I took a 3 1⁄2-hour train from Paris to Amsterdam for $86 — it's the only good way to travel around Europe

For people who don't know it well, Gare du Nord can feel chaotic and a bit nerve-racking.

But I entered the station's main concourse from the métro, so I could just follow the signs that said "Trains" and "Grandes lignes."

There are a few coffee stands and food options, like a Starbucks, a Paul bakery, and even a Five Guys. But prices are usually slightly higher than locations outside the station.

If you want a snack for your journey, I recommend getting something in one of Paris' amazing boulangeries before you arrive.

Gare du Nord is huge and one of the busiest stations in Europe, so it's always packed.

I find the platforms take a long time to walk down, so I always budget extra time.

On this journey, there are often two trains traveling together (head to tail) that divide in Brussels. I had to walk all the way to the other end of the second train to board.

If you have a disability of any sort that makes this much walking difficult, you can ask SNCF (France's national train service) for assistance in advance.

There are screens dotted throughout the station so you can keep an eye on your train. But make sure to listen to announcements as well, which are in French and English.

My train was delayed by five minutes, but it didn't say anything on the screens. I only found out because it was mentioned in an announcement.

Once our platform number came up, the crowd pushed toward it. When I finally reached my carriage, it was easy to find my seat.

My train still had Thalys' iconic bright-red seating inside, rather than being kitted out in Eurostar's navy blue. But I was glad because I think Thalys' trains are more comfortable.

The seats were large and cozy, with a headrest on both sides. There was also a drinks holder, a fold-down tray table, a bin, and two charging ports (a plug and a USB).

I had ample space to store my smaller bags under or above my seat and my larger luggage on the big racks located in the middle and ends of each car.

During the journey, the Wi-Fi was pretty spotty — most of the time I couldn't get a connection at all.

Sometimes I managed to receive a WhatsApp message, but I never had enough connection to watch a YouTube video or download an image.

Although annoying, this wasn't hugely surprising. I've experienced the same thing on Eurostar's other services, like the cross-Channel train between London and Paris.

After fiddling with the Wi-Fi to no avail, I decided to see what there was in the way of snacks in the café car.

I was immediately glad I'd brought something to eat with me because the selection was pretty limited: a selection of chocolate bars, snacks, Belgian beer, and fizzy drinks.

There were also a few sandwiches in a fridge for 7 euros. But vegetarians beware: The only one on my trip was jambon-fromage, or ham and cheese.

The only other food options were in a vending machine, which mostly had drinks and chocolate bars.

The journey crosses two borders (Belgium and the Netherlands) in just over three hours, passing green farmland, small woods and villages, and major cities like Brussels, Antwerp, and Rotterdam.

It was very peaceful to watch the changing views out my window.

We never managed to catch up on the five-minute delay. In fact, we rolled into the Dutch capital a full 25 minutes late.

Luckily, when you arrive in Amsterdam Centraal, there are lots of signs directing you to public transportation so you can quickly carry on with your journey.

There are also plenty of stores to browse if you've got time to kill before or after your train, including a small branch of the Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn.

But when I arrived, I was ready to start exploring. I walked straight out of the station and found myself directly on the city's famous IJ waterfront.

The delays were irritating, but nothing beats arriving right in the center of a city without having to deal with the hassle of an airport.

I'm hoping, in time, Eurostar will get used to its new route and those problems with delays, Wi-Fi, and food choices will be ironed out. I just hope the company doesn't swap the seats on the comfy Thalys trains.

I'd definitely take this line again, and I'm interested in checking out its other destinations.