Amsterdam Centraal Station, opened in 1889.    Amsterdam Centraal station guide

I want to go from Amsterdam to...

     Select your destination... Elsewhere in the Netherlands... A Coruna Aix en Provence Albufeira Algeciras Alicante Andorra Angers Antwerp Athens Avignon Barcelona Basel (Basle) Belgrade Berlin Bern (Berne) Biarritz Bilbao Bled (Slovenia) Bologna Bordeaux Brasov Bratislava Brno Bruges (Brugge) Brussels Bucharest Budapest Cannes Český Krumlov Cologne Copenhagen Cordoba Corfu Dresden Dortmund Dublin & Ireland Dusseldorf Essen Faro & the Algarve Florence Frankfurt Geneva Gibraltar Ghent Gothenburg Granada Hamburg Hanover Heidelberg Helsinki & Finland Ibiza Innsbruck Interlaken Istanbul Karlovy Vary Katowice Koblenz Kosice Krakow Kyiv & Ukraine Lausanne Le Mans Legoland (Denmark) Leipzig Linz Lisbon Ljubljana London & UK Lourdes Luxembourg Luzern (Lucerne) Madrid Malaga Mallorca Malmo Marseille Milan Monaco - Monte Carlo Montenegro - Podgorica, Bar Montreux Moscow Munich Naples Nantes Nice Nuremberg Odense Oslo & Norway Osnabruck Palma de Mallorca Paris Plzen Poprad Tatry Prague Rennes Riga Rijeka Rome St Moritz St Petersburg Salzburg San Sebastian Santiago de Compostela Seville Sighisoara Sofia Stockholm Strasbourg Stuttgart Tallinn Toulon Toulouse Trier Valencia Venice Verona Vienna Vigo Vilnius Warsaw Wroclaw Zurich Zagreb & Croatia Zermatt

      I want to start from another Dutch town or city

      I want to start from another European city

      Amsterdam Centraal station guide

      Recommended hotels in Amsterdam

This page explains how to travel by train from Amsterdam & the Netherlands to other European cities and how to buy tickets.  Information current for 2025.

Where to wait for your train at Amsterdam Centraal:  With a 1st class international ticket including an Interrail or Eurail pass, you can use the NS Lounge at Amsterdam Centraal.  With any class of ticket, I recommend the beautifully retro Grand Cafe 1e Klas on platform 2B for a beer, coffee or meal before your train.  Give my regards to the cockatoo on the bar!

Before you buy your tickets

Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets.  They answer the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a €39 point-to-point ticket online?".   How far ahead can you buy train tickets?

European train travel FAQ

Starting from other Dutch cities

On this page I assume you're starting from Amsterdam, but you can start from anywhere in the Netherlands.

Click for larger map Reproduced with the kind permission of the European Rail Map people.  Buy the map at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu

You can join the train at other stations

(1)  Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains from Amsterdam to Brussels & Paris also pick up at Rotterdam Centraal.

(2)  Intercity trains from Amsterdam to Osnabrück & Berlin also pick up at Hilversum, Amersfoort, Apeldoorn, Deventer, Almelo, Hengelo.

(3)  ICE trains from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf, Cologne & Frankfurt also pick up at Utrecht & Arnhem.

(4)  Nightjet sleeper from Amsterdam to Basel & Zurich also picks up at Utrecht & Eindhoven.

(5)  Nightjet sleeper from Amsterdam to Munich, Innsbruck & Vienna also picks up at Amersfoort & Deventer.

(6)  The European Sleeper to Berlin & Prague also picks up at Roosendaal, Rotterdam Centraal, Den Haag HS, Schiphol, Amersfoort & Deventer.

You can book from almost any station in the Netherlands

On this page I explain how to book from Amsterdam.  To book from another Dutch city:

(1)  Journeys to or through Germany where I say to book at int.bahn.de:

The German Railways website int.bahn.de can book from almost any Dutch station for one inclusive price.  So if I say 'Book from Amsterdam to Munich' and you were travelling from Groningen, book from Groningen to Munich and it'll work out connecting trains & issue a Groningen to Munich through ticket for one inclusive price.

But I'd take an earlier train than the one the system suggests in case of delay.  Tickets are normally good for any train on the Dutch domestic section, better a 35-minute connection & a coffee than a missed 5-minute connection.

(2)  Journeys to or via Brussels or Paris:

www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com, www.nsinternational.nl can book you from anywhere in the Netherlands just as easily as Amsterdam.  In this case they add a separate ticket for the Dutch domestic train.

www.sncf-connect.com can book the Eurostar trains from Amsterdam & Rotterdam to Brussels, Paris & beyond, but can't book from other Dutch stations.

(3)  Journeys using Nightjet sleeper trains:

www.thetrainline.com, www.raileurope.com & www.oebb.at at can book Nightjet sleeper journeys to Switzerland, Munich & Austria from any Dutch station, not just from Amsterdam.  They add a separate ticket for the Dutch domestic connection.

However, when catching a sleeper I'd want at least 45 minutes between trains rather than the bare minimum the system allows, so take an earlier connecting train than the one the system shows.  The Dutch ticket will be good for any train that day.

---

Amsterdam to anywhere in the Netherlands

• Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS, Dutch Railways) links most towns and cities of any size, with trains usually every hour, every 30 minutes or sometimes every 10 or 15 minutes.

  There's no need to book in advance, Dutch domestic trains operate like a big metro:  Turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train, with a fixed-price distance-based tariff and no seat reservation necessary or possible.

• One-way tickets at the regular fare are valid on any train at any time that day.

• Return tickets are twice the one-way, good for return by any train the same day.  If you want to stay overnight, you must buy two one-way tickets.

• NS PriceTime:  Buying in advance isn't essential, but you can save a few euros on the regular fare if you buy at least one day ahead and stick to off-peak trains with an NS PriceTime fare.  Off peak means before 06:30, 09:00-16:00 & after 18:30 on weekdays, or any time at weekends.

• NS Flex Dal Voordeel:  This is a monthly subscription giving access to discounted off-peak tickets.  For visitors, it may be more of a faff to set up the direct debit and cancel it again than it's worth compared to buying NS PriceTime fares, it may not even work with a non-Dutch bank account.

• Check times & buy tickets using the Dutch Railways app or website www.ns.nl.

  The Dutch Railways website now accepts Visa & MasterCard so you can buy tickets online and print them out or show them in the NS app on your phone.  The QR code will work the ticket gates at main stations.

  There's a €1 advantage in buying online rather than at the station, because at the station you pay an extra €1 for having the ticket issued on a single-use OV smartcard.  But there's no need to book in advance as no reservation is needed and tickets can't sell out.

• Or go contactless with OV-Pay:

  NS now allow you to touch in & out with a contactless Visa or MasterCard debit or credit card, or with your phone if you've linked it to your debit card.  There's no need to buy a ticket, simply place your debit or credit card against the reader on the ticket gate at the beginning of your journey to 'touch in' and it will open (or at stations without ticket gates, hold it against the OV-Pay/OV-Chipkaart validator on the platform until you get a beep).  Do the same to 'touch out' at the other end.  The correct fare will automatically be debited from your bank account.

  You can't buy tickets for children under 12 or travel 1st class using contactless, for that you'll need to buy tickets another way.

• Or buy from a ticket machine or staffed counter:

  You can buy tickets using the yellow self-service machines.  These are easy to use, they have a touch screen with an English language button and sell one-way or return tickets.  You can pay with coins or MasterCard/Visa.

  Many larger stations also have a staffed ticket counter, these also accept MasterCard and Visa as well as cash.

  When you buy a Dutch domestic ticket from a staffed counter or machine you need to validate it at the start of your journey, either by passing through a ticket gate or (at stations without ticket gates) by holding it against the OV-Pay/OV-Chipkaart validator post on the platform.

• Intercity Direct supplement:  If you're travelling between Amsterdam (or Schiphol) and Rotterdam or Breda using a fast Intercity Direct (ICD) train, these use the high-speed line and you need to pay a small Intercity Direct supplement.  You can pay this at a ticket machine or by touching your contactless bank card against one of the special Intercity Direct supplement validator posts on the platform.

• Children:  Children under 4 go free, children 4 to 11 inclusive can buy a €2.50 Railrunner ticket for a day's unlimited travel in the Netherlands.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to London & UK

Option 1, Amsterdam to London by Eurostar - 4 hours centre to centre at up to 300 km/h

• There are direct Eurostar high-speed trains from Amsterdam & Rotterdam to London, see the Amsterdam to London by Eurostar page.

• Buy tickets at the Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl.

  www.nsinternational.nl can book from any Dutch station, not just Amsterdam.  Booking opens up to 11 months ahead for Eurostar, up to 4 months ahead for a journey involving Eurostar-formerly-Thalys.  You print out your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  You can also book at www.thetrainline.com.

• Buy onward tickets from London to other British towns & cities at www.thetrainline.com (small booking fee) or tfw.wales (no fee).

  You collect tickets from the self-service ticket machines or in most cases you can print them out or show them on your phone.

  If you're booking a train-specific Advance fare and your onward train leaves from St Pancras, Kings Cross or Euston, I'd allow at least 1 hour between Eurostar arrival and any onward train to allow for delay, even though it only takes 3 minutes to walk across the road to Kings Cross or 10 minutes to walk to Euston.  I'd allow 90 minutes if booking a train-specific Advance fare and your onward train goes from Paddington, Waterloo or Liverpool Street as then you'll need to change stations by Underground or taxi.

Option 2, Amsterdam to London & Cambridge by train+ferry - the ferry alternative, with overnight 'sleeper' option

• See the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for details.

• This is the affordable high-comfort option, by train from Amsterdam or anywhere in the Netherlands to Hoek van Holland, then across the North Sea on the world's largest superferry to Harwich, then by train on to central London.

• There's a time-effective overnight service where you leave Amsterdam Centraal at 18:36, sleep in a cosy private cabin with toilet, shower & satellite TV on board the ferry 21:00-06:30, then take a train to London next morning arriving London Liverpool Street station around 08:56.  It's my favourite way between the Netherlands and the UK, with Dutch in-laws I use it all the time.

• To buy train & ferry tickets to London starting in the Netherlands, follow the advice for booking at Stena Line's Dutch site, www.stenaline.nl.

Ferry from Hoek van Holland to Harwich, a floating hotel with private cabins, restaurant, bar, lounges, shop & kennels.

Above left, a standard outside cabin.  Larger photo.  360º photo.  Above right, the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary red & white wine, tea, coffee & snacks.

Above left, the bar on 9 deck. Above right, a Captain's Class cabin with complimentary minibar, toilet & shower.

Train from Harwich to London Liverpool Street, air-conditioned with toilets, power outlets at seats & free WiFi.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Hull or Newcastle

• You can sail direct from Amsterdam to Newcastle with DFDS Seaways on a luxurious overnight cruise ferry, book at www.dfds.com.  The port is in IJmuiden, a few kilometres from Amsterdam itself.  See the Newcastle-Amsterdam page for details.

• You can sail direct from Rotterdam Europoort to Hull with P&O ferries, book at www.poferries.com.  P&O Ferries run a bus from Rotterdam Centraal station to connect with their ferry, and you can look up trains to Rotterdam from anywhere in the Netherlands at www.ns.nl.  See the See the Hull-Rotterdam page for details.

• For advice on buying onward train tickets in the UK, see the Train travel in Britain page.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Dublin & Ireland

Option 1, Amsterdam to Dublin via London & Holyhead - daily departures

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam Centraal to London St Pancras in just 4 hours on the early evening Eurostar, see the timetable here.

  This runs daily except Saturdays.  Or take the lunchtime Eurostar on any day of the week including Saturdays and enjoy an evening in London.

• Stay overnight in London, see suggested hotels near St Pancras.  It's a 9 minute walk from St Pancras to Euston station.

• Day 2, travel from London Euston to Dublin on the morning train & ferry service, arriving Dublin Ferryport 17:25, see the London-Dublin page for times, fares & how to buy tickets.  Rail & Sail is an inexpensive, fun and interesting way to go, see more about this journey.

• Alternatively, you can travel overnight.  Take the daily lunchtime Eurostar from Amsterdam to London.  Then take the overnight London to Dublin train & ferry service arriving in Dublin next morning, see the timetable here.  This is basically a red-eye service, but you can pay for a cabin when you board the ferry, so can at least get 3 hours sleep!

• How much does it cost?

  Fares from Amsterdam to London start at £52 one-way or £78 return.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  The fare from London to Dublin is either £53.40 or £60.10, one or other fare always applies, even on the day of travel.

• How to buy tickets

  Book from Amsterdam to London at www.eurostar.com.

  Book from London to Dublin Ferryport at tfw.wales as explained on the train & ferry to Dublin page.

• There's more about Eurostar on the Eurostar page, more about London to Dublin on the London to Dublin page.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Dublin via Paris & Cherbourg - several departures a week

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 06:15 Mondays-Fridays arriving Paris Gare du Nord 09:35.

  Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).  You need to allow at least 1 hour between trains in Paris, ideally a bit more.  There's no train early enough at weekends, so travel to Paris the previous evening and stay overnight.  Indeed, you may choose to do this anyway, to make absolutely sure of catching the train to Cherbourg that connects with the ferry.

  Transfer from the Gare du Nord to the Gare St Lazare by metro or taxi.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Dublin, taking a late morning train from Paris St Lazare to Cherbourg and the overnight ferry to Dublin.

  Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.com) from Cherbourg to Dublin several times each week, usually leaving Cherbourg in late afternoon and arriving Dublin late morning next day (Day 2).

  For details of this Paris to Dublin journey & how to buy tickets see here.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Paris in 3h20 from €35, www.eurostar.com

• Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed trains link Amsterdam Centraal with Paris Gare du Nord every hour or two in 3h20 or so, centre to centre.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line.  They have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They have 3 classes: Standard (2nd class), Plus (1st class) & Premier (1st class with at-seat food & wine included in the fare and access to lounges in Paris & Brussels).  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

• Fares start at €35 in standard class, €72 in plus or €135 in premier.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  If you buy on the day it costs over €130 full-flex in standard class, ouch!  All tickets come with a seat reservation and are only valid on the specific train you book.  The cheapest fares mean limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.

• Buy tickets at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com or the Dutch Railways website www.nsinternational.nl.

  Nsinternational.nl has the advantage that it can book from almost any station in the Netherlands to Paris, adding an NS domestic ticket as part of one easy transaction, also with no booking fee.  www.sncf-connect.com can book from Amsterdam or Rotterdam to anywhere in France.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your ticket (A4 paper, U.S. Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone.

  You can also buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  There's a small booking fee, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, and as they sell tickets for multiple operators including trains in France, Spain & Italy you can keep all (or most) of your European train bookings together in one place.  About Raileurope.  About Thetrainline.

A Eurostar at Paris Nord.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Strasbourg

• Step 1, take a high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord in 3h20 from €35.

  Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  In Paris, it's an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est, see walking route.

  I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Paris.

• Step 2, take a high-speed TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est to Strasbourg in around 2h from €25.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Check train times & buy tickets from Amsterdam to Strasbourg at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  Use www.raileurope.com, and click More options and enter Paris (any station) as a via station.  This ensures you are routed via Paris.  If you'd like a stopover in Paris, enter a suitable stopover duration.

  Tip:  I'd say Paris was the better route, but there are also occasional journeys through Germany via Frankfurt that can be worth considering.  To find these, use www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Frankfurt (Main) as a via station.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Bordeaux, Toulouse, Biarritz, Lourdes, Nantes, Brittany

Option 1, via Paris - fastest, most frequent & usually cheapest, but involves changing stations in Paris

• Step 1, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord in 3h20.

  Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  In Paris, change stations by taxi or metro from the  Gare du Nord to the Gare Montparnasse.

  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for a cross-Paris transfer.

• Step 2, take a high-speed TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Le Mans (1h00), Bordeaux (2h04), Toulouse (4h15), Biarritz (4h11), Lourdes (4h48), Nantes (2h06), Rennes (1h28).

  TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Paris starts at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €79 in 1st class (plus).

  Paris to French cities starts at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Check train times & buy tickets from Amsterdam to French cities at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  Use www.raileurope.com, and click More options and enter Paris (any station) as a via station.  This ensures you are routed via Paris.  If you'd like a stopover in Paris, enter a suitable stopover duration.

Option 2, avoiding Paris - less frequent, takes longer, usually costs more, but avoids crossing Paris if that's important to you

• Step 1, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels Midi in around 1h53.

• Step 2, take a direct TGV from Brussels Midi to Marne la Vallée-Chessy in around 2 hours.

  Tip:  If you're going to Le Mans, Angers or Nantes, there's usually a direct TGV from Brussels in the late afternoon.

• Step 3, take a direct TGV from Marne la Vallée-Chessy to Le Mans, Bordeaux, Angers, Nantes, Rennes.

• Check train times & buy tickets from Amsterdam to any French destination at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

  Tip:  Using www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Marne la Vallée-Chessy as a via station, or using www.thetrainline.com look for the via button and enter Marne la Vallée-Chessy.  This ensures you are routed around Paris.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice & other French cities

Option 1, via Paris - involves changing trains & stations in Paris, but fastest, most frequent & usually cheapest

• Step 1, take a high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord in 3h20.

  Eurostar trains have 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  In Paris, change stations by taxi or metro from the  Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon, 2 stops on RER line D.

  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for any cross-Paris transfer, ideally more.  Why not allow time for lunch at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Step 2, take a high-speed TGV Duplex from Paris Gare de Lyon to Avignon, Aix, Marseille, Cannes, Nice or other French cities.

  TGV Duplex trains have a  cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Paris starts at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €79 in 1st class (plus).

  Paris to French cities starts at around €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  You can buy tickets from Amsterdam to Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier & most other French destinations at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own tickets or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  Before running the enquiry on www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Paris (any station) as a via station to create a longer stopover in Paris.  You should allow at least 60 minutes between trains across Paris, ideally more.

  In the search results, click on each departure to see if it involves a change in Paris (this option) or only a change in Brussels (which is option 2 explained below).

• Other ways to buy tickets

  Alternatively, you can book from Amsterdam to major French cities as one transaction at the Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl.  You print your own tickets or can usually show it on your phone.

  You can also book from Amsterdam to major French cities as one transaction at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com with no booking fee.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  If you're going to use www.sncf-connect.com it's better to book Amsterdam to Paris as one transaction, the Paris onwards as a second separate transaction, as this is the only way to ensure 60+ minutes between trains in Paris (or allow a longer stopover).  By default the system shows cross-Paris connections as tight as 40 minutes between trains, which I consider far to risky if there's even a small delay.

  Tip:  www.sncf-connect.com & www.thetrainline.com allow you to choose your seat from a seat map when booking a TGV in 1st class.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Paris Nord by Eurostar, seen here at Paris Nord.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Step 2, Paris to Cannes, Antibes or Nice by double-deck TGV Duplex, seen here at Paris Gare de Lyon.

Option 2, avoiding Paris - avoids crossing Paris, but less frequent and usually costs more

• You can avoid the taxi or metro ride between stations in Paris by taking a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam to Brussels (or with one or two departures per day, from Amsterdam to Marne la Vallée), then a direct high-speed TGV from Brussels or Marne la Vallée to Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes Nice, Nîmes, Montpelier, Perpignan.

  The direct Brussels-France TGVs by-pass Paris using the high-speed line via Aéroport CDG and Marne La Vallée (for Disneyland Paris).  Just be aware that there are fewer departures this way, and fares may be more expensive than going through Paris.  But it's more convenient than changing stations in Paris so see what prices you get for your date.

• Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com.

  This will book Amsterdam to France all in one go, international credit cards no problem.  You print your own tickets.

  Click on each journey shown in the search results to see which sends you via Paris (= option 1) and which involves a simple change in Brussels and by-passes Paris.  Prices are dynamic like air fares, so book ahead. 

  If you have any problem finding journeys which by-pass Paris, split the booking:  First go to either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and book from Brussels Midi to your chosen French destination, looking carefully for a direct train from Brussels by-passing Paris. If you use www.raileurope.com it can help to click More options and enter Lille Europe to force it to find the direct Paris-avoiding trains via Lille.  Using www.thetrainline.com you can click via and enter Lille.

  Now add a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels Midi, allowing at least 45 minutes between trains in Brussels.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Toulon, Cannes, Antibes, Nice using the Paris-Nice overnight train

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 16:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 19:35.

  Eurostar trains travel at up to 300 km/h, with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).  Times may vary, check your date online.

• In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

  I'd allow at least 90 minutes between trains when catching a sleeper.

  Tip:  Book an earlier Eurostar and have dinner at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz in time for your sleeper south.  Or try the floating restaurant Off Paris Seine on the river next to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to the Côte d'Azur by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:27 every day, arriving Toulon 07:12, St Raphael (for St Tropez) 08:08, Cannes 08:32, Antibes 08:45 & Nice Ville 09:09.

  The Intercité de Nuit sleeper train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats.  You can book a 1st class 4-berth compartment for sole occupancy by 1, 2 or 3 people if you like.  More about Intercités de Nuit.

  You wake up as the train swishes along the coast, past rocky headlands, millionaires' villas and yacht-filled harbours.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Paris starts at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Paris to the South of France starts at €19 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 2nd class couchette or €59 in a 1st class couchette.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, but often less than this for French overnight trains.  You print your ticket or show it on your phone.

  Tip:  To make sure you have at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris, I'd book Amsterdam to Paris, add to basket, then Paris to Nice, add to basket & check out.  Otherwise the system may allow as little as 40 minutes which is far too tight, especially when catching a sleeper.

  Tip:  To book a whole 4-berth couchette compartment for 1, 2 or 3 people, see advice on the Intercités de Nuit page.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar, seen here at Paris Nord.  360º photos inside the trains.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Brussels from €25

• You can travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels Midi by train in as little as 1h53 with departures every hour or two and fares from €25.  The safe & comfortable way to go!  See the Amsterdam to Brussels page.

A Eurostar at Brussels Midi.  See the Amsterdam to Brussels page.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Ghent

• Buy tickets at the Dutch Railways website www.nsinternational.nl.  The main station in Ghent is Gent-St-Pieters.

  You get a bewildering array of different types of journey in the search results, here are the 3 options to look for:

• Option 1, marked Eurostar, IC:  Fastest & most comfortable, only 1 change and leaves from Centraal.

  You travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Antwerp Central by high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys), then Belgian Intercity train to Ghent.

  Fastest & most comfortable.  You get a reserved seat on the Eurostar, leaves from the conveniently-located Amsterdam Centraal.

  But you have to commit to a specific departure.  Only runs every 1-3 hours, not every hour.

  Fares vary like air fares, expensive at short notice, affordable in advance.

  You'll see this option if you use plan Amsterdam or specify Amsterdam Centraal as your starting point.

• Option 2, marked Eurocity Direct, IC:  Cheaper & more frequent, only 1 change, but leaves from Zuid.

  You travel from Amsterdam Zuid to Antwerp Central by Eurocity Direct (ECD), then Belgian Intercity train to Ghent.

  Almost as fast, cheaper, it runs every hour.  Affordable full-flex tickets make it more flexible.

  But it leaves from the less convenient Amsterdam Zuid in the financial district on the A10 ring road, you'll need to take the metro to get there.

  You'll see this option if you use plan Amsterdam or specify Amsterdam Centraal as your starting point.

• Option 3, marked SPR, Eurocity Direct, IC:  Cheaper & more frequent and leaves from Centraal, but 2 changes.

  You travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol by local train, Schiphol to Antwerp Central by Eurocity Direct (ECD), Belgian Intercity to Ghent.  The same as option 2, but leaving from Amsterdam Centraal and changing into the  Eurocity Direct at Schiphol.

  Cheaper, hourly departures, also leaves Amsterdam Centraal, and affordable full-flex tickets make it more flexible.

  But involves 2 changes not 1, and is slower.

  You'll only see this option if you specify Amsterdam Centraal as your starting point.

  Incidentally, you can take any Dutch domestic train from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol, they run every 5-10 minutes.  You don't have to wait for the specific one shown when you book, even with an advance-purchase ticket which ties you to a specific Eurocity Direct departure.

• Option 4, the hidden cheapest option using Eurocity trains

  If you don't mind a slower journey with an extra change, this is the cheapest option.  You take a Dutch domestic Intercity from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal, then the hourly Eurocity train to Antwerp Central, then a Belgian Intercity to Ghent.

   By Eurocity I mean the slower hourly Eurocity trains, not the hourly high-speed Eurocity Direct.  Confusing isn't it?

  To find this option, you'll need to use the Belgian Railways site, www.b-europe.com.  Change it to English, click Advanced search then Additional search options and tick the No high-speed trains box.  Eurostar & Eurocity Direct are considered high-speed, but the plain Eurocity trains aren't.

  Look carefully to see whether the journey you've selected is via Rotterdam & Brussels or Rotterdam & Antwerp.  I recommend Antwerp!

• Tip:  With all these tickets, you can take any train that day between Antwerp & Ghent, even with an advance-purchase ticket which ties you to a specific Eurostar or Eurocity Direct departure.  Why not stop off for an hour or two, have a beer at Antwerp Central, one of the world's most beautiful stations?

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Bruges from €22.30

• See the Amsterdam to Bruges page.

  You can travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Ghent or Bruges by train in as little as 2h43 with departures every hour or so.  Train is the safe & comfortable way to go!

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Antwerp

Option 1, Amsterdam to Antwerp by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) - fastest & most comfortable

• The fastest & most comfortable way is to take Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam Centraal to Antwerp Centraal in 1h15.

  There's a departure every hour or two, Eurostar trains run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Eurostars continue to leave from the conveniently-located Amsterdam Centraal, giving them a key advantage over the competing Eurocity Direct trains which now leave from Amsterdam Zuid, located on the ring road on the southern edge of the city.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

• Fares start at €29 in standard class, €45 in plus or €97 in premier. 

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  If you wait and buy on the day you're looking at over €60 full-flex in standard class, ouch!  All tickets come with a seat reservation and are only valid on the specific train you book.  The cheapest prices mean limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.  If you want more flexibility at an affordable price, see option 2 below.

• Buy tickets at the Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl or www.eurostar.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  You can also buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  There's a small booking fee, you can book in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, they sell tickets for multiple operators so you can keep all (or most) of your European train bookings together in one place.  About Raileurope.  About Thetrainline.

A Eurostar to Brussels at Amsterdam Centraal.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Option 2, Amsterdam to Antwerp by Eurocity Direct - almost as fast, cheaper & more flexible, but from Amsterdam Zuid

• Eurocity Direct (ECD) trains link Amsterdam Zuid with Antwerp Centraal in 1h23 with a departure every hour.

  This new service started 15 December 2024, using brand-new ICNG trains with 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  They use the high-speed line and are only slightly slower than Eurostar, with the advantage of flexibility:  ECD trains don't have seat reservations, tickets cannot sell out, you can buy a ticket on the day at an affordable full-flex price which is good for any ECD departure that day.  Your plans don't need to be nailed to the floor months in advance as with Eurostar.

  The downside is that ECD trains leave from Amsterdam Zuid in the financial district on the ring road, not from Amsterdam Centraal as the Intercity trains they have replaced used to do.

  You have to decide whether to take the metro from Amsterdam Centraal (or another metro station) to Amsterdam Zuid and board the ECD there, or book from Amsterdam Centraal to Antwerp in which case you have to change trains at Schiphol.  Both routes work!

• The full-flex fare is €52.50 any day, any date, good for any train that day, unlimited availability, it cannot sell out.

  If you book ahead you can get cheaper fares from €23, good for the specified departure only, non-refundable.

• Buy tickets at the Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl.

  You can book from Amsterdam Zuid (direct) or Amsterdam Centraal (with a change), your call!

  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  You can also buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com.

New from 15 December 2024, EuroCity Direct services will be operated by these smart ICNG (InterCity New Generation) trains.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Luxembourg from €49.60

Option 1, Amsterdam to Luxembourg using Eurostar (formerly Thalys) to Brussels - fastest & most comfortable.

• The fastest & most comfortable way is to take a high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels Midi then the hourly InterCity (IC) train from Brussels Midi to Luxembourg, usually direct, some departures require a change at Arlon.

  Departures every hour or two, typical journey time from Amsterdam to Luxembourg 5h40.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).  There's no catering on the IC train from Brussels to Luxembourg so bring your own food & drink, but it's a nice run with some pretty scenery.

  Eurostars have the advantage that they leave from the conveniently-located Amsterdam Centraal.  The competing Eurocity Direct trains shown in option 2 now leave from the less-central Amsterdam Zuid on the A10 ring road.

• Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.

  In the search results, look for journeys with 1 change marked Eurostar, IC. 

  On some journeys an extra change at Arlon is needed, these are marked Eurostar, IC, IC.

  You print your own ticket, on A4 paper, US Letter size is fine.

• With Eurostar you must book in advance and commit to a specific departure, on the day or close to departure date this option is usually more expensive.  Eurostar has airline-style pricing, cheaper in advance, more expensive closer to departure.  Eurostar tickets are only valid on the specific train you book and tickets come with a reserved seat included.  However, for the Brussels-Luxembourg part of the journey your ticket is good for any hourly IC train that day not just the one you selected - so don't worry about missing connections in Brussels as there's usually another train an hour later, and feel free to stop off in Brussels if you like.  On the IC train you sit where you like, there are no seat reservations.

Step 1, take a high-speed Eurostar from Amsterdam to Brussels.  Above, a Eurostar at Brussels Midi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Step 2, take a Belgian intercity (IC) train from Brussels to Luxembourg.  This is an IC at Luxembourg station.  There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.  There are just two power sockets per coach, one at each end of the car above head height.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Luxembourg using Eurocity Direct to Brussels - cheaper & almost as fast

• A more frequent, more flexible and usually cheaper option is to take an hourly Eurocity Direct (ECD) from Amsterdam Zuid to Brussels Midi, then a Belgian Intercity (IC) train from Brussels to Luxembourg.

  Trains leave every hour, typical journey time from Amsterdam Zuid to Luxembourg 5h50.

  The downside is that Eurocity Direct trains leave from Amsterdam Zuid in the financial district on the A10 ring road, not from Amsterdam Centraal as the Intercity trains they have replaced used to do.

  You need to decide if you'll take the metro from Amsterdam Centraal (or another metro station) to Amsterdam Zuid and board the ECD there, or book from Amsterdam Centraal to Luxembourg in which case you have to change trains at Schiphol.  Both routes work!

  There's no catering on any of these trains, so bring your own food & drink.  There are no seat reservations either, you sit where you like.

• Regular full-flex fare is €99.20 2nd class, €153.80 1st class, any date, any day, any train.

  It's a fixed price which doesn't change, tickets are good for any Eurocity Direct and Intercity train that day, tickets can be bought at the station on the day for that price, no prior reservation necessary or possible, tickets cannot sell out.  Just turn up, buy and go.  Easy, and flexible.

• Advance-purchase fares:  Saver fares start at €50.50 in 2nd class or €90 in 1st class. 

  Saver fares are only good for the specific departure you book.

• Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.

  In the search results, look for journeys with 1 change marked Eurocity Direct, IC.

  A few departures involve an extra change at Arlon, marked Eurocity Direct, IC, IC.

  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

New from 15 December 2024, EuroCity Direct services will be operated by these smart ICNG (InterCity New Generation) trains.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Luxembourg via Maastricht & Liege - cheapest & most flexible, but slower.

• The cheapest and most flexible option is to travel from the conveniently-located Amsterdam Centraal to Maastricht by Intercity (IC) train, then by local train to Liege Guillemins (an amazing but draughty station designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava) then by IC train meandering through the hills to Luxembourg.

  Amsterdam Centraal to Luxembourg in 6h15.

  The trains are comfortable enough, but there's no catering so bring your own food & drink.  There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like.  There's some pretty scenery between Luxembourg & Liège, snaking through the hills of Luxembourg and Belgium.

• Regular full-flex fare is €49.60 2nd class, €84.60.80 1st class, any date, any day, any train.

  It's a fixed price which doesn't change, tickets are good for any Intercity or local train via this route all day, tickets can be bought at the station on the day for that price, no prior reservation necessary or possible, tickets cannot sell out.  Just turn up, buy and go.  Easy, and flexible.

  There are no advance-purchase fares on this route, but the full-flex fare is cheaper than most Saver fares on the faster route via Brussels!

• Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.

  In the search results, look for journeys with 2 changes marked IC, Sneltrein, IC.

  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Above right, the hourly Intercity train from Liège to Luxembourg, at Luxembourg station.  Above left, 2nd class.  1st class on these Belgian Desiro trains is underwhelming, so similar to 2nd class it's not worth the extra.  Take your own food & drink, and as there are no power outlets on these trains, take a powerbank!

The train meanders through the pretty hills of Luxembourg, seen on a wintry November day.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Basel, Zurich & Switzerland from €37.99

Option 1, Amsterdam to Switzerland by Nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective option

• A Nightjet leaves Amsterdam Centraal at 20:15 every evening, arriving Basel SBB 06:20 & Zurich HB 08:05.

  This comfortable Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned AB33 sleeping-cars, one Amsterdam-Basel-Zurich and one Amsterdam-Basel.  Each sleeping-car has 11 compartments, each compartment can be sold as 1, 2 or 3 berth (single, double or triple) with washbasin.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  The train has an Amsterdam-Basel-Zurich couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and one or two Amsterdam-Basel couchette cars, plus ordinary seats.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes.  Watch the Amsterdam-Switzerland sleeper video.  More about Nightjets.

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 403.

• Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book this train at www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.nsinternational.nl (in €, no booking fee), or www.oebb.at (in €).

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, sometimes less.  Child under 6?  See here.

  Tip:  This train may be listed in the search results twice, once as an IC with seats, once as an NJ with couchettes/sleepers.  Choose the latter!

  Tip:  If you want a sleeper and none is available to Zurich, try booking to Basel, then book a seat ticket Basel-Zurich.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Switzerland by high-speed train from €37.99 upwards - the daytime option

• You can travel from Amsterdam to Switzerland in a day on superb ICE high-speed trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Amsterdam to Basel in as little as 6h39, Amsterdam to Zurich in 7h52, city centre to city centre with no airport hassle.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:38 Monday-Saturday only, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Basel SBB 13:48.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:30 every day, change at Mannheim, arriving Basel SBB 15:36.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:38 every day, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Basel SBB 17:48, Bern 18:56, Interlaken Ost 19:59.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 12:38 every day, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Basel SBB 20:48, Bern 20:56, Interlaken Ost 21:59.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 14:38 every day, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Basel SBB 21:49.

  Change at Basel SBB, Bern or Interlaken Ost for destinations all over Switzerland.

• Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. 

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  You can book from almost any Dutch station to almost any Swiss station, for an inclusive price.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket (on A4 paper, or US Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check your bookings or re-print tickets.

  Tip:  You can add up to 2 stopovers within the 2-day ticket validity and still get a cheap end to end fare.  So if you fancied a few hours or an overnight stopover in Cologne or Koblenz or Heidelberg, no problem, just click Stopovers, enter the station name and a suitable length of stay.

  You can also book with the Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl.

An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.  More about ICEs.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Switzerland via the Rhine Valley - the slower, scenic option

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf by ICE train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 06:38 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Düsseldorf 08:53.

  The ICE train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, a steward takes food & drink orders and serves them at your seat.  It's an early start, but you've time for a more extensive breakfast in Düsseldorf.

• Step 2, travel from Düsseldorf to Switzerland by EuroCity, leaving Düsseldorf at 10:20, arriving Basel SBB 15:36 & Zurich HB 17:00.

  This Swiss EuroCity train (EC9) has comfortable & spacious Swiss Federal Railways seats cars and an elegant Swiss restaurant car.

  Instead of taking the high-speed line between Mainz & Cologne (as in option 2), these trains take the classic line along the scenic Rhine valley, past river boats, vineyards, castles and the legendary Lorelei Rock, see the Rails Down the Rhine page.  I think it's well worth the extra time!

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for EC9.

• Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class. 

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  You can buy tickets from Amsterdam or almost any station in the Netherlands to almost any station in Switzerland for an inclusive price.

  To get this Rhine Valley route with a robust connection in Düsseldorf, click Stopovers.  Enter Düsseldorf City as the first stopover with length of stay 1 hour to get a robust connection.  Enter Koblenz Hbf as a second stopover leaving length of stay 00:00.  Look for the 1-change journey.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Option 4, Amsterdam to Switzerland with overnight stop in Cologne - comfortable & time-effective

• If option 1 sounds too long to do in one go, you can stop overnight on the way, and have virtually a full day in Amsterdam followed by most of a day in Switzerland.  And perhaps discover another city along the way into the bargain.

• Day 1, take a comfortable ICE train from Amsterdam Centraal to Cologne Hbf, there's one at 18:38 arriving 21:18.

  By all means take an earlier one and spend a pleasant evening in Cologne.  For dinner I recommend the Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 8 minutes walk from Cologne Hbf, see walking map, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 17 minutes walk, see walking map.

• Stay overnight in Cologne, pausing to admire the impressive cathedral, right next to the station.  The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf, the entrance is left of the station entrance, many rooms have a cathedral view.  Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.

• Day 2, take a morning train from Cologne to Switzerland:

  The 06:55 ICE from Cologne Hbf arrives Basel SBB 10:48, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and book the 08:55 or 10:55 departures.

  Direct ICE trains to Switzerland leave every 2 hours, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  But I recommend the slower 08:53 or 10:53 Swiss EuroCity (EC) trains via the scenic Rhine Valley route, see the tip below!

• How much does it cost? 

  Amsterdam to Switzerland starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  To get the overnight stop in Cologne, before running the enquiry click Stopovers and enter Cologne Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.  Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Cologne.  Some trial and error may be needed! 

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Tip:  Take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley, see the Rails Down the Rhine page.

  It takes an extra hour but it's worth it.  There are two direct Cologne-Switzerland EuroCity (EC) trains with restaurant car, EC7 at 08:53 direct to Basel, Bern & Interlaken Ost, and EC9 at 10:53 direct to Basel & Zurich.  These trains take the classic route along the scenic Rhine Valley via Koblenz, rather than the newer & faster Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed line.

  When booking Cologne to Switzerland, simply click Stopovers and enter Koblenz leaving length of stay as 00:00.

  You will now see journeys routed via the Rhine Valley line past castles, vineyards, river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock.  You could make Koblenz the overnight stop instead of Cologne if you like.  Make sure you find seats on the left hand side of the train going south, as that's where the Rhine will be.  You can't usually choose a side if you choose to reserve seats, but on these trains you can sit anywhere you like in any unreserved seat.

  Train EC9 leaving Cologne at 10:53 even has an excellent Swiss 1st class panorama car, see more information & how to book it here.

  There are a few dates/periods when these EC trains leave from Cologne Messe/Deutz rather than Cologne Hbf, check your date online.

Option 5, Amsterdam to Switzerland by high-speed trains via Paris - a useful option, especially to Geneva or Lausanne, involves crossing Paris.

• Step 1, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord in 3h20.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.

  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, even though the actual transfer between stations takes only 30 minutes.  How about lunch at the amazing Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Step 2, take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Geneva (3h11), Lausanne (3h41), Basel SBB (3h04) or Zurich HB (4h04).

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets from Amsterdam to Geneva at www.raileurope.com, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Tip:  I recommend clicking More options and entering Paris (any station) as a via station, with a suitable stopover duration to ensure at least 60 minutes between trains and/or time for lunch.

  Alternatively, book Amsterdam to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com with no booking fee, then use it again to book Paris to Geneva.

Option 6, Amsterdam to Switzerland by Eurostar to Brussels, direct TGV to Lyon, and local train to Geneva.  Saves crossing Paris, good for Geneva.

• There are a several direct TGVs from Brussels Midi to Lyon Part Dieu every day.  Then there are regular TER regional trains from Lyon Part Dieu to Geneva.  You can use these to go Amsterdam-Geneva without having to cross Paris.  A convenient option.

• Go to www.nsinternational.nl or www.raileurope.com and book from Amsterdam to Geneva.  If you use www.raileurope.com, I recommend clicking More options and putting Lyon in the via box.  Look through the search results carefully, clicking for details, to find one with a change in Brussels and a change in Lyon, using the direct Brussels-Lyon TGV.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Venice, Florence, Rome, Milan & Italy from €67

Option 1, Amsterdam to Italy using the daily Amsterdam-Zurich sleeper train - a time-effective sleeper then a scenic daytime ride

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Zurich by Nightjet, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 20:15, arriving Basel SBB 06:20 & Zurich HB 08:05.

  This comfortable Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned AB33 sleeping-cars, one running Amsterdam-Basel-Zurich and one Amsterdam-Basel.  Each sleeping-car has 11 compartments, each compartment can be sold as 1, 2 or 3 berth (single, double or triple) with washbasin.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  The train has an Amsterdam-Basel-Zurich couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and one or two Amsterdam-Basel couchette cars, plus ordinary seats.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes.  Watch the Amsterdam-Switzerland sleeper video.  See the Nightjet guide.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.nsinternational.nl (in €, no booking fee), or www.oebb.at (in €).

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, sometimes less.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  This train may be listed in the search results twice, once as an IC with seats, once as an NJ with couchettes/sleepers.  Choose the latter!

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 403.

• Step 2, travel from Zurich to Milan by EuroCity, leaving Zurich HB at 09:33, arriving Milan Centrale 12:50.

  The EuroCity Giruno train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & fee WiFi.  It's a lovely ride across Switzerland through the Alps, past Lake Lugano, through the Gotthard Base Tunnel (the world's longest rail tunnel and briefly past Lake Como.  You arrive at the magnificent Milan Centrale, a landmark in its own right.

  Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.  Fares work like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

  Book from Zurich to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere in Italy as one transaction at www.raileurope.com or  www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee).

  Booking usually opens up to 90 days ahead.  It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.

• Step 3, travel from Milan Centrale to Florence SMN in 1h39, Rome Termini in 2h55 or Venice Santa Lucia in 2h35 by Frecciarossa high-speed train.  The Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  If you left Zurich at 09:33 and change in Milan, you'd arrive Florence at 16:04 or Rome at 17:49.

  Milan to Venice or Florence starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  Milan to Rome or Naples starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  Book from Zurich to anywhere in Italy as shown above.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Zurich by Nightjet sleeper train.  This is the sleeping-car boarding at Amsterdam Centraal.  More about Nightjets.  Watch the video.

Step 2, Zurich to Milan by EuroCity train, through the Alps.  Operated by a modern Giruno train, seen here boarding at Zurich HB.  The train passes through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, the transit takes just 20 minutes.

Step 3, Milan to Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples by high-speed Frecciarossa.  This is a Frecciarossa 1000 at Rome Termini.  More about Frecciarossas & explanation of the 4 classes.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Milan in a day.  Overnight stop.  Milan to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples next morning

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Basel by ICE, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 08:30, change at Mannheim, arriving Basel SBB 15:36.

  Both trains are comfortable ICE trains with a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Day 1, travel from Basel to Milan by EuroCity, leaving Basel SBB at 17:28, arriving Milan Centrale 21:50.

  This bullet-nosed EuroCity train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Take a good book and a bottle of wine, enjoy dinner in the restaurant car, chill out and watch Europe unfold outside the window.  The train passes Lake Thun and ascends into the Alps, passing through the Lötschberg and then Simplon tunnels.  In summer when it's light you'll get some great mountain & lake views across Switzerland and northern Italy.

• Stay overnight in Milan:  Affordable hotels with good reviews outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora.  Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.

• Day 2, travel from Milan Centrale to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere in Italy by high-speed Frecciarossa train.  There are frequent high-speed departures, Milan to Florence in just 1h39, Milan to Rome in 2h55, Milan to Venice 2h35, Milan to Naples 4h15.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Basel starts at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Basel to Milan starts at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class.

  Milan to Verona, Venice or Florence starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Milan to Rome or Naples starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  These connect to both the German & Italian ticketing systems, so you can book all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Step 1, book from Amsterdam to Basel and add to basket.

  Step 2, book from Basel SBB to Milan looking for the early evening Basel-Milan EuroCity (EC) train, and add to basket.

  For the Amsterdam-Basel train you simply print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  Basel to Milan is ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.  Quicker journeys with more or tighter connections are possible, but this is the option I'd recommend.  It'll let you book Amsterdam to Milan in one go, but it may then suggest some tighter-than-desirable connections in Basel.

  Step 3, if going beyond Milan, now book from Milan to your final destination for the following day.  Add to basket and check out.

• Another way to buy tickets

  Step 1, book from Amsterdam Centraal to Basel SBB at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  There's no booking fee and you can select your seat from a seat map on ICE trains if you book this way.

  I suggest changing Transfer time from normal to 40 minutes to avoid tight 7-minute connections.

  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Step 2, book from Basel SBB to Milano Centrale at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, payment in €, $, £, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com with your PNR) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (payment in €, requires Italian language place names, read this advice on using it first). 

  It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.

  Step 3, book onward trains from Milan for the following morning  using the same website.

Step 1, by ICE3 from Amsterdam to Basel.  An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Italy using the Stuttgart-Venice sleeper train - Time-effective, with dinner in Stuttgart

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Stuttgart by ICE, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 12:38, change Cologne Hbf, arriving Stuttgart Hbf 18:08.

  The ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!  By all means book the earlier 10:38 departure to have more time in Stuttgart.

  Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, this means you can buy all your tickets in one place, small booking fee)

  Or book using the German Railways website int.bahn.de with no booking fee, you can select your seats from a seat map.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.

  Tip:  In Stuttgart, the bar at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel across the road makes a good VIP waiting lounge, or try the nearby Biergarten im Schlossgarten, see the advice here.

• Step 2, travel from Stuttgart to Venice by Nightjet, leaving Stuttgart Hbf at 20:29, arriving Venice Santa Lucia 08:34.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  Fares start at €59.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €69.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same prices).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.  Child under 6?  See here.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Stuttgart by ICE.  An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.

Step 2, Stuttgart to Venice by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about Nightjet.  Above:  The Nightjet, arrived at Venice Santa Lucia.

Option 4, Amsterdam to Italy using the sleeper from Munich to Milan, Verona, Bologna, Florence, Rome - time-effective, with dinner in Munich

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Munich, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 10:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 18:07.

  By all means book an earlier train and have more time in Munich.

  You travel on ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.thetrainline.com so you can book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

  Or book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de in €, no fee, with seat selection from a seat map.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  Have dinner in Munich before boarding your sleeper, for typical Bavarian food & beer I recommend the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, to the north side of Munich Hbf, see walking map

• Step 2, travel from Munich to Italy by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:08.

  One portion arrives Bologna Centrale 05:38, Florence Campo di Marte 06:48 & Rome Tiburtina 10:05.

  Another portion arrives Verona Porta Nuova 05:51 & Milan Rogoredo 07:42.

  Important: This sleeper train is cancelled from 17 November 2024 to 13 July 2025 due to work in the Tauern Tunnel in Austria.

  Important:  From 29 September to 13 December 2025, both portions of this train are cancelled due to trackwork and replaced by a single train, leaving Munich Hbf at 20:08, arriving Bologna Centrale 05:38 & Milan Rogoredo 07:58.  Change in Bologna or Milan for Florence, Rome & Naples.

  The Milan portion has an air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-car with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet.  There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  The train has couchette cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes.  See the guide to Nightjet accommodation.

  The Bologna, Florence & Rome portion is a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers all with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.

  Fares start at €59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, same fares).  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.  Child under 6?  See here.

• Step 3, onward trains from Rome to Naples, Rome to Sicily or La Spezia to Cinque Terre (for example) can be booked separately at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, recognises English place-names) or www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com afterwards) or Italian Railways' own website www.trenitalia.com (more fiddly, requires Italian language place names, read this advice on using it first).  Booking for Italian trains normally opens 4 months ahead.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Munich by ICE with one easy change in Frankfurt.  More about ICE trains.  Above, an ICE3neo at Frankfurt Flughafen.

Step 2, Munich to Florence & Rome by Nightjet sleeper train.

Option 5, Amsterdam to Italy using the Amsterdam-Innsbruck sleeper train and the scenic Brenner route - scenic & time-effective

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Innsbruck by Nightjet, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 19:00, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 09:14.

  This is a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.

  Fares start at €59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Tip:  If you have a sleeper ticket or a 1st class ticket for the onward train, you can use the ÖBB Lounge at Innsbruck Hbf between trains, with free WiFi and complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks & snacks.

  Book the sleeper at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl (in €).

  Look for the train marked NJ (Nightjet) with 0 changes. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, you print your own ticket.  Child under 6?  See here.

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 421.

• Step 2, travel from Innsbruck to Italy by railjet, leaving Innsbruck Hbf 11:24, arriving Verona P. Nuova 15:01 & Bologna Centrale 16:08.

  This swish Austrian railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Treat yourself to lunch as the train meanders through the scenic Brenner Pass, a treat, see the Brenner Pass photos & video.

  Don't risk a tight connection with the earlier 09:24 to Verona, I'd play safe and book the 11:24.

  Change at Verona Porta Nuova for Venice.  Change at Bologna Centrale for Florence, Rome & Naples. 

  If you'd like a morning in Innsbruck, a railjet leaves Innsbruck Hbf at 13:24, arriving Verona P. Nuova 16:58 & Venice Santa Lucia 18:25.

  Fares from Innsbruck Verona or Bologna (or, on the direct train, Venice) start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class.

  Fares from Bologna to Florence or Rome start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book from Innsbruck to Florence, Rome, Naples or anywhere in Italy at www.thetrainline.com.

  This connects to both the German, Austrian and Italian ticketing systems so you can book this as one transaction all in one place.  You print your own ticket for the Austrian train and the Italian high-speed trains are ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.  Small booking fee.  The Austrian trains open for booking up to 6 months ahead, Italian trains only open up to 4 months ahead.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Innsbruck by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets.

Step 2, Innsbruck to Verona, Bologna or Venice by new generation railjet, seen here at Innsbruck Hbf.  Photos courtesy of @SimplyRailway.

Option 6, Amsterdam to Italy via the Gotthard route - with overnight stop in Heidelberg.

• This route is similar to option 1, but it can be nicer to split the journey over two days with a pleasant overnight stop somewhere in Germany.  There are many possible stopover cities - Cologne, Koblenz, Basel.  How about the pretty university town of Heidelberg?

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Heidelberg in around 4h39.

  You travel on superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Stay overnight in Heidelberg.  Check for hotels in Heidelberg near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Heidelberg to Milan in about 7h30.

  You travel from Heidelberg to either Basel SBB or Zurich HB by ICE with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Then from Basel SBB or Zurich HB to Milan Centrale by EuroCity train via the scenic Gotthard route through the Alps.

  The easiest way to book from Heidelberg to anywhere in Italy is at www.raileurope.com, click More options and enter Basel SBB as a via station with a duration of (say) 1 hour.  Try it again with Zurich HB as the stopover and see what you get.  You can pay in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

  Alternatively, book from Heidelberg to Basel SBB or Zurich HB at German Railways int.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee).  There's no booking fee and you can choose your seat from a seat map.

  Then book from Basel SBB or Zurich HB to anywhere in Italy at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, payment in €, $, £, the small booking fee will be refunded if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian-language place names, see advice on using it).

  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Option 7, Amsterdam to Italy via Munich & the scenic Brenner route - with overnight stop in Munich.

• A convenient and scenic route by daytime trains with an overnight stop in Munich - in fact, for going to Verona or Venice by daytime trains this is the route I'd recommend, as easiest, cheapest and with fewest changes.   With a good book and a bottle of wine, meals in the restaurant on the train, it's a chill out trip.

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Munich by ICE on any departure you like, for example:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 18:07

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 12:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 20:06

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 14:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 22:10

  You travel on superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Or if you'd like an afternoon in Munich, from 15 December 2024 a direct ICE3neo leaves Amsterdam Centraal at 08:32, arriving Munich Hbf 15:28.

  Check train times at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, but I'll explain how to buy tickets in a minute.

• Stay overnight in Munich.  The affordable Eden Hotel Wolff & NH Collection München are across the road from the station's north side exit with great reviews.  Or consider the more upmarket 25 Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, Excelsior by Giesel & Mercure City Center.  For a splurge, the luxurious Sofitel Munich Beyerpost occupies the former Royal Bavarian Post Office building of 1896-1900, at the station's south side exit.

For dinner, I recommend the Bavarian food & beer at the Augustiner Keller (www.augustinerkeller.de) at Arnulfstrasse 52, see walking map.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to Italy via the scenic Brenner Pass, see the timetable here.  For example:

  Leave Munich Hbf 07:32 by EuroCity, arriving Verona Porta Nuova 12:58, Venice Mestre 15:02 and (weekends only) Venice S. Lucia 14:25.

  Leave Munich Hbf 09:33 by railjet, arriving Verona Porta Nuova 15:01 & Bologna Centrale 16:08.

  Leave Munich Hbf 11:32 by railjet, arriving Verona Porta Nuova 16:58 & Venice Santa Lucia 18:25.

  Change at Verona P. Nuova (if you take the 07:32 or 11:32) or at Bologna Centrale (if you take the 09:33) for Florence, Rome & Naples.

  The swish Austrian railjet trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They climb up and over the scenic Brenner Pass, see the video here.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Verona, Bologna or Venice when using a direct train from Munich starts at €46.99 in 2nd class, €99.99 in 1st class.

  Verona to Venice or Florence starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Verona to Rome or Naples starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  You can buy all your tickets together in one place at www.raileurope.com, in plain English, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

  German & Austrian trains open for booking up to 6 months ahead.  Onward Italian trains may only opens 4 months ahead.

  First book from Amsterdam to Munich for day 1 and add to basket.  Then book from Munich to Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples (or anywhere else in Italy) for day 2.

  If you are using a direct train from Munich to Verona, Bologna or Venice, no special instructions are necessary.  But if you are travelling from Munich to Italy with a change of train, for example Munich to Venice on the 09:33 with a change of train in Verona, or from Munich to Florence or Rome on the 09:33 with a change of train in Bologna, then before running the enquiry click More options and enter the name of the interchange point (Verona Porta Nuova or Bologna Centrale) with a stopover duration of 45 minutes to ensure a robust connection.

  Raileurope.com connects to both the Trenitalia and DB systems so can source both tickets either side of Verona (or Bologna) as one transaction.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

• Another way to buy tickets

  It's a bit cheaper to buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de as there's no booking fee, and a through ticket from Amsterdam to Verona, Bologna or Venice with an overnight stop in Munich added using Bahn.de's Stopovers feature is cheaper than buying separate tickets Amsterdam-Munich and Munich-Verona/Bologna/Venice (which is what you get at www.raileurope.com)

  To get the overnight stop in Munich, before running the enquiry click Stopovers, enter Munich Hbf and a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.  Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Munich.  Some trial and error may be needed! 

  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Then add the connecting Italian train from Verona (or from Bologna, if using the 07:34 from Munich on weekdays, or the 09:34 from Munich any day of the week) to Florence, Rome, Naples or wherever at either www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their €3.50 booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian language place names, a bit more fiddly so read this advice on using it first).

Option 8, Amsterdam to Italy via Paris from €64.  Fast & comfortable, but involves crossing Paris by metro or taxi

• This route is slightly faster than the route via Germany, if you don't mind changing trains & stations in Paris by taxi or metro.

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 09:10 Mondays-Fridays arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:35 or at 10:10 Saturdays & Sundays arriving 13:38.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.

  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more.  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the Train Bleu restaurant?

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Italy by Frecciarossa, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon 15:18, arriving Turin Porta Susa 21:18 & Milan Centrale 22:07.

  Trenitalia's high-speed Frecciarossa has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's a scenic ride through the Alps, see more about this journey.

• Stay overnight in Turin or Milan.  Both cities make a great stopover, but Turin is lovely. 

  In Turin I suggest the Hotel Torino Porta Susa or Hotel Diplomatic or small Al Porta Susa B&B, all right next to Turin Porta Susa station where the Frecciarossa arrives and where your onward train leaves next morning, with good or great reviews.  Alternatively, the excellent Turin Palace Hotel is in the centre right next to Porta Nuova station.  It's a 7 minute taxi ride, 3-stop €1.50 metro ride or 20 minute walk from Porta Susa, but next morning you can board your train to Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples at Porta Nuova station where these trains start their journey. 

  In Milan, affordable hotels & guesthouses with good or great reviews just outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora.

• Day 2, take an onward train from Turin or Milan to Venice, Florence, Rome or Napes, with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Milan to Venice only takes 2h35, Milan to Florence 1h40, Milan to Rome 2h55.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Paris start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €79 in 1st class (plus).

  Paris to Turin or Milan start at €35 in 2nd class (standard), €49 in 1st class (business) or €165 in executive class with food included.

  Turin or Milan to Venice or Florence starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.

  Turin or Milan to Rome or Naples starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com as you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or £, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.  Booking for each of these trains normally opens 4 months ahead.

  First book Amsterdam to Turin or Milan and add to basket.  You can book this as one journey, but I recommend clicking More options and entering Paris as a via station with a stopover duration of at least 1 hour.  You should always allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more.  Then book from Turin or Milan to your Italian destination for the following day, add to basket and check out.

  You can also book Amsterdam-Paris at French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com with no booking fee, then the onward Italian Frecciarossa from Paris to Turin or Milan at www.italiarail.com (easy to use, recognises English place names, their €3.50 booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or Italian Railways own website www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian language place names, a bit more fiddly so read this advice on using it first).

• Alternatively, travel Amsterdam-Paris on day 1, stay overnight, then travel Paris-Italy on day 2

  Take an early evening Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Amsterdam Centraal to Paris Gare du Nord, stay overnight in Paris (see suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord & Gare de Lyon), then take the early morning Frecciarossa leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:30 for Turin & Milan (see the timetable here).  Change in Milan Centrale for Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com as follows:  First book from Amsterdam to Paris, add to basket, then book from Paris to Italy for the following day, add to basket & check out.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Barcelona, Madrid & Spain from €74

Option 1, Amsterdam to Barcelona in a single day.  Onwards to Madrid, Alicante, Malaga, Granada or Seville next day

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  On Mondays-Saturdays, leave Amsterdam Centraal at 09:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:35.

  On Sundays, leave Amsterdam Centraal at 08:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 11:35.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.

  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains, preferably more.  Why not book the 08:10 Eurostar any day of the week and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.

  This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

  Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users.  See other suggested hotels near the station.

• Step 3, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations next morning.

  For Madrid:  AVE S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants & Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30.

  For Granada:  Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE 112 high-speed train, arriving Granada at 13:11.

  For Malaga:  Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 15:05.

  For Cordoba & Seville:  Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train, arriving Cordoba 13:27 & Seville Santa Justa 14:32.

  For Valencia & Alicante:  Euromed trains link Barcelona Sants with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 07:15 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Nord 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.

  For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.

• How to buy tickets

  Book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  These sites can book from Amsterdam to Barcelona as one easy transaction, and they connect to the Spanish Railways (Renfe) system to sell onward tickets in Spain.  International credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Booking for Eurostar & the TGV usually opens 4 months ahead.  Spanish domestic trains open anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead.

  First book from Amsterdam to Barcelona.  Look for an option with just 1 change.

  Tip:  If you want to stopover a few hours for lunch in Paris when using www.raileurope.com, just click More options and enter Paris, with a duration of however many hours you want.  In fact, I'd click More options and enter Paris anyway, as it'll then show separate prices either side of Paris and you can upgrade to 1st class if it's cheap to do so on one leg or the other, without having to upgrade throughout.  I'd allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more - by default, the system allows as little as 40 minutes.

  If you are heading for Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Valencia or Alicante, first add the Amsterdam-Barcelona journey to your basket, then book Barcelona to your chosen Spanish destination for the following day, add this to your basket and check out, paying for both tickets as one transaction.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately direct with the relevant operator, more work and same prices, but no booking fee.

  Book the Amsterdam-Paris Eurostar at www.sncf-connect.com.

  Then book the Paris-Barcelona TGV at www.sncf-connect.com.

  Then book onward trains in Spain at either www.renfe.com (no booking fee, but fiddly and may reject some overseas cards, see advice on using it) or use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, small mark-up).

  Tip:  www.sncf-connect.com & www.thetrainline.com allow you to choose your seat from a seat map when booking 1st class tickets on the TGV.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

Step 2, Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, seen here about to leave Paris Gare de Lyon.  More about the Paris-Barcelona journey.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees.  One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Paris, stay overnight in Paris, Paris to Barcelona & Spain next day

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 18:15, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 21:39.

  By all means take an earlier train and spend some time in Paris, there's a train every hour or two.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord & Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

  Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Day 2, travel onwards from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations:

  For Madrid, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.

  Another AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.

  For Cordoba & Seville, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Cordoba 20:16, Seville Santa Justa 21:24.

  For Malaga, a high-speed AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15, arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 21:43.

  For Valencia & Alicante, a fast Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Nord 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.

  All these trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• How to buy tickets

  The easiest way to book from Amsterdam to Spain is at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Both these sites connect to French Railways for Eurostar & TGV and to Spanish Railways (Renfe) for onward tickets in Spain.  You can use them wherever you live as international credit cards are accepted, fares in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

  Booking for Eurostar & TGV usually opens 4 months ahead, booking for Spanish trains opens anything fro 15 days to 9 months ahead.

  First book from Amsterdam to Paris, picking any direct Eurostar train you like.  Add this to your basket.

  Now book from Paris to Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Valencia or Alicante as one journey.  In the search results, look for Paris-Barcelona options with 0 changes, or Paris to Madrid/Malaga/Seville/Valencia/Alicante options with 1 change in Barcelona.  Add this to your basket and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this takes more effort and is unlikely to make it materially cheaper: 

  Book the Amsterdam-Paris Eurostar & Paris-Barcelona TGV at www.sncf-connect.com.

  Book onward trains within Spain at www.renfe.com (in €, more fiddly, may reject some overseas payment cards, see advice on using it here) or much easier to use alternative sites www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in US$, small mark-up).

  Tip:  www.sncf-connect.com & www.thetrainline.com allow you to choose your seat from a seat map when booking 1st class tickets.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar, a French sleeper train to the Spanish border, then onward Spanish trains

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  On Mondays-Fridays & Sundays, leave Amsterdam Centraal at 17:10, arriving Paris Nord 20:35.

  Or any day of the week, leave Amsterdam Centraal at 16:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 19:35 with time for dinner in Paris.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international cards no problem, small booking fee.

  They sell tickets for multiple operators so you can book all your trains together in one place.  About Raileurope.  About Thetrainline.

  Alternatively, you can buy tickets at the Dutch Railways website www.nsinternational.nl (which can also book connecting trains within the Netherlands, for example Arnhem-Paris) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

  Allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper.  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz?  Or try the floating restaurant Off Paris Seine next to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Latour de Carol in the Pyrenees by French sleeper train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 22:13.

  This sleeper runs Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays all year, daily from June to September.

  Then take a local train from Latour to Barcelona Sants arriving at lunchtime. 

  There's also a sleeper from Paris to Cerbère on the Spanish border, this leaves Paris around 20:08, you'll need to leave Amsterdam earlier.

  See the Paris to Barcelona by sleeper train page for details & how to buy tickets.

• Step 3, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations in the afternoon.

  For Madrid:  AVE-S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35, check times at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  For Cordoba, Seville & Malaga:  Take the direct AVE S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba, Seville Santa Justa & Malaga Maria Zambrano in the evening.  Fares start at around €45.

  For Valencia & Alicante:  A Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Nord at 19:02 and Alicante at 21:34.  Fares start from €23, check times at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Book Spanish trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in €, see my advice before using it).  I'd allow at least 1 hour between trains in Barcelona.  Spanish trains should open for booking 60 days ahead, but it varies and can be less than this.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to San Sebastian & Bilbao

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam Central to Paris Gare du Nord by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) in 3h20.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the  Gare Montparnasse.

  Allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, ideally more.

• Step 2, travel from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Hendaye on the Spanish border by high-speed double-deck TGV Duplex Océane in around 4h40.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• For example:

  Leave Amsterdam Central 06:10 Mondays-Fridays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye 16:47.

  Leave Amsterdam Central 09:10 on Saturdays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye 18:47.

  Leave Amsterdam Central 11:10 daily except Saturdays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye 20:47.

• Buy tickets from Amsterdam to Hendaye as one transaction at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, looking for journeys with 1 change.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  Small booking fee.

  Alternatively, you can book at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, in € with no booking fee.

  Tip:  To ensure a robust connection in Paris, if using www.raileurope.com I'd click More options, enter Paris (any station) and a stopover duration of at least 1 hour.  If you'd like lunch between trains or a wander in Paris, make it 2 or 3 hours.  If using the other sites, split the booking in Paris.

  Tip:  If you use www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, you can choose your seats from a seat map when booking 1st class on a TGV.

• Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren, runs every 30 minutes, journey 37 minutes, fare €2.90.

  Simply walk out of Hendaye station and turn right, the little Euskotren station is just 50m away.  Buy a ticket at the Euskotren station from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next half-hourly Euskotren to San Sebastian Amara.  Check times at www.euskotren.eus.  More about the Paris to San Sebastian journey.

  See the Paris to San Sebastian page for more details, including tips for the Paris-Hendaye-San Sebastian journey, with photos showing the location of the Euskotren station at Hendaye.

• Step 4, travel from San Sebastian Amara to Bilbao Matiko by Euskotren.

  This narrow-gauge Euskotren service leaves Amara every hour at xx:50 past each hour until the last train at 19:50.

  You will need to leave Amsterdam on the early train to reach Bilbao the same day, or stop off overnight in Paris or San Sebastian.

  Journey time is 2h35 to Matiko station (the end of the line, 18 minutes walk from the Guggenheim Museum) or only 2h29 to Zazpi Kaleak station which is closer to both the old quarter and the 19th century new town, but further from the Guggenheim (22 minutes walk).

  Hendaye or San Sebastian to Bilbao costs €7.00, buy at the station on the day.

  Check times at www.euskotren.eus, remembering that San Sebastian to Bilbao will be listed as Amara-Donostia to Matiko-Bilbao as those are the station names.  The adult one-way fare is shown as 'ida'.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Ibiza & Mallorca

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Barcelona as shown in the Amsterdam to Barcelona section.

  If you use option 2, you can leave Amsterdam early evening on day 1, stay overnight in Paris, reaching Barcelona at 14:29 on day 2.

• In Barcelona, it's a 4 km 46-minute walk from Barcelona Sants station to the Trasmed and Balearia ferry terminal at the foot of La Rambla, near the Columbus monument, see walking map.  A taxi costs around €20 & takes 13 minutes or take metro line L3 from Barcelona Sants to Drassane metro station (see www.tmb.cat), from where the Balearia terminal is 7 minutes walk, the Trasmed terminal is 9 minutes walk.  Map of Barcelona showing station and Trasmed/Balearia ferry terminals.

• Step 2, sail overnight from Barcelona to Ibiza or Palma de Mallorca by ferry.

  Ibiza:  Trasmed operate an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza on most nights of the week sailing at or around 22:00, arriving 07:00.  Times and dates vary, check times and buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.trasmed.com.  Check-in for the ferry closes 30 minutes before sailing time.  You can pre-print your boarding pass to save time at the terminal.  Balearia also operate an overnight ferry to Ibiza on most nights of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails at 22:00, arriving in Ibiza town (Ibiza Ciudad) at 06:00.  Check times & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.balearia.com.

  Mallorca:  There are two overnight ferries from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, both with restaurants, bars & cosy en suite cabins, both usually sailing from Barcelona around around 22:00 and arriving in Palma around 07:00.  One ferry is run by Trasmed (www.trasmed.com), the other run by Balearia (www.balearia.com).  Check times & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website.

Balearia ferry in Ibiza harbour.  Courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Algeciras & Gibraltar

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Barcelona in a day as shown in the Amsterdam-Barcelona section.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users.  See other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Algeciras, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE, change at Antequera-Santa Ana onto a 15:09 Media Distancia train arriving San Roque-La Linea 18:07 & Algeciras 18:23.

  The high-speed AVE train is air-conditioned with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  There's great scenery both on the high-speed line between Barcelona and Antequera and on the classic line twisting through the hills from Antequera to Algeciras, the Spanish town across the bay from Gibraltar.  The Media Distancia is air-conditioned, but bring your own food & drink.

  Fares start at around €70.

  Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee, or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first).  You print your own tickets.  Booking should open 60 days ahead but this varies.

• Day 2, take a bus or taxi from Algeciras to la Linea & walk into Gibraltar.

  A taxi from Algeciras railway station to La Linea costs €24.75 and takes about 22 minutes.  Taxis don't use the meter on this run, and aren't normally allowed to cross the border into Gibraltar.

  To go by bus, cross the roundabout outside Algeciras railway station and enter the San Bernado bus station, then take bus M-120 to La Linea for around €2.50.  Bus M-120 runs every 30 minutes Mon-Fri at xx.00 and xx.30 past each hour or every 45 minutes at weekends, journey time about 45 minutes to La Linea, for bus information see siu.ctmcg.es.

  La Linea is the Spanish town outside the border crossing to Gibraltar, and La Linea's bus stop and taxi rank are right outside the entrance to Gibraltar.  Walk through the Spanish then UK passport checkpoints into Gibraltar (5-10 minutes).  Then either (a) keep walking straight ahead of you into Gibraltar town, it's takes about 15 minutes to the centre or (b) take a frequent local Gibraltar bus from the border into town or (c) look for the taxi stop on the right just after the passport check and wait for a taxi to your hotel for a few pounds - Gibraltar taxis will accept euros.  The walk from the border to Gibraltar's Main Street takes you across Gibraltar airport's runway, though they stop cars and pedestrians when an aircraft is landing or taking off!   Map of Algeciras - La Linea - Gibraltar area.

• Or take a taxi/bus from San Roque-La Linea station:

  The closest station to Gibraltar is actually San Roque-La Linea, and all trains to Algeciras call here around 20 minutes before arriving at Algeciras.  So if you prefer, you can get off here and take a taxi to La Linea, or walk the 1.6 km (1 mile) to the Bar La Redonda bus stop on the main road on the M-120 bus route from Algeciras to La Linea.  Buses run to La Linea every 30 minutes weekdays, every 45 minutes weekends.  Taxis are usually available outside San Roque station, San Roque to the La Linea/Gibraltar border is about 16 km (10 miles) and it takes just over 30 minutes depending on traffic.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Paris starts at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.

  Paris to Barcelona starts at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Barcelona to Madrid starts at €38 in standard class or €45 in comfort class.

  Madrid to Algeciras starts at €25 in standard class or €38 in comfort class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy the train tickets

  You can buy all your tickets together at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

  First book from Amsterdam to Barcelona, add this to your basket, then book Barcelona to Madrid and Madrid to Algeciras for the following day, add each of these to your basket & check out.

  Booking for Eurostar & TGV opens up to 4 months ahead, for the AVE & Intercity train 60 days ahead, but it varies.  You print your own tickets. 

  Alternatively, you can book from Amsterdam to Barcelona at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee) then book Barcelona to Madrid and Madrid to Algeciras at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it), you'll find www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com much easier to use.

Algeciras station, across the road from the bus station.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Lisbon Porto & Portugal

Option 1, Amsterdam to Lisbon via Barcelona & Madrid.

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 18:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 21:39.

  By all means take an earlier train and spend some time in Paris, there's a train every hour or two.  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. 

  Using Raileurope or Thetrainline allows you to book your tickets in one place as they also connect to the Spanish ticketing system.

  In Paris, change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  The Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex, ideal for an early train next morning.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord & Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

  Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.

  Booking for the TGV opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays, arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.

  Or on any day of the week, leave Barcelona Sants at 16:00 by AVE, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.

  These comfortable AVE S103 high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €17.05 in standard class or €68.05 in comfort class.  Fares work like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. 

  Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead.

• Stay overnight in Madrid.  The classic Hotel Mediodia is across the road from Atocha with good reviews, or try the NH Hotel Madrid Atocha or Only YOU Hotel Atocha, also across the road from the station.

• Day 3, travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains as shown on the Madrid to Lisbon page.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Porto & Lisbon via San Sebastian & Vigo - slightly slower, can be cheaper

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to San Sebastian, for example:

  Leave Amsterdam Central 06:10 Mondays-Fridays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye 16:47.

  Leave Amsterdam Central 09:10 on Saturdays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye 18:47.

  Leave Amsterdam Central 11:10 daily except Saturdays, change in Paris, arriving Hendaye 20:47.

  Amsterdam to Paris Nord is by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) with 3 classes, refreshments, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Paris Montparnasse to Hendaye is by double-deck TGV Duplex Océane with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Transfer from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by half-hourly local Euskotren as shown above, journey time 37 minutes.

  In San Sebastian it's an easy 12-minute walk from Euskotren's Amara station to the Renfe station, see walking map.

• Stay overnight in San Sebastian.  The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station.  If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda.  If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.

• Day 2, travel across Spain from San Sebastian to Vigo on one of these two possible departures:

  Morning departure, every day:  Travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station at 08:47, arriving Madrid Chamartin 13:51.  Then travel from Madrid to Vigo by Alvia, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:00, arriving Vigo Urzaiz 20:12.  The comfortable high-speed Alvia trains have a cafe-bar, standard & comfort class.  Vigo Urzaiz is an easy 10 minute 500m walk from Vigo Guixar, see how to walk between stations using the halo lift.

  Afternoon departure, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays only:  Spend the morning in San Sebastian.  An Intercity train leaves San Sebastian Renfe station at 11:30 arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 13:35.  This is a guaranteed connection into the Barcelona-Galicia Alvia train which leaves Vitoria/Gasteiz at 14:03 on Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays arriving Vigo Guixar at 22:51.

  San Sebastian to Vigo starts at €23 each way.  The price varies, book ahead for the cheaper prices.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Booking for Spanish trains should open 60 days ahead, but it varies & can be less.

  Tip:  If using the daily departure with a change in Madrid, you might need to treat San Sebastian-Madrid & Madrid-Vigo as separate bookings.

• Stay overnight in Vigo. The NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station with great reviews.

• Day 3, travel from Vigo to Porto by Celta regional express, leaving Vigo Guixar at 08:58 arriving Porto Campanhã at 10:20.

  The fare is €16.25, fixed price.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com,  Booking opens 60 days ahead, but it varies and can be less.

• Day 3, travel from Porto to Lisbon by Alfa Pendular, leaving Porto Campanhã at 11:40, arriving Lisbon Santa Apolonia 14:30.

  Or book a later train and spend some time exploring wonderful Porto.

  Fares start at €15.

  Book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in €) or at Omio.com (in €, £ or $).

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Faro & the Algarve

Option 1, Amsterdam to Faro using a bus from Seville to Faro - fastest & easiest

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar then Paris to Barcelona by TGV, as shown in the Amsterdam-Barcelona section.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Seville by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:35, arriving Seville Santa Justa 14:32.

  The AVE S103 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at around €46, book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in €, may reject some international credit cards).

• Day 2, travel from Seville to Faro by bus, an Alsa-Rede Express bus usually leaves Seville Santa Justa station at 15:30 arriving Faro 18:00.

  Times vary so check at Omio.com, I'd allow at least 40 minutes between train & bus.  Remember the 1h time difference between Spain & Portugal.

  Several other bus companies run this route including Damas, EuroLines & Iberobus, all leaving from Seville Plaza de Armas bus station.  I recommend Alsa-Rede Express as their buses start from outside Seville Santa Justa station for easy train-bus connections.  Simply walk out of the main exit and turn right, you'll see the pale blue Alsa-Rede Express bus waiting opposite McDonalds, see the photo below.

  The Alsa-Rede Express buses also call at Seville Plaza de Armas bus station after leaving Santa Justa, a better departure point if you're visiting Seville city centre.  The bus has power sockets, but no WiFi or toilet.  There's a brief toilet stop at Tavira bus station.

  In Faro, the Alsa-Rede Express buses arrive at the Eva bus station adjacent to the excellent Eva Senses Hotel and 2 minutes walk from Faro railway station.  The bus continues to Lagos, or you can have a coffee and continue to Tunes & Lagos by train.

  The fare is around €17-€21 each way.

  Buy tickets for any of these bus companies at Omio.com and print your own ticket.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Faro via Lisbon - a longer way round, but all-train.

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Lisbon as shown above.

• Step 2, take a train from Lisbon to Faro as shown here.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Andorra

Option 1, Amsterdam to Andorra in a day

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 09:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:35.

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start from €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €72 in 1st class (comfort).  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Always allow at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris, but the longer the better.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Toulouse by TGV, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 15:07 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 19:41.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).   You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Have dinner in Toulouse.

• Step 3, travel from Toulouse Matabiau to Andorra la Vella by bus, leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 21:45 arriving Andorra 01:45.

  Check times at Andbus.net or Omio.com.  I'd allow at least an hour between train and bus in Toulouse in case of delay.

  The bus leaves from bus stand 15 in the Gare Routière (bus station) outside Toulouse Matabiau station.  Simply walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right.  The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework, see the photos below.

  The fare is €36.

  Book the bus at Andbus.net or Omio.com.

Paris to Toulouse by TGV Duplex:  This is a TGV Duplex at Paris Gare Montparnasse. Click the images below for larger photos.

TGV Océane cafe-bar (above left) and 2nd class seats (above right).

TGV Océane 1st class seats.  All 1st class seats (except the end ones) rotate to face direction of travel.  There are USB & 2-pin outlets above each drop-down table.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Andorra using the Paris-Toulouse sleeper

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (formerly Thalys), leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 16:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 19:35.

  Daily except Saturdays you can also leave Amsterdam Centraal at 17:10, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 20:35

  Eurostars run at up to 300 km/h with 3 classes, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

  Fares start at €35 in 2nd class (standard) or €72 in 1st class (comfort).  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).  You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare du Nord to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

  Allow at least 90 minutes between trains in Paris when catching a sleeper.  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have dinner at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before strolling across the bridge over the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz?  Or try the floating restaurant Off Paris Seine next to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Toulouse by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 22:13 arriving Toulouse Matabiau 07:44.

  This train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats.  More about Intercité de Nuit.

  Fares start at €29 in a 2nd class couchette or €59 in a 1st class couchette.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, but this train has an annoying habit of opening late for booking, less than the expected 4 months ahead, so don't be impatient.  You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket.

  Tip:  On arrival in Toulouse, I recommend the breakfast buffet at the nearby Pullman Hotel!

• Day 2, travel from Toulouse to Andorra by bus, leaving Toulouse Matabiau at 09:45, arriving Andorra la Vella bus station at 14:00.

  The bus is run by Andbus, check times at Andbus.net.  I'd allow at least an hour between train & bus in Toulouse in case of delay.

  The bus leaves from bus stand 15 in the Gare Routière (bus station) outside Toulouse Matabiau railway station.  Walk out of the station onto the forecourt and look to your right.  The bus station is the modern building with the glass-and-blue-framework, see the photos below.

  The fare is €36 one-way.  Book the bus at Andbus.net.

• A better route, Fri/Sat/Sun, daily June-September:

  On Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights and every day from June to September, the same 22:13 Intercité de Nuit from Paris conveys 1st & 2nd class couchettes & reclining seats direct to Andorre-l'Hospitalet, the nearest station to Andorra, arriving 09:43.

  Book this Paris to Andorre-l'Hospitalet sleeper at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no fee).

  A bus run by Hife (www.hife.es) leaves l'Hospitalet station at 10:15, arriving Andorra La Vella bus station 11:30.

  The bus fare is €24, pre-book the bus at www.hife.es.

  Alternatively, a taxi from l'Hospitalet costs around €80 for up to 4 passengers, taking 47 minutes for the 38 km drive.  Pre-book a taxi to meet the train, call Altitud Taxis, 00 376 856255 or 00 33 561644714.  This is a nicer and faster option than the bus from Toulouse, when running.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Cologne, Frankfurt & Germany from €18.99

• Regular high-speed ICE trains link Amsterdam Centraal with Düsseldorf in 2h12, Cologne Hbf in 2h38 and Frankfurt (Main) Hbf in 3h53, with connections to anywhere in Germany.

  These superb German ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICEs.

• Fares start at €18.99 to Cologne, from €27.99 to Frankfurt or €37.99 to anywhere else in Germany in 2nd class.

  1st class fares start at €49.99 to Cologne, €59.99 to Frankfurt or €69.99 to anywhere else in Germany.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. 

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket (on A4 paper, US Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.

  You can also book at the Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl.

• Tip:  Amsterdam-Frankfurt ICE trains cross the Rhine before entering Cologne Hbf, with the impressive towers of Cologne cathedral visible on the left right next to the station.  The train then leaves the same way it came in, re-crossing the Rhine before turning southwards.  Don't be surprised when your train changes direction at Cologne, and crosses the same Rhine bridge twice!

An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Berlin from €37.99

Option 1, Amsterdam to Berlin by Intercity train - the daytime option

• Every two hours, a comfortable InterCity train leaves Amsterdam Centraal for Osnabrück (2h51), Hanover (4h01) & Berlin Hbf (5h51).

  Trains are the best option on this route, centre to centre with no airport hassle.  There's plenty of space for luggage and a refreshment trolley.

  See the timetable & more about the journey on the Amsterdam to Berlin page.

• Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.  You print your own ticket (on A4 paper, or US Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone.

Amsterdam to Berlin by Intercity train.  More about these Intercity trains.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Berlin by European Sleeper - the overnight option, 3 times a week

• A sleeper train links Amsterdam & Berlin on Monday, Wednesday & Friday nights, see the European Sleeper page.

The European Sleeper.  This is a 5-berth couchette car, beyond is a stainless-steel sleeping-car. Click the interior photos for larger images.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Hamburg from €32.99

• You can travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Hamburg Hbf by train in as little as 5h15:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 11:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 13:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 15:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 12:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 17:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 14:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 19:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 16:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 21:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 18:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 23:16.

  Amsterdam to Osnabrück is by Intercity train (end destination Berlin) with power sockets at all seats & a refreshment trolley.  Osnabrück to Hamburg is by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Fares start at €32.99 in 2nd class or €43.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  You can also book at the Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Osnabrück by Intercity train, seen here at Amsterdam Centraal.  Power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley.  More about these Intercity trains.

Step 2, Osnabruck to Hamburg by ICE4.  These come with a waiter-service restaurant car, cafe counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICEs.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Munich from €37.99

Option 1, Amsterdam to Munich by sleeper train - the time-effective overnight option

• A Nightjet leaves Amsterdam Centraal at 19:00 every day, arriving Munich Hbf 07:06.

  This is a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.

• Fares start at €59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl (in €).

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You print your own ticket.  Child under 6?  See here.

Amsterdam to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Munich by daytime trains

• A direct ICE3neo train leaves Amsterdam Centraal at 08:32 every day, arriving Munich Hbf 15:26.

  This new direct service started on 15 December 2024.  The ICE3neo has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Or there are other departures with a change of train:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 14:06

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 18:07

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 12:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 20:06

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 14:38, change at Düsseldorf, arriving Munich Hbf 22:10

  All of these trains are superb German ICE trains with a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  More about ICEs.  Times vary, check for your date at int.bahn.de.

• Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, rather than booking as a guest, so you can always log in and check or re-print all your bookings.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  You can also book at the Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl.

• Tip:  Take the Rhine Valley scenic route!

  By default, the journey planner at int.bahn.de will send you the fastest way, either via Hannover or via the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed line.  If you don't mind taking an extra hour you can use the classic curvaceous Rhine Valley route between Cologne and Frankfurt, past vineyards, mountains, castles, river boats and the legendary Lorelei Rock.  See the Rails Down the Rhine page.

  To get this option using int.bahn.de, simply click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf leaving length of stay zero.  You'll now see options via Bonn & Koblenz in the search results, which means the Rhine Valley route.  Make sure you find seats on the left hand side of the train going south, as that's where the Rhine will be.

An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Munich with overnight stop in Cologne

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Cologne by ICE, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 18:38 arriving Cologne Hbf 21:18.

  By all means book an earlier train for a pleasant evening in Cologne.

  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Cologne.  The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf, the entrance is left of the station entrance, many rooms have a cathedral view.  Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.

• Day 2, travel from Cologne to Munich on any morning train you like.

  For example, the 07:55 from Cologne Hbf arrives Munich Hbf 12:26.

  Or have a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and book a later train, they leave at least every hour.

• Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. 

  To get the overnight stop, click Stopovers and enter Cologne Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours.

  Why not allow time for a wander round Cologne, visiting the cathedral right next to the station?  You can add a stopover of up to 48h duration.  Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get earlier or later trains for each part of the journey with a longer or shorter overnight stop in Cologne.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket (A4 paper or U.S. Letter size is fine) or can show it on your phone.

• Tip:  Take the scenic route!

  If you have an extra hour, take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley from Cologne southwards, rather than the faster high-speed line.  Simply click Stopovers again and enter Koblenz Hbf leaving length of stay as 00:00.  You will now be routed via the twisting Rhine Valley line past castles, vineyards, river boats, and the legendary Lorelei Rock.  Indeed, you could make Koblenz the stopover instead of Cologne if you like, booking Amsterdam to Munich with Koblenz as the only and length of stay set to (say) 10 hours.  Sit on the left hand side going south as that's the side the river will be.  See the Rails Down the Rhine page.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Vienna from €49.99

Option 1, Amsterdam to Linz & Vienna by sleeper train - the most time-effective option

• A Nightjet leaves Amsterdam Centraal at 19:00 every day, arriving Linz 07:44 & Vienna Hbf 09:17.

  This is a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 421.

• Fares start at €59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl (in €).  Child under 6?  See here.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You can also book at the Austrian Railways website, www.oebb.at (in €).  You print your own ticket.

Amsterdam to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Vienna in a day

• You can travel from Amsterdam to Vienna in a single chill-out day on superb ICE trains with one easy change of train.  For example,

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:38, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 18:47.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:30, change Frankfurt Flughafen, arriving Vienna Hbf 20:47.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:38, change Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Vienna Hbf 23:05.

  Take a good book and enjoy the ride, ICE trains have power sockets at all seats, free WiFi and a restaurant car serving tea, coffee, wine, beer, snacks & hot dishes - in 1st class orders for food & drink are taken and served at your seat.  I recommend the Erdinger Weissbier!

• Fares start at €49.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.

  Tip:  If you want the 08:30 departure, change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.  That stops the journey planner finding a Westbahn (WB) train as the fastest connection to Vienna, which it can't ticket.

  Tip:  You can programme in a few hours stop in Cologne or Nuremberg if you like.  Book from Amsterdam to Vienna, but click Stopover, enter Cologne Hbf or Nuremberg Hbf, enter desired number of hours stopover (say 3) and off you go.

  You can also book at the Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Vienna with overnight stop in Cologne or Nuremberg

• If you'd rather break up the trip with an overnight stop, Cologne or Nuremberg are two good places for an overnight stop.

  Both cities are worth building in a few hours to look around - in Cologne the cathedral is right next to the station, and in Nuremberg there's a pleasant old town, a railway museum and the historic Party Rally Grounds (take tram 9 from outside Nuremberg Hbf). 

• Go to int.bahn.de and book from Amsterdam to Vienna, but click Stopovers, enter Cologne or Nuremberg, enter desired length of stay (say 10 hours) and off you go.

  You can programme up to 2 stopovers over two days and still get an end-to-end Sparpreis tickets.  Adjust the departure time and length of stay through trial & error until you see the trains that suit you either side of Cologne or Nuremberg.

  Booking this way is cheaper than buying two tickets.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €37.99

Option 1, Amsterdam to Austria by Nightjet sleeper train - the time-effective option

• A Nightjet sleeper train leaves Amsterdam Centraal at 19:00 every evening arriving Innsbruck Hbf 09:14, with another portion en route to Vienna arriving in Wels at 07:14.  Change in Wels for a railjet train to Salzburg Hbf, arriving 08:49.

  This is a new generation Nightjet with 1 & 2 bed sleepers with shower & toilet, 4-berth comfort couchettes, individual mini cabins and ordinary seats, see the new generation Nightjet page for a guide to accommodation.  The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu.  A light breakfast is included in sleepers, couchettes & mini cabins.

  Tip:  You can check the train formation, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations and search for NJ 421.

• Fares start at €59.90 in a mini cabin or 4-berth couchettes, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Dutch Railways international website www.nsinternational.nl (in €, no fee).

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  You can also book at the Austrian Railways website, www.oebb.at (in €).  You print your own ticket.

Amsterdam to Austria by Nightjet sleeper train.  More about new-generation Nightjets.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Salzburg or Innsbruck by daytime trains

• You can travel from Amsterdam to Salzburg in a day with several departures to choose from, for example:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:38, change Düsseldorf & Munich Hbf, arriving Salzburg Hbf 15:59.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:30, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Salzburg Hbf 17:42.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:38, change Düsseldorf & Munich Hbf, arriving Salzburg Hbf 20:26.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 12:38, change Düsseldorf & Munich Hbf, arriving Salzburg Hbf 22:02.

  Most of these journeys are on superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• You can travel from Amsterdam to Innsbruck in a day with several departures to choose from, for example:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:38, change Düsseldorf & Munich Hbf, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 17:18.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:30, change at Munich Hbf, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 19:18.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:38, change at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, arriving Innsbruck Hbf 21:18.

  Most of these journeys are on superb German ICE trains with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  You can book from Amsterdam or anywhere in the Netherlands to Salzburg, Innsbruck or anywhere in Austria.  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  int.bahn.de won't suggest impossible connections, with a through ticket you can take later onward trains if there's a delay and missed connection.  However, it will suggest 10-minute connections with a high likelihood of being missed due to delay, so feel free to change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes if you'd prefer a more robust journey.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Salzburg with overnight stop in Cologne.  Comfortable & time-effective

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Cologne by ICE, for example leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 18:38 arriving Cologne Hbf 21:18.

  ICE trains have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Cologne.  The good & inexpensive Ibis Hotel Köln-am-Dom is ideal as it's part of Cologne Hbf itself, the entrance is left of the station entrance, many rooms have a cathedral view.  Also near the station with good reviews are the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.

• Day 2, travel from Cologne to Salzburg on any train you like, check times at int.bahn.de.

  A direct ICE4 train leaves Cologne Messe/Deutz at 08:29, arriving Salzburg Hbf 15:59, or there are other departures with a change of train.

• Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for cheapest prices.

• Buy tickets from Amsterdam to anywhere in Austria at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  To get the overnight stop, click Stopovers and enter Cologne Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 11 hours.

  Why not allow time for a wander round Cologne, visiting the cathedral right next to the station?  Adjust the departure time and length of stay to get earlier or later trains for each part of the journey with a longer or shorter overnight stop in Cologne.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Copenhagen from €49.99

Option 1, Amsterdam to Legoland, Odense or Copenhagen in a single day

• You can travel from Amsterdam to Copenhagen in a single chill-out day, with three possible departures.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:00, change at Osnabrück & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:38.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:00, change at Osnabrück & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:00, change at Osnabrück & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.

  Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride.  You travel from Amsterdam to Osnabrück by comfortable Intercity train, then Osnabrück to Hamburg by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train.

  The Hamburg to Copenhagen EuroCity trains also call at Kolding (for Legoland) & Odense.

• How much does it cost?

  Fares start at €49.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Tip:  I recommend changing Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes.

  You can book from Amsterdam or any station in the Netherlands to Copenhagen or any station in Denmark.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• If you're going to Malmö

  Catch the next Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö Central, these run every 15 minutes taking 40 minutes, crossing the water to Sweden on the impressive Öresund fixed link.  Simply use int.bahn.de to book from Amsterdam to Malmö, you'll get a through ticket.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Copenhagen with an overnight stop in Hamburg

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg, with a choice of departures, for example:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 12:00, easy change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 17:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 14:00, easy change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 19:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 16:00, easy change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 21:14.

  You travel from Amsterdam to Osnabrück by comfortable Intercity train, then Osnabrück to Hamburg by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg.  The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews.  Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.  If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.

  The EuroCity train has power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley.  More about the journey.

• How much does it cost?

  Fares start at €49.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  To get the overnight stop, click Stopovers, enter Hamburg Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 10 hours.  Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want.  A little trial and error may be needed!

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• If you're going to Malmö, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö by Öresund train, these run every 20-30 minutes to Malmö, journey time 40 minutes.  Book from Hamburg to Malmö as one transaction at int.bahn.de.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Osnabruck by Intercity train, seen here at Amsterdam Centraal.  Power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley.  More about these Intercity trains.

Step 2, Osnabruck to Hamburg by ICE4.  These come with a waiter-service restaurant car, cafe counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICEs.

Step 3, Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train.  From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2025-2026.  The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink.  More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.

2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this.  There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.

The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo.  Larger photo.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Stockholm & Sweden

Option 1, Amsterdam to Stockholm using the new Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train - the time-effective option

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 14:00, change at Osnabrück, arriving Hamburg Hbf 19:14.

  You travel from Amsterdam to Osnabrück by comfortable Intercity train, then Osnabrück to Hamburg by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  A later departure at 16:00 is possible but with no wiggle room if there's a delay, so I'd stick with the 14:00.

  Have dinner in Hamburg, see suggested restaurants near the station.

  Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €59.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Step 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by sleeper, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 22:03, arriving Stockholm Central 09:55.

  Run by SJ (Swedish Railways), this EuroNight sleeper train has one or two sleeping-cars with compact 1 & 2 berth compartments with washbasin, several 1, 2 or 3 bed deluxe compartments with toilet & shower, couchette cars with 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.  A bistro car is attached between Malmö and Stockholm.  More about the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper train.

  Fares start at €44.90 with a couchette, €79.90 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €164.90 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.  All prices per person per bed, fares vary like air fares so book ahead.

  Book tickets at SJ's website www.sj.se.

  Booking opens several months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Stockholm with an overnight stop in Hamburg

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg, with a choice of departures, for example:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 12:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 17:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 14:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 19:14.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 16:00, change at Osnabrück, arrive Hamburg Hbf 21:14.

  You travel from Amsterdam to Osnabrück by comfortable Intercity train, then Osnabrück to Hamburg by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg.  The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews.  Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.  If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.

  The EuroCity train has power sockets at all seats and a refreshment trolley.  More about the journey.

• Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Sweden:

  For Malmö, hop on the next Öresund train from Copenhagen to Malmö Central, these leave every 15 minutes taking 40 minutes.

  For Gothenburg, hop on the next Öresund train from Copenhagen to Göteborg Central, these leave every hour taking 3h50.

  For Stockholm, travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000, leaving Copenhagen at 14:19, arriving Stockholm Central 19:37.

  SJ's X2000 trains have a bistro, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They use the impressive Öresund fixed link from Sweden to Denmark,

  Update 2025:  Unfortunately, SJ is short of X2000s and until further notice you'll need to change at Malmö:

  On Mondays-Fridays, leave Copenhagen 15:59, change at Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 21:33.

  On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Copenhagen 14:59, change at Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 20:36.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Copenhagen starts at €49.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class.

  Copenhagen to Stockholm starts at 280 SEK (€28).

  There are through fares from Amsterdam to Malmö & Gothenburg from €56.99 in 2nd class, €79.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  If you're going to Malmö or Gothenburg, book from Amsterdam to Malmö Central or Göteborg Central with German Railways at int.bahn.de.

  If you're going to Stockholm, first book from Amsterdam to Copenhagen using int.bahn.de.

  To get the overnight stop, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.  Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Hamburg.  A little trial & error may be needed!

  In all cases I'd also change Transfer time from normal to 40 minutes or more.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

  Then book from Copenhagen to Stockholm using www.sj.se (in SEK) or using Omio.com (in SEK, €, £ or $, small booking fee).

Option 3, Amsterdam to Stockholm with an overnight stop in Copenhagen

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Copenhagen in a single chill-out day, with a choice of departure:

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:00, change Osnabrück & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 17:38.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:00, change Osnabrück & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 19:38.

  Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:00, change Osnabrück & Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen 21:38.

  Take a good book, sit back and enjoy the ride.  See more about the Hamburg to Copenhagen journey.

  If you're going to Malmö, hop on the next Öresund train to Malmö Central, these run every 15 minutes, taking 40 minutes.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.  The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here.  Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

• Day 2 for Gothenburg:  Travel from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (Göteborg Central) by Öresund train, journey time 3h50.

  These trains leave every hour, using the impressive Öresund fixed link from Sweden to Denmark.

• Day 2 for Stockholm:  Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000, leaving Copenhagen at 08:21, arriving Stockholm Central 13:34.

  SJ's X2000 trains have a bistro, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They use the impressive Öresund fixed link from Sweden to Denmark.

  Update 2025:  Unfortunately, SJ is short of X2000s and until further notice you'll need to change at Malmö:

  On Mondays-Fridays, leave Copenhagen 08:59, change at Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 14:39.

  On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Copenhagen 08:44, change at Malmö Central, arriving Stockholm Central 14:32.

  Or there are earlier & later departures, check times at www.sj.se or Omio.com.

• How much does it cost?

  Amsterdam to Copenhagen starts at €49.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class.

  Copenhagen to Stockholm starts at 280 SEK (€28).

  There are through fares from Amsterdam to Malmö & Gothenburg from €56.99 in 2nd class, €79.99 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

• How to buy tickets

  If you're going to Malmö, book from Amsterdam to Malmö at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  If you're going to Gothenburg, book from Amsterdam to Göteborg Central at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.  To get the overnight stop in Copenhagen, click Stopovers and enter Copenhagen with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.  Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the trains you want either side of Copenhagen.

  If you're going to Stockholm, book from Amsterdam to Copenhagen using int.bahn.de.  Then book Copenhagen to Stockholm for the following day using www.sj.se (in SEK) or using Omio.com (in SEK, €, £ or $, small booking fee).

  In all cases I'd change Transfer time from normal to 40 minutes or more.

  Booking normally opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check or re-print your tickets at any time.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Step 1, Amsterdam to Osnabrück by Intercity train, seen at Amsterdam Centraal.  More about these Intercity trains.

Step 2, Osnabrück to Hamburg by ICE4, with restaurant car, cafe counter, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICEs.

Step 3, Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train.  From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2025-2026.  The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink.  More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.

Above left, the 1st class car has 6-seat compartments like this.  Above right, 2nd class is almost all open-plan like this.

Step 4, Copenhagen to Stockholm by tilting 200km/h X2000, seen at Stockholm Central.  More about X2000 trains.

Crossing the impressive Öresund bridge from Denmark to Sweden.

Option 4, Amsterdam to Gothenburg using Stena Line's Kiel-Gothenburg overnight ferry

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Kiel by train, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 08:00, change at Hannover, arriving Kiel Hbf 15:17.

  You travel from Amsterdam to Hannover by comfortable Intercity train, then from Hannover to Kiel by ICE with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Times may vary, but look for the 1-change option.

  Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book the train at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. 

  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  Book the ferry first and confirm ferry times before booking the train, making sure you arrive in Kiel at least 2 hours before the ferry sails. 

  In Kiel, the ferry terminal is 750m from the station, a 9-minute walk, see walking map.

• Step 2, sail overnight from Kiel to Gothenburg by Stena Line ferry.

  The ferry normally sails at 18:45 and arrives around 09:15, but times may vary so check online.

  The ferry is a floating hotel with restaurants & bars, all passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite toilet & shower.  You can add dinner & breakfast to your ticket when you book.

  Fares vary, you might pay €39 per passenger as basic fare plus €75-€89 per cabin for a private 1 or 2 bed room.

  Book the ferry at www.stenaline.com and print your ticket or show it on your phone.

  In Gothenburg, the ferry terminal is a short taxi ride (or 4.3 km 53-minute walk) from Göteborg Central station, see walking map.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Oslo & Norway

Option 1, Amsterdam to Oslo with overnight stop in Hamburg - by train all the way

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 18:00, change at Osnabrück, arriving Hamburg Hbf 23:16.

  By all means take the earlier 16:00 or 14:00 departure from Amsterdam for more of an evening in Hamburg. 

  You travel from Amsterdam to Osnabrück by comfortable Intercity train, then from Osnabrück to Hamburg by ICE4 with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €32.99 in 2nd class or €43.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy a ticket at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Stay overnight in Hamburg.  The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews.  Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.  If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.

• Day 2, travel from Hamburg to Gothenburg by EuroCity train & Öresund train:

  Leave Hamburg Hbf 08:50, arriving Copenhagen 13:38.  Leave Copenhagen at 14:30, arriving Göteborg Central 18:20.

  The EuroCity train from Hamburg to Copenhagen has power sockets at all seats & a refreshment trolley.  More about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.  The Öresund train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own food & drink.

  Have an early dinner in Gothenburg.

  Fares from Hamburg to Gothenburg start at €56.99 in 2nd class or €79.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy a ticket from Hamburg to Gothenburg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  If you're clever, you can book a through ticket all the way from Amsterdam to Gothenburg using int.bahn.de.  To get the overnight stop in Hamburg, click Stopovers and enter Hamburg Hbf with a suitable length of stay, say 10 hours.  Adjust departure time and length of stay to get the departure from Brussels you want and the 08:50 departure from Hamburg next morning.

  Tip:  If you don't see any fares (which may be the case if you want 1st class), split the booking:  First book Hamburg to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de.  Then buy a ticket from Copenhagen to Göteborg Central at www.oresundstag.se.

• Day 2, travel from Gothenburg to Oslo by Norwegian train, leaving Göteborg Central at 20:10, arriving Oslo Sentral 23:47.

  The smart modern Norwegian train is run by Vy, it has power sockets & free WiFi, but bring your own food & drink.

  Fares start at 249 Krone (€24) if you book a few weeks ahead.

  Book this at the Vy website www.vy.no or at www.entur.no.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Oslo via Hamburg & Copenhagen - by train all the way

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Copenhagen by train in a day as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.  The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here.  Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

• Day 2, travel from Copenhagen to Oslo by train, leaving Copenhagen at 07:30, change at Gothenburg Central, arriving Oslo Sentral 15:47.

  Earlier & later departures are available, see the Copenhagen-Oslo timetable & how to buy tickets.

Gothenburg to Oslo by Norwegian train.  Above, scenery between Gothenburg & Oslo. Courtesy of @Simply_Railway.

Above right, the Norwegian train arrived at Oslo Sentral.  Photos courtesy of @AndyBTravels & @Marcos Castro.

Option 3, Amsterdam to Oslo using the Copenhagen-Oslo overnight ferry

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Copenhagen by train in a day as shown above.

• Stay overnight in Copenhagen.  The friendly Astoria Hotel is a 1930s design classic right outside Copenhagen station main entrance, see photos & information here.  Other hotels near the station with good reviews include the Nimb Hotel (5-star luxe), Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (5-star), Axel Guldsmeden (4-star), Andersen Boutique Hotel, First Hotel Mayfair (3-star), Hotel Ansgar (3-star), City Hotel Nebo (2-star).

• Day 2, spend the day in Copenhagen, then sail overnight from Copenhagen to Oslo in a cosy private cabin with shower & toilet.

  The ferry sails at 16:30 (15:00 some days), arriving Oslo at 10:00 on day 3, as shown here.

  This is remarkably affordable, and saves a hotel bill.  Book the ferry at at www.gonordiccruiseline.com or using the Direct Ferries website.

Option 4, Amsterdam to Oslo via the Kiel-Oslo cruise ferry - the most luxurious way to Oslo

• Step 1, travel from Amsterdam to Kiel, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 14:00, change at Hannover, arriving Kiel Hbf at 21:41.

  By all means book the earlier 12:00 departure instead for more of an evening in Kiel.

  You travel from Amsterdam to Hannover by comfortable Intercity train, then Hannover to Kiel by ICE with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Buy tickets at the German Railways site int.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

• Stay overnight in Kiel.  The InterCity Hotel Kiel gets good reviews, is relatively inexpensive and is right next to the station and a few minutes walk from the ferry.  The B&B Hotel Kiel City is also next to the station with good reviews, and is even cheaper.  For something upmarket, the Atlantic Hotel Kiel gets great reviews and is in Bahnhofsplatz in front of the station.

  In Kiel it's a 7 minute 450m walk from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line ferry terminal, see walking map.

• Step 2, sail from Kiel to Oslo by Color Line ferry, leaving Kiel at 14:00 and arriving Oslo at 10:00 next morning.

  The m/v Magic & m/v Fantasy are floating hotels with a wide range of en suite cabins, suites, restaurants, bars & lounges.

  Check times & buy tickets using the Direct Ferries website or at www.colorline.com.

  Money-saving tip:  It's considerably cheaper to book on Color Line's Norwegian website www.colorline.no in Norwegian Krone, for example a €274 fare becomes the equivalent of €164.  You'll need to use Google to translate the Norwegian.  You are still able to enter a UK or other European address and contact details.  Feedback appreciated.

  Make sure you're on deck next morning as the ship sails through spectacular scenery up Oslo Fjord.  The ship docks at the modern Color Line terminal about 2 km from the city centre.  Color Line provide transfer buses to Oslo Sentral station costing 55 krone, or there are plenty of taxis.  If you have little luggage it's possible to walk.  See map of Oslo showing ferry terminal.

Sail from Kiel to Oslo with Color Line.  It's just a 6 minute walk across from Kiel Hbf to the Color Line terminal.  There's a lift up to a connecting walkway which takes you to the ferry terminal.  If you've booked one of Color Line's 5 star suites, check in at the desk rather than the machines to be directed to a VIP lounge with free tea, coffee, juice, snacks & WiFi.  You'll have priority boarding & free access to the on-board spa.  Photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry except where shown.

Above left, cabin with TV, shower & toilet, luxury suites are also available.  Above right, restaurant with a view.

Restaurant and lounge on the Kiel-Oslo ferry.

Wake up to lovely scenery sailing up Oslo Fjord.

The Color Line ferry, arrived at Oslo.  Above right, there's a transfer bus to Oslo Sentral, photo courtesy of Andrew Leo.

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Helsinki & Finland

Option 1, Amsterdam to Helsinki using the Finnlines ferry from Germany to Helsinki - the easiest option

• Day 1, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg, leaving Amsterdam Centraal at 12:00, change Osnabrück, arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:14.

  Fares start at €37.99 in 2nd class or €69.99 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. 

  Booking opens up to 6 months ahead.  I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

  Tip:  You should book from Amsterdam to Skandinavienkai Terminal, Lübeck as one transaction as this gets you a through ticket to the ferry terminal covering the train from Amsterdam to Hamburg, the regional train to Lübeck and the bus to the Skandinavienkai Terminal.  If you'd like time for dinner in Lübeck, click Stopovers and enter Lübeck Hbf with a length of stay of (say) 2 hours.

• Day 1, travel from Hamburg Hbf to Lübeck by regional train, you've time for dinner in Lübeck's old town, see suggested restaurant here.  Then take a bus to the Skandinavienkai ferry terminal in Travemünde.

  Sail from Travemünde to Helsinki by Finnlines ferry.  Finnlines sail from Travemünde to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30, sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 3 from Amsterdam).

  For full details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing, see here.

  Book the ferry using the Direct Ferries website or at www.finnlines.com.

• Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.

Option 2, Amsterdam to Helsinki by train to Stockholm & ferry to Helsinki

Back to top

---

Amsterdam to Prague from €46.99