Amsterdam 2023

Rail

Amsterdam is one of the most well connected European capitals, with a wide variety of international connections through both Amsterdam Centraal and nearby Utrecht Centraal. The Eurostar has five daily trips between London and the Netherlands (3h 30), hourly Thalys services between Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, and Paris (2h 30), as well as high frequency Intercity Direct services between Belgium (Antwerp and Brussels) and Amsterdam (1h 30). There are also a number of ICE high speed connections between Amsterdam and German cities, including Cologne, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Nuremberg, and eight direct services a day to Berlin. 

There are also Nightjet services – overnight rail connections between Amsterdam and other cities across Europe, including Vienna, Prague, Basel, and Zurich. These can be more costly, but may well be cheaper (and less stressful!) than flying. 

All trains in the country gravitate around Amsterdam Centraal. From north to south, Amsterdam Centraal is one of the easiest stations in the country to get to. Use the NS or 9292 app to check your simplest journey.

Bus

If you’re coming from elsewhere in Western Europe, a bus connection may also be an easy and cheap travel option, especially for cities without direct rail service to Amsterdam. Flixbus, the main international bus company, offers bus travel between Amsterdam and cities in Northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. Do be aware of longer travel times compared to rail travel.

Many of these begin or terminate from other rail stations in Amsterdam, such as Amsterdam Sloterdijk or Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA, so be sure to double check the details. Other transport hubs are easily accessible from Amsterdam Centraal (less than 5 minutes by train, or 15 by Metro), but you don’t want to find out too close to departure time!

Air

Schiphol Airport is the main airport of the Netherlands, as one of the busiest airports in Europe with daily flights to dozens of European countries. There is a direct rail connection between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal, with direct connections every 10 minutes, and journeys lasting less than 15 minutes.

WARNING – Schiphol Airport has been experiencing severe security delays, upon both arrival and departure. It is recommended to get to Schiphol at least 3 hours before your flight to ensure sufficient time, and even longer if you have a tendency to get lost, if you’re checking in bags, or if you want additional buffer time. 

Eindhoven Airport is the secondary airport of the Netherlands, mostly containing budget airline carriers, such as Ryanair and Wizz Airways. Destinations include Dublin, Vienna, Barcelona, Rome, Budapest, Bilbao, Riga, Sofia, and others. Eindhoven Airport is located approximately 1 hour 20 minutes by train away from Amsterdam, with bus connections from the airport to Eindhoven Centraal station. The rail journey costs EUR22 for a peak time undiscounted ticket. 

There are also flights from The Hague Rotterdam Airport and London, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Lisbon and other seasonal destinations. These are fewer in number than flights to Schiphol or Eindhoven, but it is also worth researching. From The Hague Rotterdam Airport, you can travel on Line E of the Rotterdam Metro to Den Haag Centraal, and from here transfer to mainline rail to Amsterdam Centraal.