InterCity train from Amsterdam to Berlin
 
Buy Amsterdam-Berlin tickets from €37.99
at int.bahn.de.

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Amsterdam to Berlin in 5h51

Comfortable air-conditioned InterCity trains link Amsterdam Centraal & Berlin Hbf every two hours, 624 km (399 miles) in 5h51 city centre to city centre from €37.99.  A soulless flight will take the best part of 5 hours, cost more and be far less relaxing.  Train is the way to go, look what you'll see on the way.

Journey time was cut from 6h23 in December 2023, by eliminating the locomotive change at Bad Bentheim and dropping several smaller stops in Germany.

A sleeper train also links Amsterdam & Berlin 3 times a week, see the European Sleeper page.

small bullet point  Train times

small bullet point  How much does it cost?

small bullet point  How to buy tickets

small bullet point  Route map

small bullet point  What's the train like?  

small bullet point  What's the journey like?  Things to see...

small bullet point  Travel tips  

small bullet point  Food & drink on board

small bullet point  Watch the video

small bullet point  Amsterdam Centraal station guide

small bullet point  Berlin Hbf station guide

Train times eastbound until 14 December 2024

 Amsterdam ► Berlin

 

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

Mon-Sat

 European Sleeper

 Amsterdam Centraal depart:

05:59

07:59

09:59

11:59

13:59

15:59

  17:59*

 22:34 Mon, Wed, Fri

 Berlin Hbf arrive:

11:51

13:51

15:51

17:51

19:51

21:51

  00:16*

 06:18 next day

Train times eastbound from 15 December 2024

 Amsterdam ► Berlin

 

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

Mon-Sat

 European Sleeper

 Amsterdam Centraal depart:

06:00

08:00

10:00

12:00

14:00

16:00

  18:00*

 22:34 Mon, Wed, Fri

 Berlin Hbf arrive:

11:51

13:51

15:51

17:51

19:51

21:51

  00:18*

 06:18 next day

Train times westbound until 14 December 2024

 Berlin ► Amsterdam

 

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

 European Sleeper

 Berlin Hbf depart:

06:06

08:06

10:06

12:06

14:06

16:06

 22:56 Tue, Thur, Sun

 Amsterdam Centraal arrive:

12:00

14:00

16:00

18:00

20:00

22:00

 06:26 next day

Train times westbound from 15 December 2024

 Berlin ► Amsterdam

 

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

daily

 European Sleeper

 Berlin Hbf depart:

06:06

08:06

10:06

12:06

14:06

16:06

 22:56 Tue, Thur, Sun

 Amsterdam Centraal arrive:

11:59

13:59

15:59

17:59

19:59

21:59

 06:26 next day

Notes for timetable

Travelling 7 June to 8 August 2025?  Journey time is significantly extended due to trackwork.  Departures from Berlin at 04:53, 06:55, 08:55, 12:55 & 14:55.  Departures from Amsterdam at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 & 16:00.

These trains also call at Amersfoort, Deventer, Hengelo, Osnabrück, Hannover & several other stations.  Check times at int.bahn.de.

*  =  Change trains at Hanover, arrive 22:01, depart 22:31.

European Sleeper = Sleeper train with sleeping-car & couchettes, see the European Sleeper train page.  There'll be no Wednesday departure from Amsterdam & no Thursday departure from Berlin from 7 November 2023 to 24 March 2024, except for a few dates over Christmas & New Year, see the European Sleeper train page.

Amsterdam to Berlin is 642 km (399 miles) by train.

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

Route map

Amsterdam to Berlin train route map

Click for larger mapRed = high-speed lines.  Green = scenic sections of line.  Black = conventional lines. 

Reproduced from the European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people.  I recommend buying a copy of the European Rail Map for your travels, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu with shipping worldwide.

What's the train like?

Current Intercity (IC) trains are composed of first-generation Intercity cars, spacious, smooth-riding and comfortable.  There is now no bistro car, as these were withdrawn from all German Intercity trains and replaced by a refreshment trolley in December 2023, pending arrival of new trains.

New ICE-L trains will enter service by the end of 2024:  New ICE-L trains are being built by Spanish company Talgo and will start to replace these classic IC1 trains from late 2024.  The L stands for Low-Floor as these trains are composed of a locomotive pulling or pushing little articulated low-floor carriages designed for easy level boarding.  Each car is half the length of a conventional ICE car and articulated to its neighbour with just two wheels under each articulation, rather than a conventional 4-wheel bogie.  They will have 1ast & 2nd class, power sockets, WiFi, a restaurant car and 8 bike spaces.

Amsterdam to Berlin train, at Amsterdam

An Amsterdam to Berlin Intercity train, at Amsterdam CentraalWatch the video.

2nd class seats on an Amsterdam to Berlin train

2nd class seating is usually in open-plan saloons like this, most seats unidirectional, but with some tables for 4.  Larger photo.

1st class comparment on a Berlin to Amsterdam train   1st class 6-seat compartment on a Berlin to Amsterdam train

There is usually one 1st class car with seats in traditional 6-seat compartments with side corridor, plus a few 1st class seats in part of the bistro car.  Larger photo Larger photo.

What's the journey like?

Amsterdam Centraal station, exterior

Amsterdam.  The historic Amsterdam Centraal station opened in 1889, right in the city centre, a stroll from most hotels.  For a coffee, beer or meal before boarding the train to Berlin, try the beautifully retro Grand Cafe 1e Klas on platform 2B - look for the cockatoo on the bar.  See Amsterdam Centraal station guide.

View from the train as it crosses the IJssel at Deventer

Deventer & River IJssel.  As you cross the River IJssel at Deventer you'll see a film star.  The white arched steel road bridge across the IJssel at Deventer just upstream from the rail bridge played the part of the famous John Frost Bridge at Arnhem in the 1976 film A Bridge Too Far.  You can see it in the distance in the photo above which was taken from the train.  Eastbound from Amsterdam, it's on the right hand side 2 minutes before arriving at Deventer station.  Westbound from Berlin it's on the left hand side 2 minutes after leaving Deventer station.

Dutch farmland

You'll see how built-up the western part of the Netherlands is, but once in the east of the country you'll see plenty of farmland, cattle and ancient Dutch farms.  Watch for the subtle differences between Dutch and German houses...

Kaiser Wilhelm monument   Minden station

Kaiser Wilhelm Monument (above left).  You pass the Kaiser Wilhelm monument on the left between Bad Oeynhausen & Minden when heading to Berlin, on the right when heading to Amsterdam.  Erected in 1892-96 it's one of Germany's national monuments.

Minden (above right).  The train passes the fortress-like Minden station built in 1848.

Osnabruck, platform 11   Intercity train at Hannover

Osnabruck (above left)...  Change here for trains to Hamburg & Scandinavia, see the illustrated guide to changing trains at Osnabruck.

Hannover (above right).  A major stop with 14 busy modernised platforms.  Change here for Intercity trains to Leipzig & Dresden, and regional trains to the Harz region.

The Volkswagen factory of 1938   Breakfast on the Amsterdam-Berlin train

Wolfsburg & the original Volkswagen factory.  The train passes Wolfsburg, Volkswagen's worldwide headquarters.  You'll see Volkswagen's original factory built in 1938 right next to the station on the left when heading to Berlin, on the right when heading to Amsterdam.  The factory produced thousands of VW Beetles, as well as kubelwagens during the war.

After swishing across the Netherlands and western Germany at up to 140km/h (87 mph) the train eventually joins the new high-speed line between Hanover and Berlin and accelerates up to 200km/h (125 mph).

The Amsterdam to Berlin InterCity train arrived at Berlin Hbf

Berlin.  Berlin's glass-and-steel Hauptbahnhof opened in 2006, a total contrast to Amsterdam, Centraal.  Just 17 minutes walk past the Reichstag building to the Brandenburg Gate.  See Berlin Hbf station guide.

Berlin Hbf, exterior

Travel tips

Drop down table   Luggage rack   Power socket

Drop down tables and generous leg room for 6-footers, even in 2nd class!

 

Plenty of luggage space - even on a busy train, in sight of your seats.

 

There are European 2-pin power sockets at every seat in first class or between every pair of seats in 2nd class.

Food & drink on board

The bistro car is replaced by a refreshment trolley from December 2023 until the new ICE-L trains arrive at some point during 2024 or 2025.  The new trains will have a bistro.  You are free to bring your own food, even wine or beer if you like.


Video guide:  Amsterdam-Berlin Intercity train


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