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International Train Services to / from Amsterdam
Amsterdam is well connected to the European rail network. Train travel is comfortable, convenient and "greener" than flying... and also gives you the real feeling of travel compared with the more sterile and security focussed airport experience. From Netherlands there are high speed international rail links, intercity trains and longer night "sleeper" services which can get you all over Europe. |
International train tickets can be easily bought at the NSHispeed counters at main stations including Amsterdam Central. They will charge you a €3.50 service fee for tickets to France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg and €10 for anywhere else including UK. Alternatively you could purchase your ticket online. |
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For an overview of all international daytime services, check out our international rail connections map from Amsterdam:
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for international rail map
Amsterdam - Brussels - Paris
 | The opening of the "HSL Zuid" high speed line between Amsterdam and Belgium has significantly reduced travel times on the Amsterdam - Brussels - Paris route. Top speeds now reach 250 km/h on the Dutch section. |
Thalys is the popular 10x daily high-speed train service between Amsterdam and Paris Nord which also stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam, Antwerp Central and Brussels Zuid/Midi. From Amsterdam the journey takes 3h 18 to Paris, 1h 54 to Brussels and 1h 12 to Antwerp.
Seats on the Thalys are sold in a similar way to airline tickets - advance purchase fares are cheapest but prices rise significantly closer to the travel date. The lowest one-way Thalys fares are known as "Smoove" - the lowest fares (2011 prices) from Amsterdam to Antwerp (€29 in 2nd class / €45 in 1st class), to Brussels (€29 / €45) and to Paris (€35 / €79). Wifi internet is available on Thalys trains, free for first class passengers.
Alternatively, there is the hourly Intercity train which runs between Amsterdam and Brussels jointly operated by the Dutch and Belgian railways. This service is slower than the Thalys, taking just under 3 hours - but stops at more stations along the way (Schiphol, Den Haag HS, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Roosendaal, Antwerp and Mechelen). Note, it can get very crowded at peak times with some passengers in 2nd class having to stand.
Tickets for this Intercity are priced like a normal domestic train - fixed fares based on distance, no reservation or supplements needed. Standard intercity singles (2012 prices) from Amsterdam to Brussels cost €40.40 2nd class / €63.80 1st class. Amsterdam to Antwerp costs €31 / €49.20. Cheaper tickets are available for day returns after 0900 and weekend returns with outbound travel possible on Friday. For example, a weekend return Amsterdam to Brussels costs €48.40 (2nd class) and €76.60 (1st class). Intercity tickets can easily be bought at the station on the day of travel.
From Paris Nord you can connect onto the French TGV network to destinations throughout France - but you will have to transfer to one of the other Paris stations using the Metro/RER or taxi. It is also possible from Paris to take an overnight train to Madrid or Barcelona.
Amsterdam - South of France
ZonThalys is a special "Sun" Thalys service aimed at Dutch holidaymakers which runs weekly (on Saturdays) during July and August only. The train operates as a normal Thalys from Amsterdam to Brussels - but then continues on to Valence, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille St Charles. Total journey time between Amsterdam and Marseille is under 7 hours and one-way tickets cost from €65 in 2nd class / €99 in 1st class. This is a very popular service and the cheapest tickets sell out fast - so book early. Tickets normally go on sale around the end of February.
Alternatively there are TGV services originating from Brussels running year round which bypass Paris and serve many major destinations in the south of France - including Lyon, Marseilles, Nice and the French Riviera, Montpelier and Perpignan.
Amsterdam - London via Brussels
 | To travel from Amsterdam to London, UK by train you must first travel to Brussels Zuid/Midi station (by Thalys or Intercity, as above) and then take the Eurostar to London St Pancras. The Eurostar is a high speed train service via the channel tunnel which takes around 2 hours. There are 5 to 7 daily Brussels-London services - all trains stop at Lille and Ebbsfleet, some at Ashford. |
Tickets from Amsterdam (or any station in Netherlands) to London cost from €50 one-way in 2nd class - this includes a specific seat reservation on the Eurostar plus the right to travel on the Intercity to Brussels up to 24 hours before the Eurostar departure. Amsterdam-London travel using Thalys + Eurostar is generally more expensive as there are no special through fares offered - you will simply pay the sum of the 2 fares.
To get the cheapest ticket from London with Eurostar buy a ticket valid to "Any Dutch Station" - this will give you the cheaper Eurostar + Intercity through fares which cost from £89 return. If you select "London to Amsterdam" on Eurostar's booking engine it will route you on the higher Thalys fares.
For a bit more indulgence consider booking Eurostar Standard Premier Class or as "first class" from Netherlands.
This ticket includes a first class ticket on the Intercity from any Dutch station plus NSHispeed lounge access. On the Eurostar you sit in the dedicated Standard Premier carriage - with complimentary newspapers / magazines and a light meal / drinks served at your seat. Returns are priced from £179 or €199. |
Always allow plenty of connection time when transferring to the Eurostar in Brussels - you will need to go through a security check and UK passport control. We recommend arriving in Brussels at least 1 hour before Eurostar departure.
In the future we should hopefully see some direct London to Amsterdam services which will make life a lot simpler for travellers.
Amsterdam to Germany, Switzerland, Austria
 | Amsterdam - FrankfurtThe fast and modern ICE Trains run from Amsterdam Central to Frankfurt via Utrecht, Arnhem, Dusseldorf and Cologne 7 times a day. Journey times are 2h 12 to Dusseldorf, 2h 38 to Cologne (Keulen / Köln) and 3h 46 to Frankfurt. Speeds between Cologne and Frankfurt approach 300 km/h. |
ICE ticket prices from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf or Cologne one-way are €19 2nd class and €39 1st class. Amsterdam to Frankfurt costs from €39 (2nd) and €59 (1st). Prices can vary slightly between NSHispeed and German Rail (De Bahn).
Amsterdam - Basel
There is also 1 daily ICE service from Amsterdam CS to Frankfurt which continues onto Basel in Switzerland. It leaves Amsterdam Central at 0804 arriving in Basel SBB at 1447. Standard ticket prices are around €80 one-way, special offer fares can be cheaper.
Other ICE Services via Germany: From Dusseldorf or Frankfurt it is possible to connect onwards by ICE to other cities in southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria - with travel during the daytime. One-way ICE fares from Netherlands to the likes of Stuttgart, Munich and Salzburg (Austria) can be priced as low as €39 - but availability is limited, so watch for special offers. Consider splitting your booking via Germany - for example, if travelling Amsterdam-Vienna then book an Amsterdam-Dusseldorf ticket followed by a Dusseldorf-Vienna ticket.
Amsterdam - BerlinThis DB German Intercity (IC) train service runs 5 x a day from Amsterdam Schiphol and Amsterdam Zuid (not Amsterdam CS) to the German capital city Berlin. The journey goes via Hilversum, Amersfoort, Apeldoorn, Deventer, Amelo and Hengelo in Netherlands. German stops include Rheine, Osnabruck, Hannover and Wolfsburg. |
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The train arrives at Berlin's stunning Hauptbanhof and terminates at Ostbahnhof. The journey takes around 6h 30 with one-way prices from €39 (2nd class) and €59 (1st class).
Amsterdam - Luxembourg
There are no direct services to Luxembourg. The quickest way to travel by train is to take the Thalys train to Brussels and then take an intercity service from Brussels to Luxembourg - this takes just under 5 1/2 hours and costs from €77 one-way. The trip can also be done in 6 hours (cost €70) by taking standard intercity trains and connecting in Maastricht, Liege (Belgium) and Namur (Belgium).
Night Train Services from Amsterdam
| There are various night train services that depart each evening and go to destinations around Europe. City Night Line (CNL), a Deutsche Bahn subsidiary, runs a number of services originating from Amsterdam. These trains have 3 categories of travel - standard seats, couchettes (4 and 6 berth bunk beds) and comfortable sleeper cabins (1, 2 or 3 person classed "economy" or "deluxe"). Reservations are mandatory. |
Amsterdam to Basel / Zurich - CNL service departing Amsterdam CS at 2031. Arrives in Basel at 0654, then Zurich at 0820. Onward connections from Zurich include Milan and from there the Italian rail network.
Amsterdam to Munich - CNL service departing with Basel/Zurich train at 2031. Arrives in Munich the next morning at 0716. From Munich it is possible to travel onwards to Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest, best done on the Railjet train.
Amsterdam to Berlin - Nightly CNL service, departs Amsterdam CS at 1901, arrives early morning in Berlin Hbf at 0428 (9 1/2 hour journey).
Amsterdam to Copenhagen - CNL service, departing with the Berlin train from Amsterdam at 1901, arrives the next day in Copenahgen at 1002. Onward connections to Norway and Sweden can be taken.
Amsterdam to Prague - CNL also departs from Amsterdam at 1901, arriving in Prague at 0928 the following morning.
Amsterdam to Warsaw - This overnight service is run as a EuroNight (night train services jointly operated by a number of national rail companies), departing at 1901 (as above) and arriving in Warsaw the next day at 1025. The service also continues on to Minsk in Belarus arriving at 2248 (+1) and Moscow, Russia at 0937 (+2) the following day. Note, visas are required for Belarus and Russia. (For the ultimate trip you could then continue on the Trans-Siberian Express all the way to Vladivostok, take the ferry over to Japan and on to the Shinkansen-Bullet train to Tokyo!)
Amsterdam-Cologne-Vienna - Another option to consider: there is a EuroNight service from Cologne to Vienna (departs 2005, arrives 0904). Take an ICE train from Amsterdam to Cologne in the early afternoon to connect with the EuroNight service.
Lowest night train one-way prices per person are as follows: €29 (seat), €49 (6-berth couchette), €59 (4-berth couchette), €79 (2 bed economy sleeper), €139 (1 bed economy sleeper), €119 (2 bed deluxe sleeper) and €199 (1 bed deluxe sleeper). Sleepers get complimentary breakfast, deluxe sleepers have ensuite showers.
Related articles: How to Buy a Dutch Train ticket and Train Stations in Amsterdam
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