Train to Brussels

Schipol airport is perhaps the most organized airport in the world. Disagree, please comment. It is by far, the best I have found thus far. Of course, I am comparing it also to Charles De Gaul (Paris), which while on the same continent might be the worst (rural Columbian drug cartel airstrips are not included in this sample).

Still, to an American who is slightly jet-lagged, interpreting the train charts to discern which platform (Spoor in dutch. Yes - spoor) can be a challenge.
We attended the Cashier, bought first class tickets to Brussels (don't bother - go 2nd class) and then wandered about for some time looking for the right platform. We decided it was 5-6 (whatever the hell that means) and descended. A group of transit workers ambled by and so we decided to ask if we were correct. A young lady was apparently working on her English, so her male colleague used this opportunity to force her to speak. "Ask her anything! haha! Anything at all!" he said. Her English was good - we were in the right place.

Train travel is so far superior to Air travel. There is simply no comparison in terms of comfort. We dozed off on the 2.5 hour trip, lulled to sleep by the sound of the train and the green countryside of the Netherlands speeding by. There is something about green farmland, sectioned by canals, occupied by white grazing sheep, cavorting in the grass and lounging in the sunlight.....

Hints:

• Thalys has a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Brussels. Instead, I suggest the cheaper "Inter city train". It takes a bit more time (30m or so), but one leaves every hour from Schipol, and costs much less.
• Buy 2nd class, don't bother with 1st class.
  
• Ask the cashier which "Spoor" you need when you buy the tickets. Except say "platform" not "spoor".
  
• The blue signs at the track (above) indicate which side of the platform you need for the arriving train.
  
• The yellow schedule signs (also above) are good for discerning when a train is arriving/departing, but it is not really exhaustive for that location. Many trains arrived and departed that were not indicated.
  
• They tend to announce last minute track changes so do your best to listen to the announcers.
  
• Unless you speak sanskrit, or Klingon, go ahead and ask the transit officials if you have questions, they seem quite multi-lingual.