rain storm arrived which meant I had to hide out in the station for ten minutes before being able to leave the safety of the station and find sustenance at De Pizzabakkers who, despite being extremely busy (it was Saturday night after all) were able to squeeze me and provided me with an excellent pizza and a beer for £17 which I thought was very good value overall. Having been fed and watered it was time to head to Amsterdam Centraal on my final NS train of the trip which was the 2025 IC2164 (one last VIRM) which glided to a halt under the wonderful trainshed at Amsterdam Centraal bang on time at 2040.
Your intrepid correspondent then took themselves off to their hotel as they had an early start the next day to catch the Eurostar at 0817 from Amsterdam Centraal back to London and from there onwards back home to the North East. Including the travel to and from home in the UK I travelled on 37 different trains and covered 2,663 miles during the trip.
Thank you all for your suggestions they really were helpful
Oh and here's that Interail map I promised for anyone who just wanted to a pictorial version of what I got up to:
(I'm not sure I can really give this a proper caption really! Needless to say it's a map showing my journeys as described above)
(I'm not sure I can really give this a proper caption really! Needless to say it's a map showing my journeys as described above)
There's no DOO in Belgium and it's the guard who closes the doors. They used to blow the whistle 20 s before departure time and close the doors 10 s before departure, but some years ago that changed. They may now blow the whistle and close the doors as long before departure time as they see fit to make sure that the train can start moving at the departure time. Most guards now blow the whistle 40 s before departure time and close the doors 35-30 s before departure, but I've also seen exceptions of up to 1.5 minutes in advance. (IMO that means the train left 1.5 minutes early.)
In addition, the departure procedure is started regardless of the signals (which AFAIK is unique in Europe). It's therefore indeed possible for a train with closed doors to be waiting in front of a red signal, with angry passengers on the platform looking at it.
(And thanks for the trip report!)
Ah thanks for the information! From my observation it appeared that on more modern stock the guards weren't particularly involved in the dispatch process (they obviously were on the older stuff as the door kicking incident occurred on some sort of old EMU). I have mentally apologised to the driver in question and instead directed my ire to the guard. Feels very weird though that they closed up that early on a red when they must have known that they were getting a green signal until the other train had departed. I wasn't the only one that was trying to make the connection either!
J-2739
Established Member
This is a great report, thank you for this. As someone who is looking to travel to the Netherlands this summer, this is what I needed to read!
I'll probably make my own thread later, but just one question I had in mind; does one need to carry identification (like a British passport) when crossing an EU border? Is this something that is checked?
I'll probably make my own thread later, but just one question I had in mind; does one need to carry identification (like a British passport) when crossing an EU border? Is this something that is checked?
When travelling between Schengen countries there usually are no identification checks. But countries can do so in exceptional circumstances, and some do. Also, some countries require you to always carry identification, or to be able to show it in specific cases.
For EU borders outside of Schengen I would expect a check at all borders.
It’s not checked at most borders within the Schengen area, though I recall they were checking passports between Denmark and Sweden a few years ago. And last year I had a check on a train between Austria and Germany. I believe in some countries it’s a legal requirement to carry ID, although checks would be extremely rare. So it’s always worthwhile carrying it with you, in my opinion.
Wandering Pom
Member
My understanding is that authorities in EU countries have the right to check for ID at any time, so I think it's advised to carry ID (passport for Brits) at all times. IDs will be checked at Schengen zone borders, and borders of EU and non-EU countries outside the Schengen zone. IDs are not typically checked at borders within the Schengen zone, but countries retain the right to do checks, and there are some borders where I understand this is quite common: entering Germany from Austria (Salzburg particularly), and entering Sweden from Denmark on the Oresund rail link. I've also encountered passport checks entering France at Cerbere, and Denmark at Padborg at different times in the last ten years.
However, I am not an expert and could easily be wrong: please read the Foreign Office website for authoritative advice.
Yes one does.
Between Schengen countries often not. But you're still required to carry identification.
AlbertBeale
Established Member
There are a number of Schengen countries (including Austria, Denmark, Italy, I think) that don't have compulsory identity cards - hence they can't insist on seeing something that people might not have. However, in some countries (eg France) police can ask for proof of identity despite lack of a compulsory national ID card - in this case, providing you have something to confirm the name you claim, maybe a bank card or similar, then that's fine. (I'm not sure how this is applied to non-French citizens; maybe if the ID you produce to validate what you've told them identifies you as non-French, then they do demand something more formal/official, but I'm not sure. But it does seem all a bit haphazard - years back I was arrested in France and held for hours, without my ID being checked.) And there seem to be places where - even though there's no compulsory national system - ID of some sort is demanded in certain situations, such as checking in to a hotel. I believe the Netherlands is similar to France - ie no compulsory national ID cards, but you can be asked for some proof in certain situations.
As to when crossing borders in mainland Europe, in recent years I've had to produce my passport when travelling between Denmark and Sweden, and also crossing in and out of Switzerland (I think it was), though on that occasion they saw the cover of my passport and that was sufficient...!
All in all, given that you need a passport to get to a country in mainland Europe from the UK anyway, it does seem generally sensible to carry it with you while you're there.
DanielB
Member
In the Netherlands it is mandatory to have an ID with you when aged 14 and older.
An ID might be an ID card, passport or driving licence and there's a high fine on not producing one at first request (
Edit: the fine is € 110 + 9 euro admin costs.
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Thanks for that @ainsworth74 . I lived in Brussels for a year in 2010 and you have revived old memories.
D6130
Established Member
ID cards - or a passport, if a UK citizen - are compulsory in Italy. If you are stopped by the police or Carabinieri at a random checkpoint and you don't have it with you, but can identify yourself by means of a bank card or driving licence, you will have to take your passport or ID card to a specified police or Carabinieri station within 24 hours or face arrest.
J-2739
Established Member
Thanks for all your comments guys! I was thinking during my stay in the Netherlands I would make short hops into Belgium and Germany; that's where the question arose from. Guess I'll be holding very tightly onto my passport now!
Glad you enjoyed it! I enjoyed Belgium and I do think that the scenery on the whole was more interesting (and there's more loco haulage if that's your thing) but I definitely enjoyed the Netherlands more overall. Yes it's basically entirely units but they're canny little (well, in a manner of speaking, they're pretty big!) units and the country itself is clearly well worth visiting. I'll need to get back and properly explore some of the towns and cities I passed through/changed at properly.
Must confess when I'm abroad I always have my passport on me, required or not!
AlbertBeale
Established Member
My reading of the Italian law was that ID cards are not compulsory - even to have one, let alone to carry one. But since you can be asked to confirm your identity, and the ID card is the easiest way to do so, then most people have one. I also understood that if you are stopped by the police and can't convince them of your identity, you might have to produce something satisfactory later, or even be kept in custody until they're satisfied - hence it's normal to carry ID, though not a criminal offence not to have such a card. In other words, being able to verify who you say you are can be necessary, but the specific national ID card isn't.
Bemined
Member
Similar in the Netherlands: you are not required to carry an ID, but you are required to show one if asked so by the police. Main legal difference is that the police can't randomly stop you to check your ID without a reason, but if they have a reason to stop you they can ask for it.
In Belgium, every citizen receives an identity card at age 12 and is required carry it each time he goes outside. Same for foreign nationals living in Belgium. This card has a pin code and a chip that can be used for online authentication. People not having such a card must have with them another official document that can be trusted for authentication.
Foreign nationals in Belgium from an EU country are not obliged to have an electronic residence card. I didn't have one for a number of years and instead I was handed an A4 with my data, my photo and a stamp. Residence cards were mandatory until ~20 years ago but then the European Court of Justice said EU citizens couldn't be mandated to buy one.
Yes you are right. I have difficulties to qualify european citizens as "foreign" so was more thinking about people coming from overseas.
Agreed, finding a Koploper to Groningen last week was quite challenging. They still run 11 car formations in the peaks. 4011 is still going, the last survivor of the first series I believe.
As of December the Spa to Aachen service has been replaced by an hourly loco hauled service from Liege to Aachen. It calls all stations, hardly suitable for IC stock. I wonder how well it keeps time. The Spa to Verviers service is run by Break units. To be honest they would be far more suitable for the Aachen service but no doubt they aren't allowed into Germany.
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Indeed the Break units are not allowed in Aachen. And in a not too distant future, the voltage switch infrastructure in Aachen will be dismantled and replaced by a plain line junction somewhere near Hergenrath. At that moment, only multisystem locos will be able to cross the border. That will be the first job of the new HLE17 locos that SNCB has on order. In a more distant future, those hauled trains might be replaced by the new AM30 units, currently under investigation - RFI has been issued, but no RFP yet - as some of them would be equipped with batteries.