Amsterdam to Bruges travel is possible by various means of transport including trains, coach, ferry as well as car.
Bruges (Brugge) is the historic canal city in the northwest of Belgium which attracts many tourist visitors. Bruges is located around 250km south-west from Dutch capital Amsterdam.
Amsterdam to Bruges travel overview |
[1] Amsterdam to Bruges by Train
Travelling by train is a comfortable way to get from Amsterdam to Bruges and can be easily booked at the NS International site (euros) or the Trainline site here (multi-currencies) with prices starting from €39 one-way.
The Amsterdam-Bruges journey is split as follows:
- Amsterdam to Antwerp (or Brussels) using the high speed Eurostar train or the Eurocity Direct train. We strongly recommend changing at the historic Antwerp Central station and avoiding Brussels!
- Antwerp (or Brussels) to Bruges by Belgian Rail Intercity via Ghent (Gent).
1a. Amsterdam-Antwerp (or Brussels) by Eurostar
The high speed Eurostar service (formerly Thalys) runs from Amsterdam Central station to Paris Gare du Nord via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Central, Antwerp Central and Brussels Zuid/Midi.
Eurostar runs up to 14x daily on the Amsterdam-Brussels route and the journey takes 1 hour 20 mins to Antwerp (or 1 hour 56 mins to Brussels).
Eurostar Train – Travel Classes
There are 3 classes of travel on the Eurostar: Standard, Plus and Premier.
Eurostar Standard
- Standard is 2nd class seating (2-2 configuration)
- Food/drink can be purchased at the Eurostar Café bar or kiosk
- Free WiFi is available and seats have EU power outlets
- Exchangeable up to 1 hour before departure (just pay the fare difference)
- Refundable up to 7 days before departure for €25/£25/$40
Eurostar Plus
- Plus is 1st class seating only (2-1 configuration)
- Food/drink can be purchased at the Eurostar Café bar or kiosk
- Free WiFi is available and seats have EU power outlets
- Exchangeable up to 1 hour before departure (just pay the fare difference)
- Refundable up to 7 days before departure for €25/£25/$40
Eurostar Premier
- Premier is 1st class seating (2-1 configuration)
- Gourmet meal and drinks (including champagne) served at your seat
- Free WiFi is available and seats have EU power outlets
- Exchangeable/refundable up to 48 hours after departure (no fee, just pay the fare difference)
- Lounge access available at Amsterdam Centraal (NS International lounge) and Brussel Zuid/Midi (Eurostar Premier lounge)
What is the luggage allowance on Eurostar?
A great advantage of travelling by Eurostar train is that (unlike flying) you will not need to pay extra for bringing standard sized suitcases.
- Eurostar Standard and Plus fares permit 2 pieces of luggage (max 75cm long) plus 1 small daypack/handbag
- Eurostar Premier permits 3 pieces of luggage (max 75cm long) plus 1 small daypack/handbag.
- Children can bring 1 piece of luggage and 1 piece of hand luggage
- Pushchairs (strollers) and prams travel for free but must be folded away and stowed safely
There are no weight limits for luggage – however you must be able to carry them safely on and off the train.
Store them on the overhead luggage racks or at the special racks at each end of the carriage. You cannot block the aisles with any items.
Who can get discounted travel on Eurostar?
Various age groups can get cheaper fares on Eurostar’s European routes:
- Children 0-3 travel free but do not get a seat assignment – they must sit on an adult’s lap
- Children 0-11 get up to 50% discount off Standard and Plus fares (no Premier class discounts)
- Youths age 12-25 get up to 20% off Standard and 15% off Plus and Premier fares, subject to availability
- Seniors age 60+ get 10% off all fares, subject to availability
- Interrail/Eurail pass-holders pay fees of €22 (Standard) and €27 (Plus) for Amsterdam-Brussels/Antwerp Eurostar travel
Eurostar tickets are released for sale up to 6 months out – to secure the cheapest fares you should book as early as possible.
1b. Amsterdam-Antwerp (or Brussels) by Eurocity Direct
The Eurocity Direct train runs between Amsterdam Zuid station and Brussels Zuid/Midi station. It was introduced in December 2024 and replaced the old Intercity Brussels service.
The Eurocity Direct uses Dutch Intercity New Generation trains and uses the high-speed track running at up to 200km/h.
The Eurocity Direct service originates from Lelystad Centrum and Almere before stopping at Amsterdam Zuid station (not Amsterdam Centraal). It continues to Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal and Antwerp Centraal before terminating at Brussels Zuid/Midi station.
- The Amsterdam-Antwerp journey takes 1 hours 23 mins by Eurocity Direct (or 2 hours 8 mins for Amsterdam-Brussels)
- Eurocity Direct runs 16x daily
Eurocity Direct tickets are either 1st class (2-1 seating configuration) or 2nd class (2-2 configuration). There is no assigned seating – just find any available free seat.
Here are some features of the Eurocity Direct trains:
- Low-level wide-entry doors allow for easy boarding
- Overhead luggage racks can accommodate small and medium size bags
- There are also some larger luggage racks spaced at various points
- Free WiFi is available at to all passengers
- European power outlets and USB ports are found between each seat pair
Interrail/Eurail pass holders can travel without supplement on the Eurocity Direct.
1c. Antwerp to Bruges by Belgian Rail Intercity
We highly recommend making the change at Antwerp Central, one of Europe’s great stations and worth exploring in its own right.
From Antwerp you take a frequent Belgian Rail Intercity service to Brugge which goes via Gent St Pieters.
- With an Amsterdam-Bruges ticket you can take any Belgian Intercity on-the-day – so choose a direct Antwerp-Bruges service rather than one requiring a change at Ghent!
The direct Antwerp-Bruges Intercity runs hourly and takes about 1 hour 30 mins.
Total travel time for Amsterdam-Bruges will be from 2 hours 51 mins (Eurostar) and from 2 hours 57 mins (Eurocity Direct).
Amsterdam-Bruges Rail Fares
Fares for Amsterdam-Bruges can vary significantly depending on the route and trains you choose.
Intercity/Eurocity services have distance-based fares including time-specific saver fares (cheaper) or full-flex fares (allow travel on any service on-the-day).
The standard ‘walk-up’ full-flex one-way fare (2026) for Amsterdam-Bruges – taking the Eurocity Direct Amsterdam to Antwerp – costs €75.90 (2nd class) or €115.60 (1st class).
One-way saver fares start at €38.80 (2nd class) and €70.00 (1st class) and are valid for a specific Eurocity Direct train only.
You can buy an Amsterdam Central-Bruges rail ticket which includes the Eurostar component but expect the price to be higher than the Eurocity Direct.
Prices with Eurostar start from €47 one-way in Standard class – however this fare is hard to find and is usually only available on the last service of the day from Amsterdam.
The main railways station in Brugge is about a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre.
Book your tickets with Trainline here
Book your tickets with NS International here
Alternative route: Amsterdam-Vlissingen-Bruges
We will give a couple of alternative routes although these can take significantly longer and are therefore not really recommended (and we have done all the routes mentioned!)
If time/convenience is a factor then please stick with the above international trains.
There is is an hourly Belgian Rail stopping train between the Dutch border town of Roosendaal and Antwerp which uses the standard track rather than the high-speed line.
Another more adventurous and complex route is to travel via the south-western province of Zeeland. Take a Dutch Railways Intercity service from Amsterdam to Vlissingen which takes up to 3 hours.
You then take the Westerschelde passenger ferry service from Vlissingen (next to the station) to Breskens, a crossing which takes about 20 minutes – although you may have to wait for the next departing ferry.
The ferries tend to run hourly in the low season and half-hourly in the high season.
Finally there is Connexxion bus line 42 which runs from Breskens harbour to Brugge station – this alone takes about 1 hour 30 mins. Some of the buses may be ‘De Lijn’ branded.
The bus makes dozens of stops – the highlight of the journey is probably passing the water tower in Oostburg.
Amsterdam-Bruges by Coach
Flixbus runs a regular direct services from Amsterdam Sloterdijk to Brugge taking around 4 hours. Book your Flixbus ticket here
In Bruges, the bus stop is located at the back side of Brugge station (Rijselstraat-Spoorwegstraat).
One way fares for Amsterdam-Brugge start from around €20.
Amsterdam-Bruges Full Day Tour
If you wish to make a flying visit to Bruges and don’t want to travel by public transport then consider a full day guided coach tour. This runs up to 4x weekly and includes
- Full-day tour from Amsterdam to Bruges (12 hours total, leaving 09:00, returning around 20:15)
- Comfortable bus with air-conditioning and toilet (3 hour travel each way)
- One-hour guided walk around the medieval centre of Bruges
- Free time to explore the city at your own pace
- Map of Bruges
- Discount rate for children 4-13
Amsterdam-Bruges by Car
Some travellers decide to rent a car and travel between the cities. In our experience the signs on the Belgian roads can sometimes be a little confusing – however, with navigation you should be ok!
The 250km Amsterdam-Bruges trip takes about 3 hours 20 minutes in total with just under 200km of motorways. From Amsterdam you would take the A2 south and then change onto the A27 – you then follow the directions to Antwerp and then onto Brugge.
You can book a rental car with Discover Cars here which checks all the main rental firms.
Flights Amsterdam-Bruges
The nearest airport to Bruges is Ostend-Bruges (OST) about 25km from the city centre. This airport mainly deals with freight and holiday charter flights. There are no flights between Amsterdam and Bruges.
It is only possible to fly between Amsterdam Schiphol and Brussels Zaventem airports.
Amsterdam Resources
Looking for a convenient hotel near Amsterdam Central station? Check out the stylish Kimpton-De Witt which is a short walk from the station. For those on a budget the Ibis Amsterdam Centre is literally on top of the western edge of the station platforms.
The I Amsterdam City Card (1-5 days) offers free entry and discounts to numerous Amsterdam museums and attractions. It also includes a free public transport pass, a canal cruise and bike rental as well. You can order your I Amsterdam City Card online here
Bruges Resources
Are you looking for a hotel in Bruges? We have stayed at the Portinari hotel which is decent and has a very good central location. Or search for other Bruges hotels here.
Also check out a selection of Bruges tours and activities here
As Belgium and the Netherlands are members of the Schengen Zone agreement you do not normally need to go through a passport control check when travelling between Amsterdam and Bruges.
This article was originally published in 2015 and has continuously been updated. Last update 19 January 2026.
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