How To Travel Amsterdam to Paris by Train, Air and Coach (2025)

Paris is the capital of France and a major international city and popular tourist hub. It is located around 425km south-west from Amsterdam.

Let’s look at options for travel between Amsterdam and Paris by high-speed train, flights and bus.

As France 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 Paris.

Amsterdam-Paris by Train (recommended)

The train is without doubt the best way to travel between Amsterdam and Paris. Tickets can be easily booked at the NS International site (euros) or the Trainline site here (multi-currencies) with prices starting at just €35 one-way.

eurostar train (former thalys) at amsterdam — Eurostar train at Amsterdam Centraal

eurostar train at gare du nord paris — Eurostar train at Gare du Nord

With large sections of high-speed rail track in place in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, this journey can be made in under 3 hours 20 minutes. You also have the convenience of departing and arriving in the heart of the city – with a generous luggage allowance and free WiFi.

The Amsterdam-Paris train journey is made using the Eurostar (formerly Thalys) which runs between Amsterdam Central station and Paris Gare du Nord. The Eurostar makes stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels Zuid/Midi.

Eurostar normally runs up to 11x daily for the Amsterdam-Paris route although service is slightly reduced at weekends.

eurostar formerly thalys train at rotterdam central — Eurostar train at Rotterdam Central

There are 3 classes of travel on the Eurostar (formerly Thalys): Standard, Comfort and Premium.

Standard has 2nd class seating (2-2 configuration) with free WiFi. Food/drink can be purchased at the Eurostar Café 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.

Comfort has 1st class seating (2-1 configuration), free WiFi and food/drink can be purchased at the Eurostar Café bar carriage. Comfort 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.

eurostar (formerly thalys) - new comfort seats — Eurostar trains – new Comfort seats (image: NewThalys.com)

Eurostar (former Thalys) older Premier seats — Plus/Premier seats (older series) on the Eurostar train

Premium 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.

eurostar meal on amsterdam-paris train — Eurostar meal includes champagne

Premium tickets are fully refundable up to 1 hour before travel; changes are possible right up to departure time with any price difference applying.

Premium ticket holders can access the Eurostar lounges in Paris or Brussels as well as the NS International lounges at Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam.

All Eurostar seats have individual electric power outlets.

eurostar formerly thalys train — Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train with Eurostar Cafe carriage

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 6 months out and are booked like an airline seat – with a specific seat reservation. Your ticket will have a carriage and seat number.

eurostar trains at Paris Gare du Nord — Eurostar trains at Paris

paris gare du nord station hall — Paris Gare du Nord – station hall

To secure the cheapest fares you should book as early as possible. Standard fares cost €35-€149, Comfort fares cost €75-€169 and Premium fares range from €150-€220.

If you have a rail pass (such as Interrail or Eurail) then do note that these are only valid for Eurostar travel with an additional reservation fee. This currently costs €32 (standard) and €37 (comfort).

To sum up the Eurostar service between Amsterdam and Paris:

Fastest journey time between city centres
Includes seat reservation
Lowest Standard fares are good value
Catering available

Popular – so tickets can sell out
No competition on the route

Book your Eurostar tickets with NS International here
Book your Eurostar tickets with Trainline here

Is it possible to travel Amsterdam-Paris on standard trains?

Yes, from Amsterdam travel to Rotterdam on a normal NS Intercity, then take the Eurocity service to Antwerp. From there take Belgian Intercity trains to Lille Flandres via a change in Kortrijk. See our Amsterdam to Lille travel page

From Lille Flandres you can take Regional TER trains to Paris Nord with a change at Amiens.

This trip takes around 8 hours compared to the 3 hour 20 minute Eurostar. We would strongly recommend just taking the Eurostar saving over 4 hours and multiple changes!

The Eurostar train is the quickest and most comfortable way to travel Amsterdam to Paris or Paris to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam-Paris by Eurostar can be booked here at the NS International site or the Trainline site

Flights Amsterdam-Paris

Amsterdam-Paris is a well served air route by Skyteam’s Air France-KLM with non-stop flights between Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) taking around 1 hour 20 minutes.

klm boeing 737 aircraft — KLM Boeing 737 aircraft at Amsterdam Schiphol

Although the flying time is relatively short, when you account for transfers to/from the airports, security and waiting then the Eurostar train is undoubtedly the quicker and more convenient city-to-city option.

KLM currently operates 3x daily flights between Amsterdam and Paris using Boeing 737 aircraft. Partner Air France has 9x daily flights using Airbus A319/A320 series planes.

Return fares are priced from around €160 – though you will pay extra for checked luggage.

Schiphol Airport to central Amsterdam is straight forward by train, taking just 15-20 minutes. From Charles De Gaulle you can take the RER train to downtown Paris which takes 40 minutes.

Amsterdam-Paris by Coach

The coach trip between Amsterdam and Paris takes around 7-8 hours. Although a bit cheaper than the train the journey is significantly slower.

BlaBlaCar Bus and Flixbus normally operate multiple daily coach services between Amsterdam Sloterdijk station and Paris Bercy-Seine. Fares start at €20 one-way.

amsterdam sloterdijk coach station — Coaches at Amsterdam Sloterdijk

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 Iamsterdam 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 Iamsterdam City Card online here

Paris Resources

Looking for a hotel close to Paris Gare du Nord? Consider the colourful and well-rated 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord (literally across the road) or the Avalon Cosy Hotel Paris Gare du Nord

25hours hotel gare du nord paris — 25Hours hotel – Gare du Nord

Alternatively book a top home/apartment in Paris here

The Go City: Paris All Inclusive Pass is a 2, 3, 4 or 6 day pass which offers free entry to up to 80 attractions/tours in and around Paris. The 4 and 6 day passes offer the most comprehensive selection of attractions.