Brussels is the capital of Belgium and a principal European political centre – located around 200km from Amsterdam.
Travel between Amsterdam and Brussels is possible by high speed and standard rail, airline flights and coaches.
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 Brussels.
Amsterdam-Brussels by Train (recommended)
Travelling by train between Amsterdam and Brussels is certainly the best option in terms of time and convenience and gets you into the heart of both city centres. It can be easily booked using via the NS International site (euros) or the Trainline site here (multi-currencies) with prices starting at €25 one-way.
There are currently 2 choices of trains available:
- Eurostar (formerly Thalys), the high-speed train service between Amsterdam and Paris (from €29)
- Eurocity Direct, the Intercity service between Amsterdam Zuid and Brussels (from €25) which replaced the old Intercity Brussels.
1. Amsterdam-Brussels by Eurostar (formerly Thalys)
The high speed Eurostar service runs from Amsterdam Central station to Paris Gare du Nord via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Central, Antwerp Central and Brussels Zuid/Midi.
Eurostar normally runs up to 15x daily and the Amsterdam-Brussels journey takes 1 hour 50 minutes.
There are 3 classes of travel on Eurostar: Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier.
Standard has 2nd class seating (2-2 configuration) with free WiFi. Food/drink can be purchased at the bar carriage. Standard tickets are refundable and exchangeable up to 7 days before travel; thereafter there are no refunds, but changes are possible for a €15 fee plus the price difference.
Plus has 1st class seating (2-1 configuration), free WiFi and food/drink can be purchased at the bar. Plus tickets are also refundable and exchangeable up to 7 days before travel; thereafter there are no refunds, but changes are possible for a €15 fee plus the price difference.
Premier is a proper first class product with 1st class seating (2-1 configuration), free WiFi (with more data), complimentary food/drink served at your seat and and free access to an international press app. Premier tickets are fully refundable up to 1 hour before travel; changes are possible right up to departure time with any price difference applying.
Premier ticket holders can access the Eurostar lounges in Brussels as well as the NS International lounges at Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam..
All Eurostar seats have individual electric power outlets.
Eurostar permits 2 pieces of luggage (max 75 x 53 x 30cm, no weight limit) plus 1 item of hand luggage. There are overhead luggage racks and special racks at each end of the carriage for larger items.
Eurostar tickets are on sale up to 4 months out and are booked like an airline seat – with a specific seat reservation. Your ticket will have a carriage and seat number.
To secure the cheapest fares you should book as early as possible. Standard fares cost €29-€89, Comfort fares cost €52-€103 and Premium fares range from €106-€129.
TIP: The last Eurostar of the day out of Amsterdam (departing 20:10 or 21:10) can often have cheaper availability even at the last minute.
- Fastest journey time
- Includes seat reservation
- Lowest Standard fares are good value
- Catering available
- More expensive than Intercity/Eurocity
- Popular – so tickets can sell out
Book your Eurostar ticket with NS International here
Book your Eurostar ticket with Trainline here
2. Amsterdam-Brussels by Eurocity Direct
Since 15 Dec 2024, the Intercity Brussels has been replaced by the Eurocity Direct and Eurocity services.
This is a joint venture between NS Dutch Railways and SNCB Belgian Railways. The Eurocity Direct will use Dutch Intercity New Generation trains using the high-speed track running at up to 200kmh.
The Eurocity Direct service will originate 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-Brussels journey will take 2 hours 8 minutes – significantly quicker than the Intercity Brussels at 2 hours 50 minutes and only slightly slower than Eurostar.
The Eurocity is a slower stopping service which will run between Rotterdam Centraal and Brussels Zuid Midi – with stops at Breda, Noorderkempen (Belgium), Antwerp Central, Antwerp Berchem, Mechelen, Brussels Airport, Brussels North and Brussels Central.
The Eurocity uses the old NS Intercity trains which will slowly be replaced by Belgian Intercity stock.
Both Eurocity and Eurocity Direct trains runs 16x daily.
Eurocity Direct has 1st class (2-1 seating configuration) and 2nd class (2-2) tickets for sale. Like the former Intercity Brussels, there is no assigned seating – just find a free seat.
The Eurocity Direct trains feature low-level wide-entry doors for easy boarding.
Overhead luggage racks can accommodate small and medium size bags. There are also some larger luggage racks at various points.
Free WiFi is available at to all passengers. European power outlets and USB ports are found between each seat pair.
There are 2 types of fares for the Eurocity Direct – Saver and Flex.
Saver fares are cheaper and are valid for a specific date and departure time. For Amsterdam-Brussels, one-way saver fares start at €25 (2nd class) and €48 (1st class).
Saver bookings are freely changeable up to 1 day before departure; bookings can be cancelled up to 1 day before departure with a €5 cancellation fee.
Flex fares are valid on any departure for a particular day and are freely changeable and cancellable up to 1 day before departure.
For Amsterdam-Brussels the one-way flex fare (2025) is €64.10 (2nd class) and €96.70 (1st class).
Up to 4 children aged 4-11 can get added for free with an adult Eurocity Direct booking.
TIP: The Amsterdam-Brussels trains are popular. Boarding and finding a seat can sometimes be a bit of a scrum. Consider buying a 1st class ticket for a smoother boarding experience; or take the train at an earlier or later time in the day.
- Cheaper than Eurostar
- ‘Walk-up’ full-flex fare always available
- No guaranteed seat reservation – can get busy
- No catering on board
Book Eurocity Direct/Eurocity tickets with NS International here
Book Eurocity Direct/Eurocity tickets with Trainline here
You have the option to book directly from “Amsterdam Zuid” in which case you need to make your own way to the station.
If booking from “Amsterdam Centraal” you will see more expensive Eurostar options (Amsterdam-Brussels) or it will give you the choice to travel by NS train to Schiphol Airport and pick up the Eurocity Direct from there.
Amsterdam-Brussels Flights
It is possible to fly between Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Brussels Zaventem (BRU) airport. The scheduled flight time is around 45 minutes – although by the time you take into account travel to/from the airport and waiting for your flight – you are much better off taking the train.
Dutch airline KLM (Skyteam) currently has up to 4x daily flights from Schiphol to Brussels – using either Boeing 737s or “Cityhopper” branded Embraer 175/190 jets. Return airfares start at around €200 – note KLM charges for checked luggage but you do get a complimentary drink and snack onboard.
The reality is this flight route is mainly aimed at transfer passengers on longer-haul routes.
There are train stations at Schiphol and Brussels airports which can get you to the centre of town in 15-20 minutes. The Brussels airport train to central Brussels runs up to 4x hourly. Buy Brussels airport train return tickets in advance here
Amsterdam-Brussels by Coach
The coach is the cheapest travel option between Amsterdam and Brussels with a journey time of around 3 hours
Flixbus is a German coach company that offers services between Amsterdam Sloterdijk and Brussels Noord. It currently operates a multiple daily service with fares starting at around €9 one-way. Book your Flixbus ticket here
BlaBlaCar bus normally operates a 3-8x daily Amsterdam-Brussels coach service. Fares start at €9 one-way. Coach stops are at Amsterdam Sloterdijk station and Brussels Zuid/Midi station. Book your BlaBlaCar bus tickets via Omio here
For more on travel to Belgium see Amsterdam-Antwerp travel options and Amsterdam to Bruges or Ghent
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
Brussels Resources
Are you looking for a hotel in Brussels? Book here with Booking.com
The Brussels Pass includes access to the Atomium, Mini-Europe Brussels, the hop-on/off Tootbus Brussels and a city guide app.
This article was originally published in 2010 and has continuously been updated. Last update 16 December 2024.
Links on AmsterdamTips.com may pay us an affiliate commission.
