Amsterdam to Berlin by train

Considering a trip from Amsterdam to Berlin by train? Excellent choice! This guide is going to lay out your options for crafting a train journey you’ll remember fondly for a lifetime!

Overview of train services

Deutsche Bahn, the national train operator of Germany, offers two services from Amsterdam to Berlin — Intercity and Intercity Express (ICE).

DB - Intercity

Operator details

The DB Intercity Amsterdam to Berlin train is a medium-speed service that offers affordable tickets and greater flexibility with frequent departures. It also allows you to take your time and appreciate the countryside at a leisurely pace.

Route

DB Intercity offers direct service from Amsterdam Centraal train station to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Hbf), central train station. Intercity trains usually make a number of stops along the way, including Hilversum, Amersfoort, Apeldoorn, Deventer, Hengelo, Bad Bentheim, Rheine, Osnabrück, Bünde, Hannover and Berlin-Spandau.

Train features

DB Intercity trains offer comfortable travel with spacious seats, a nice menu of snacks and refreshment, dependable Wi-Fi and onboard bicycle storage.

Benefits

DB Intercity trains are less expensive to book than their ICE counterparts. They also offer more frequent departures. The speed is slower and there are more stops, making the Amsterdam to Berlin train duration longer, but if time is not a concern, you can enjoy a leisurely ride through scenic European countryside.

As with all train travel, Intercity trains are more eco-friendly than any other form of long-distance travel per passenger, with a lower carbon footprint than air travel, bus or rental car. You get to depart from and arrive at a central train station rather than a remote airport and enjoy a large train to roam around in as opposed to a cramped bus or plane. You miss all the hassle of renting, parking and fueling a car, as well as any issue with traffic. Finally, check-in and boarding is simpler than air or rental car travel.

DB - ICE

Operator details

As the premiere German high-speed modern train operator, Deutsche Bahn's Intercity Express (ICE) trains offer a unique blend of blistering speeds and incredible comfort. If you want to travel from Amsterdam to Berlin quickly and in style, the ICE is the way to do it.

Route

DB ICE trains follow the same route as DB Intercity trains, a direct route between Amsterdam Centraal and Berlin Hbf. The difference is that these trains move at higher velocity and skip many or all of the stops in between, providing you the fastest train journey possible between these two unforgettable cities.

Train features

Because DB ICE trains are newer and more sophisticated, they tend to be nicer with more amenities. Expect to find comfortable seating with ample legroom, free Wi-Fi, power outlets at every seat, an onboard restaurant or bistro car, quiet zones and bicycle storage spaces (note - reservations required).

Benefits

The obvious benefit of a DB ICE trip is the speed — it’s the fastest train journey between Amsterdam and Berlin. It’s also more luxurious, with more amenities and classes of service, making it an excellent choice for those who value comfort on the Amsterdam to Berlin high-speed train.

Schedule details

Quickest journey time and total distance

The minimum time it takes for a high-speed train to cover the 576 kilometres of tracks between Amsterdam and Berlin is 5 hours and 41 minutes.

Earliest and latest departure times

Weekday trains from Amsterdam to Berlin depart Amsterdam Centraal as early as 05:02 and as late as 22:34.

Weekend trains from Amsterdam to Berlin depart Amsterdam Centraal as early as 05:02 and as late as 17:10.

Average number of daily trains

Roughly 38 trains depart Amsterdam Centraal bound for Berlin Hbf daily.

Frequency of departures

Amsterdam to Berlin trains depart Amsterdam Centraal with a frequency of roughly every 10 minutes.

Ticket information

Ticket prices

Deutsche Bahn offers several Amsterdam to Berlin train ticket options — Flexpreis (Flexible Fare), Sparpreis (Saver Fare) and Super Sparpreis (Super Saver Fare). Prices are constantly changing based on demand. Booking time, ticket type and class all impact the final price tag. Here are our current estimates for the fares available today (though prices will vary):

• Cheapest ticket on the route: US$23.50

• Average cost of a ticket on this route if you book 30 days in advance: US$23

• Average cost of a ticket on this route if you book 7 days in advance: US$23

Importance of booking in advance

You can book train tickets from Amsterdam to Berlin up to 12 months. Booking as far in advance as possible can not only give you the best selection of seats, itineraries and fare classes — lower prices on the same fares may be available too. More of those Saver and Super Saver fares are available far in advance. Consider booking 30 days in advance if possible, 7 days in advance at a minimum.

Point-to-point tickets vs. rail passes

You can travel from Amsterdam to Berlin by train with either a point-to-point ticket or a rail pass.

Point-to-point tickets

Point-to-point tickets are simple train fares that get you from Point A to Point B on a particular train. You will have an assigned seat and your ticket can’t be transferred to another train. You can’t add stops either. It’s the least flexible kind of fare, but for a single journey, it is also the least expensive kind of ticket.

DB offers three price tiers of point-to-point tickets — Flexpreis (Flexible Fare), Sparpreis (Saver Fare) and Super Sparpreis (Super Saver Fare). Which fare tiers might be available depends on how far in advance you book, as well as the popularity of that particular train.

Rail passes you can use from Amsterdam to Berlin

Rail passes are much more flexible than point-to-point tickets. You don’t have an assigned seat, an assigned itinerary, an assigned train or even an assigned travel day. You get a certain number of travel days within the active period of the pass, but you don’t have to specify which days in advance you will travel — you can just show up spontaneously (for trains that don’t require a seat reservation), get on a train and as long as you have travel days left on the pass, you’re in!

Whatever days you pick, you can board as many nationally-operated trains as you like! You can even get on and off trains or do a day trip where you take a train from Amsterdam to Berlin in the morning and back to Amsterdam in the evening.

The two varieties of passes perfect for the Amsterdam to Berlin train route are:

• Interrail Pass: for European residents

• Eurail Pass: for non-European residents

For either variety of pass, you can get a Global Pass, which covers all 33 participating European countries.

Train stations served

Amsterdam Centraal

As the largest and most iconic station in Amsterdam, Amsterdam Centraal has been charming passengers since the 19th century, proudly serving as the city's main international railway hub. Built on pylons so that it is literally over the water, it serves as a gateway to Europe for over 100 million passengers every year.

Facilities and services

• Ticket offices (including international services)

• Tourist information center

• Free Wi-Fi access

• Restaurants, cafés and shops

• Luggage storage (lockers and left luggage office)

• Restrooms with baby-changing facilities

• Accessibility features (lifts, escalators, adapted toilets)

• Bicycle storage and rental services

• Police station

• Currency exchange

• Public transport connections (trams, buses, metro, ferries)

• Parking facilities

• Lost property office

• Cash machines

Berlin Hbf

Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station) is a large modern station serving 110 million passengers annually. It is centrally located near the government district, with excellent connections to Berlin's public transport system, including the S-Bahn and U-Bahn networks. Taxi ranks and bike parking are also available for passengers arriving on the train from Amsterdam to Berlin.

Facilities and services

• Ticket counters and vending machines

• Information desks

• Luggage storage facilities (lockers and staffed service)

• Restrooms (paid, with some accepting cards)

• Waiting areas

• Free Wi-Fi access (time-limited)

• Shops (over 80, including supermarkets)

• Restaurants, cafés and snack bars

• Car rental services

• Bicycle parking

• Taxi ranks

• Parking facilities

• Accessibility features (elevators, step-free access)

• DB Lounge (for eligible first-class passengers)

• Showers

• Mobile service staff

• Bahnhofsmission (assistance service)

Travelling with DB - Intercity and DB - ICE – boarding process

Security and boarding procedures

Train travel from Amsterdam to Berlin is generally safe and easy. Security checks are like those at airports but less stringent and invasive. You’ll put your bags through an x-ray scanner and walk through a metal detector. Sometimes, there are random bag checks on the platforms or even on the train, but this is not common.

Navigating the stations and boarding

Amsterdam Centraal is a big station, but it's simple to find your way around. Look for the big departure boards; they display the Amsterdam to Berlin train number, the platform and the departure time.

Before you board the train from Amsterdam to Berlin, have your ticket and ID ready. The conductor will check them. If you bought a digital ticket, have it open on your phone. If your phone battery is low, a printed ticket is a better idea.

Once you're on the platform, find your train car. Your ticket will show your seat number and there are signs on the train cars indicating car numbers and the class of service. If you need help, ask a conductor or a station worker. Boarding usually starts about 30 minutes before departure.

Train classes of service

DB - Intercity & ICE

Second Class

Comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi with power outlets at most seats, an onboard bistro or restaurant car, quiet zones (on select trains) and a family area for parents and children.

First Class

Larger, more comfortable seats, quiet zones, food and drink service at your seat, complimentary magazines and newspapers, business zones for quiet work and privacy and lounge access at major stations like Amsterdam Centraal and Berlin Hbf.

Travel documentation and customs requirements

Both the Netherlands and Germany are members of the Schengen alliance, which makes travel between member nations seamless and quick — almost to the point of being unnoticeable. This adds to the ease of taking a train from Amsterdam to Berlin.

Documentation required

Due to the Schengen agreement, there is no passport or immigration check necessary to cross the border from the Netherlands to Germany. The only documentation you need is your ticket and ID. Note that certain nationalities require a visa to visit Europe. If that applies to you, keep it handy when boarding the Amsterdam to Berlin train.

Customs requirements

Again, due to the Schengen agreement, no customs check is necessary for the Dutch/German border crossing. Note, however, that rare bag checks can happen and the transit of large quantities of certain goods (tobacco, alcohol, etc.) may be restricted.