Amsterdam to Hamburg travel is possible by train, plane or coach.
The port city of Hamburg is an important economic hub in northern in Germany – it lies some 380km north-east from Dutch capital Amsterdam.
Amsterdam to Hamburg travel overview |
[1] Amsterdam to Hamburg by Train
1a ICE Trains Amsterdam-Osnabrück-Hamburg
Travel by rail can be done comfortably between Amsterdam and Hamburg in just over 5 hours with a change of train at Osnabrück. It can be easily booked via the NS International site (euros) or the Trainline site here (multi-currencies) with prices starting at €38 one-way.
The Amsterdam-Hamburg trip is done as follows:
1. Amsterdam-Osnabrück: Taking the Amsterdam-Berlin ICE service jointly run by Deutsche Bahn (DB German Railways) and NS International from Amsterdam Central to Osnabrück. This part of the trip takes just over 3 hours and runs 6x daily.
Modern ICE3neo class 408 variants manufactured by Siemens operate on the Amsterdam-Berlin route.
The ICE train makes stops in the Netherlands at Hilversum, Amersfoort, Apeldoorn, Deventer, Almelo and Hengelo. It crosses into Germany at Bad Bentheim, continues to Rheine and then to Osnabrück where you have to change for Hamburg.
2nd class on the ICE has grey or blue fabric seats mainly in a 2-2 open-plan unidirectional configuration. There are a few 4-seater tables where the seats change direction.
1st class has leather seating in an open 1-2 configuration – with a small ‘quiet zone’ compartment sectioned off.
Free WiFi is available to all passengers and there are power outlets located under the seats.
The Bordrestaurant carriage sells snacks, drinks, hot meals and has some table seating.
2. Osnabrück-Hamburg: Taking a domestic DB German ICE train service which runs from Osnabrück to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof and Hamburg Altona via Bremen. This sector is just under 2 hours.
There are a number of ICE train variants but seats broadly look roughly the same as shown above for the Amsterdam-Berlin train.
Let’s take a look at the times for an example journey either way:
- Amsterdam-Hamburg: Take the 08:00 ICE 143 train from Amsterdam Central which arrives at Osnabrück at 10:51. Connection 32 mins – head to the platforms upstairs – take the 11:23 ICE 204 service (direction: Hamburg Altona) which arrives at Hamburg Hbf at 13:16. Journey time: 5 hours 16 mins.
- Hamburg-Amsterdam: Take the 08:42 ICE 107 train (direction: Brig) from Hamburg which arrives in Osnabrück at 10:34. Connection 32 mins – head downstairs and take the 11:06 ICE 148 train which arrives at Amsterdam Central at 14:01. Journey time: 5 hours 19 mins.
| NOTE: 2026-27 Direct ICE trains Amsterdam-Hamburg From October 2026 to December 2027 there will be major engineering works on the line resulting in a temporary route change – a direct Amsterdam-Hamburg ICE service. For the Amsterdam-Berlin route, there will be 4x daily ICE trains running directly via Hamburg-Harburg and Hamburg-Bergedorf stations. These are:
Local regional trains can take you between Hamburg-Harburg and Hamburg Hbf (10 mins). |
Amsterdam-Hamburg train ticket fares
The Amsterdam-Hamburg ICE train has 2nd class and 1st class tickets with the following possible fare components:
- Supersparpreis Europa – only valid on a specific departure and non-changeable/non-refundable. CHEAPEST
- Sparpreis Europa – a mid-flex fare only valid on a specific departure but which is changeable and refundable for a fee.
- Flexpreis Europa – a fully-flexible fare with unrestricted choice of trains and includes a City ticket for Berlin public transport. EXPENSIVE
Each component has a range of fare buckets – generally the further in advance you book, the more likely you will find the cheapest fare bucket.
For Amsterdam-Hamburg the cheapest one-way ICE fare buckets are:
- €37.99 (2nd class) and €49.99 (1st class) for Supersparpreis Europa
- €44.99 (2nd class) and €58.99 (1st class) for Sparpreis Europa
- €128 (2nd class) and €240 (1st class) for Flexpreis Europa
As you get closer to the departure date the cheaper fares will tend to sell out and you may only find higher fares available.
Children 0-4 always travel free. In addition children ages 4-14 can travel free with any standard adult passenger on a (Super) Sparpreis fare – though you must include the child on your ticket when booking.
Seat reservations are an extra €5.20 per person in 2nd class and €6.50 for 1st class – this is for your entire journey. Full-flex 1st class fares have the seat reservation included.
All 1st class passengers get access to the NS International lounge at Amsterdam Centraal. Only those with a fully-flex 1st class ticket can access the DB Lounge at Hamburg Hbf.
How to book online: Amsterdam-Hamburg train tickets can easily be booked at the Trainline site here or at the NS International site
1b. Go Volta budget train Amsterdam-Hamburg
Dutch start-up Go Volta backed by Keolis will run a 3x weekly Amsterdam-Hamburg train service (Mon/Wed/Fri) from 20 Mar 2026.
The train leaves Amsterdam Centraal at 08:05 and runs via Amersfoort, Deventer and Bremen. It arrives at Hamburg-Harburg at 13:26.
The return leg leaves Hamburg-Harburg at 14:21 (15:00 from 1 May-10 Jul) arriving back at Amsterdam Centraal at 20:26.
Go Volta will also run a 3x weekly Amsterdam-Berlin service (Tue/Thu/Sun) from 19 Mar 2026.
Amsterdam-Hamburg will go to a daily service from 28 Sep 2026.
Fares start from €35 one-way for Economy Class with 2-2 configuration and €59 one-way for Comfort Class with 2-1 configuration. All seats face each other – there are no airline-style seats.
There are various optional add-on packages at extra cost which can include date change, seat selection and name changes.
[2] Amsterdam-Hamburg by Air
Air travel is the quickest point-to-point option with flights between Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Hamburg Airport (HAM) taking around 1 hour. However, if you factor in travel to/from either airport and check-in/security controls the total time taken is probably similar to the train trip.
- KLM (Skyteam) operates up to 5x daily Amsterdam-Hamburg flights with Embraer 175/190 or Boeing 737 aircraft
- One way fares start at €166 (Light fare, hand-baggage only) and from €198 (Standard fare, checked bag)
[3] Amsterdam-Hamburg by Coach
The coach is the cheapest travel option between Amsterdam and Hamburg although with a travel time of around 7 hours it takes a bit longer than the train.
- Flixbus operates multiple Amsterdam-Hamburg direct coach services daily
- The main coach stop in Amsterdam is at Amsterdam Sloterdijk station
- The main Flixbus stop at Hamburg is Hamburg Central bus station (on Adenauerallee near Hamburg Hbf)
- Fares start at €20 one-way
- Flixbus allows 1 checked bag which is stowed in the luggage compartment
- It also allows 1 item of small hand baggage
Amsterdam Resources
Looking for a convenient hotel near Amsterdam Central station? Check out the stylish Kimpton-De Witt (IHG) 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
Hamburg Resources
In Hamburg you can book your hotel with Booking.com here. For a selection of tours and attractions in Hamburg book with GetYourGuide here
This article was originally published in 2013. Last checked and updated 1 February 2026.
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