Train Travel Questions from Amsterdam

"Amsterdam-Bruges would take over 6,5 hours with 4 changes enroute"

Rubbish. Amsterdam Bruges takes 3.5h with just 1 change (sometimes 2)
OPTION 1: high speed Thalys Amsterdam => Antwerp - 1h15, reservation required

OPTION 2: IC train Amsterdam => Antwerp - 2h12, no reservations

From Antwerp - it takes 1h20 to get to Bruges. Direct train at 20min past the hour; indirect train with a change in Gent at 5min past the hour. IC trains from Amsterdam arrive at .00, so you have either 5 or 20 minutes to change. Thalys arrives at a more inconvenient time, meaning you'll have to wait half an hour for your connection - thereby loosing the time you saved by travelling high speed.

Bruges - Paris: you need either TGV going via Lille, or Thalys going via Brussels. Both take the same time, so this doesn't matter. But you need to book in advance. In theory, you could also travel to Lille from Bruges (via Kortrijk) and then take a train to Amiens, and there change again to Paris, thereby avoiding TGV, but I really wouldn't bother about it - this takes a lot more time.

Donstefano, before you feel the urge to dismiss another poster's advice as "rubbish", please read the preceeding discussion carefully: strauss1944 seemed to be surprised that express trains (which I take to mean Thalys or InterCity) are the only (feasible) way to travel between Amsterdam and Bruges, and between Bruges/Brussels and Paris. In response to that, I was merely comparing the travel time on the standard Amsterdam-Brugge route by IC/Thalys to a route that would avoid any Thalys or IC trains - hence my comment, that you unfortunately quoted out of context.

There's some confusion here.

The IC InterCity between Amsterdam and Brussels trains ARE the 'regional' trains in the sense that they need no reservation, and have fixed price tariffs that are the same in advance as on the day.

Taking the IC between Amsterdam and Brussels means a 2h50 hour journey (Thalys takes 1h50 odd) but is more flexible and cheaper if you buy on the day.

Thalys is more comfortable and faster, it's cheaper or as cheap as the IC if you pre-book (no refunds, no changes) but much more expensive if you buy on the day.

Between Brussels and Paris there are no IC trains, just Thalys, unless you faff about going via Lille..