 Amsterdam to Bruges by train - with a coffee or beer at the railway cathedral that is Antwerp Central
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It's easy to travel from Amsterdam to Bruges (or vice versa) by train in as little as 2h51 with departures every hour or better. But there are several different options, this page explains them.
How to buy tickets
Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.com.
This is the official Dutch Railways international website, with no booking fee.
Fares vary like air fares, it's cheaper if you book ahead. You print your own ticket or download the NS International app and can show it on your phone.
However, you'll see a bewildering list of 1-change or 2-change options in the search results. Some leave from Amsterdam Centraal, others from Amsterdam Zuid. Which should you choose?
Which station in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam Centraal is in the heart of Amsterdam, a beautiful historic station walking distance from all the sights.
Amsterdam Zuid is (frankly) a bit of a dump in the financial district, on the A10 ring road, a metro ride from anywhere most visitors would want to be.
Which type of train?
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains are 300 km/h (186 mph) high-speed trains. Fastest and most comfortable, all tickets come with a reserved seat, and they leave from the convenient Amsterdam Centraal.
On the other hand, Eurostars only run every 1 or 2 hours (not every hour) and they have airline-style pricing that commits you to a specific departure with limited or no changes. Expensive at short notice.
Eurocity Direct trains are 200 km/h (125 mph) inter-urban trains, cheaper than Eurostar, only slightly slower, with a departure every hour. There are no reserved seats, you sit where you like. If you need flexibility you can buy a full-flex ticket which lets you use any departure that day.
On the other hand, Eurocity Directs use the less-convenient Amsterdam Zuid so you either need to take the metro to/from Zuid OR leave from Amsterdam Centraal on a Dutch domestic train and change onto the ECD at Schiphol.
If you have an Interrail or Eurail pass, it's a no-brainer: Use a Eurocity Direct trains, no reservation needed, nothing extra to pay. Eurostar (formerly Thalys) has compulsory reservation, a whopping great €20+ reservation fee and a limited quota for passholders.
Change in Antwerp? Or Brussels?
You only need to change trains once (whatever the system initially says), at either Antwerp Central or Brussels Midi.
Antwerp Central is one of the world's most beautiful stations. Brussels Midi, it's fair to say, isn't. Antwerp Central is a much, much nicer place to change trains, trust me. It's an attraction in its own right as I'll explain in a minute.
Amsterdam ► Bruges, recommended
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If you're happy committing in advance to a specific departure:
I recommend taking a fast & comfortable Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from the convenient Amsterdam Centraal to the lovely Antwerp Central, then taking a Belgian Intercity train direct from Antwerp to Bruges. This ticks all the boxes!
At www.nsinternational.com, pick a journey shown in the search results as Eurostar, IC, IC.
If you click on Route details, it'll show changes at Antwerpen Centraal & Ghent-St-Pieters, but you won't need to change in Ghent, as I'll explain.
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But if you want a cheaper price or need flexibility:
Take a Eurocity Direct (ECD) to Antwerp Central, then take a Belgian Intercity train to Bruges.
You can either buy a cheap ticket for a specific departure, or you can buy a full-flex fare which allows you to take any ECD departure that day, no reservation necessary or possible.
You'll need to decide whether to take the metro to Amsterdam Zuid and board the ECD there, or take any Dutch domestic train from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol airport station and pick up the ECD there.
Run an enquiry at www.nsinternational.com:
To leave from Amsterdam Zuid, pick a journey marked EuroCity Direct, IC, IC.
To leave from Amsterdam Centraal, pick a journey marked SPR, EuroCity Direct, IC, IC.
If you click on Route details, it'll show changes at Antwerpen Centraal & Ghent-St-Pieters and will confirm the station in Amsterdam. But you won't need to change in Ghent, as I explain below.
Incidentally, if you choose SPR, EuroCity Direct, IC, IC you don't have to use the specific Sprinter train shown from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol, you can use any Dutch domestic train including Dutch Intercity (IC) and Sprinter (SPR) trains. It's an open ticket for this bit, trains leave every 10 minutes or so, taking a slightly earlier train is no bad thing.
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But you don't need to change in Ghent: Now for the science bit!
Whether you choose Eurostar or Eurocity direct, the journey planner tells you to make a tight 6-minute connection in Antwerp and another 6-minute connection in Ghent. You don't need to do this!
Even if your ticket commits you to a specific Eurostar or Eurocity Direct departure between Amsterdam & Antwerp, it's an open ticket from Antwerp to Bruges, good for any train that day. No seat reservations are necessary or possible on Belgian trains between Antwerp & Bruges.
So forget that tight connection to Ghent, relax, take your time, have a look round the beautiful Antwerp Central and perhaps have a coffee or beer in the Royal Cafe (www.brasserieroyal.be) in Antwerp Central's main hall, a stone's throw from the platform used by the trains to Bruges.
Around 36 minutes after your arrival in Antwerp there's a direct Intercity (IC) to Bruges with no need to change in Ghent. Sound like a plan?
Or have some cake as well, and catch the one an hour after that. Or stop off for a few hours and have a wander round Antwerp, direct trains to Bruges leave Antwerp every hour at the same minutes past each hour and your ticket is good for any train the rest of the day. Got it? Great!
Bruges ► Amsterdam, recommended
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If you're happy committing in advance to a specific departure
I recommend taking a Belgian Intercity train from Bruges to the lovely Antwerp Central, then a fast & comfortable Eurostar (formerly Thalys) to the convenient Amsterdam Centraal. This ticks all the boxes!
At www.nsinternational.com, look in the search results for a journey marked IC, IC, Eurostar.
Click on Route details, it will show changes at Ghent-St-Pieters & Antwerpen Centraal (but you won't have to change in Ghent, as I'll explain).
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But if you want a cheaper price or need flexibility
Take a Belgian Intercity train from Bruges to Antwerp Central, then the fast hourly Eurocity Direct (ECD) to Amsterdam.
You can buy a cheap ticket committing you to a specific ECD departure, or a full-flex ticket which allows you to take any departure that day, no reservation necessary or possible.
You'll need to decide whether to take the ECD to Amsterdam Zuid then ride the metro to downtown Amsterdam, or change at Schiphol airport station into a frequent Dutch domestic train to Amsterdam Centraal.
Run an enquiry at www.nsinternational.com:
To go to Amsterdam Zuid, look for a journey marked IC, IC, EuroCity Direct.
To go to Amsterdam Centraal, look for a journey marked IC, IC, EuroCity Direct, SPR.
Click on Route details, it will show changes at Ghent-St-Pieters & Antwerpen Centraal and will confirm the station in Amsterdam.
Incidentally, if you choose IC, IC, EuroCity Direct, SPR you don't have to use a specific train between Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal, you can use any frequent Dutch domestic train including Dutch Intercity (IC) and Sprinter (SPR) trains. It's an open ticket for this bit.
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But you don't need to change in Ghent: Now for the science bit!
Whether you choose Eurostar or Eurocity direct, the journey planner will tell you to make a tight 6-minute connection in Ghent and another tight connection in Antwerp. You don't need to do this!
Your ticket commits you to a specific Eurostar or Eurocity Direct between Antwerp & Amsterdam (unless it's full-flex), but it's an open ticket from Bruges to Antwerp, good for any train that day, no seat reservations necessary or possible.
Trains link Bruges and Antwerp twice per hour through the day, one involves a change in Ghent and one per hour is direct. You'd prefer the direct one, right? So ignore the suggested departure from Bruges with that tight connection in Antwerp, leave Bruges half an hour earlier on a direct train to Antwerp. You can use www.nsinternational.com to look up train times or use www.belgiantrain.be.
Then you'll have a 35-40 minute connection at Antwerp Central with time to look round the beautiful station and perhaps have a coffee or beer in the Royal Cafe (www.brasserieroyal.be) in the main hall, a stone's throw from where your train arrived from Bruges. Feel free to leave Bruges a few hours earlier and stop off for a while in Antwerp, it's a lovely city.
Finally, a hidden option that can be cheaper
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There's one other option worth checking out if you want the cheapest fares and don't mind changing trains twice, in Rotterdam and either Antwerp or Brussels. This cheapest option is hidden, you'll only find it if you follow the booking instructions below.
You take a Dutch domestic Intercity (IC) train between Amsterdam Centraal & Rotterdam Centraal, the hourly Eurocity train between Rotterdam Centraal & either Antwerp Central or Brussels Midi (that's plain Eurocity as opposed to the high-speed Eurocity Direct) and a Belgian Intercity from Antwerp or Brussels to Bruges (or vive versa, this route works in both directions).
The Eurocity trains consist of very comfortable Belgian i11 trains or (until they are all replaced) the original Dutch/Belgian Intercity cars. The Eurocity trains run via Breda so take significantly longer than the Eurocity Direct trains, but fares are cheaper.
How much cheaper depends on whether you want a flexible fare or an advance-purchase fare, are travelling tomorrow or in 3 weeks time.
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How to buy these cheaper hidden tickets
Buy tickets from Belgian Railways at www.b-europe.com.
To find these cheaper fares you must click Advanced search then Additional search options and then 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!
Route map
What are the trains like?
1. Amsterdam to Antwerp or Brussels by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train.
Eurostars travel at up to 300km/h (186 mph). They're air-conditioned and carpeted with free WiFi, power sockets at all seats & a refreshment trolley. Tickets for Eurostar commit you to a specific departure, with a reserved seat. The cheaper tickets mean no refunds and no changes to travel plans. Fares are cheap if you book in advance, expensive if you buy on or near your departure date. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
A Eurostar at Brussels Midi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
...or by Eurocity Direct (ECD) train
Eurocity Direct services are operated by Intercity New Generation (ICNG) trains which use the high-speed line at up to 200 km/h (125 mph). They have power sockets, USB ports & free WiFi, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. There's a mix of seating types in both classes, luggage racks, bike spaces, wheelchair accessible toilets and easy level boarding. There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like, there are hundreds of seats. You can buy an advance-purchase ticket committing you to a specific departure, or a full-flex ticket which allows you to take any departure that day.
An ICNG (InterCity New Generation) train at Brussels Midi.
2. Antwerp or Brussels to Bruges by Belgian Intercity (IC) train
1st & 2nd class with air-conditioning, luggage racks, toilets. There's no catering so bring your own food & drink. Many Antwerp-Bruges trains are double-deck.
Above, a double-deck Intercity train from Antwerp to Bruges on platform 4 at Antwerp Central. Trains to Bruges leave from platforms 1-5 on the topmost level, the final destination is usually Oostende. Click the images for larger photos.
Above left, the entrance and stairs to upper & lower decks. Above right, 2nd class upper deck seats.
Above left, the steampunk-style 1st class seats, all on the upper deck. Above right, a double-deck train to Bruges on Antwerp Central platform 4.
Tips for changing trains in Antwerp
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Antwerp Central is one of Europe's most beautiful stations, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwerpen-Centraal_railway_station. It's a textbook example of how to combine a historic station with extra platforms, extra retail and modern high-speed tracks running underground.
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Antwerp central was originally a terminus with one level of dead-end tracks, now platforms 1-5 located one floor above street level (level +1). Trains to and from Bruges use these platforms.
There is a retail level below that, at street level, level 0. The ticket office and left luggage lockers are here.
Below that is a second lower level with platforms 11-14 (level -1).
Below that is another mezzanine floor then the lowest level with platforms 21 & 22 (northbound) and platforms 23 & 24 (southbound). These are on the fast lines running across Antwerp underground, used by Eurostar and EuroCity Direct trains between Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels & Paris. Until this underground line was built, Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris trains had to change direction in Antwerp's dead-end platforms.
A huge atrium brings natural light right down to the lowest platforms, with lifts and escalators linking all the levels.
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Heading south, trains from Amsterdam to Antwerp arrive on platform 23 & 24 on the lowest level. Head up top by escalator or lift to the original above-ground terminus platforms 1-5, for the onward train to Bruges, final destination is usually Oostende. For a coffee or beer between trains, the Royal Cafe is on this level, through a doorway near platforms 1-3.
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Heading north, trains from Bruges arrive on platforms 1-5 (level +1), take lifts, escalator or stairs down to platforms 21 & 22 for a EuroCity Direct or Eurostar train to Amsterdam. For a coffee or beer between trains, the Royal Cafe is on level +1, through a doorway near platforms 1-3.
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A few minutes between trains is sufficient, all you're doing is stepping off one train, walking to another and stepping on. No ticket checks or anything to go through! But it's worth taking the time to have a look around, your ticket is good for any IC train between Antwerp & Bruges that day, not just the one shown when you booked.
Royal Cafe, Antwerp Central
This classic cafe is inside the historic station building and can be accessed up steps from the main hall or through a doorway from level +1, near platforms 1-3. There's a bar, or table service for coffee, beer & snacks. See www.brasserieroyal.be.
Recommended hotel in Bruges
In Bruges, if you can afford it and for somewhere really special, try the Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, a luxurious and romantic boutique-style hotel in a fabulous location on the canal and within easy walking distance of all the sights.