Train service
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is Germany’s national railway company, operating long-distance, regional, and international train services across Europe.
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Omio
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Direct ICE trains run from Berlin to Amsterdam roughly every two hours, with about seven departures a day. The fastest take around 5 hours 42 minutes; most run close to 6 hours. Deutsche Bahn advance fares start from €37.99 in second class. Since March 2026, GoVolta has added a low-cost direct option, running three times a week with promotional tickets from €10.
Train service
Deutsche Bahn (DB) operates the daytime ICE trains between Berlin and Amsterdam. Since October 2025, the route has run entirely on ICE 3neo trains, which replaced the older InterCity fleet. The ICE 3neo has an onboard bar/restaurant car, free WiFi, and power sockets at every seat.
NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) runs the Dutch portion of the route jointly with DB. You can book tickets through either operator. NS International is a straightforward option if you are booking from the Netherlands, but it does not offer seat selection on ICE trains. Use the DB website if you want to choose a specific seat.
Train tickets
Check times and prices with Omio, Trainline, or Rail Europe. For the full range of fares including seat selection, the DB international website (int.bahn.de) is the most complete booking option.
Journey times
Most ICE services take around 5 hours 42 minutes to 6 hours between Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Amsterdam Centraal. The fastest depart early in the day. One evening service takes just over 6 hours.
GoVolta takes approximately 6 to 7 hours. It is not a high-speed service.
Journey times will be longer from October 2026 due to engineering works. Check the timetable for your specific departure, especially if travelling in autumn or winter 2026.
| Departure (Berlin Hbf) | Arrival (Amsterdam Centraal) | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 11:51 | ~5h 51m |
| 08:00 | 13:51 | ~5h 51m |
| 10:00 | 15:51 | ~5h 51m |
| 12:00 | 17:51 | ~5h 51m |
| 14:00 | 19:51 | ~5h 51m |
| 16:00 | 21:51 | ~5h 51m |
| 18:00 | 00:18 | ~6h 18m |
Indicative timetable for the ICE service. Check live times before booking.
Train tickets and prices
DB uses dynamic pricing on this route. The two main fare types are:
- Sparpreis Europa (advance fare): From €37.99 in second class, from €56.99 in first class. Tied to a specific train. Non-refundable and cannot be changed. Availability is limited, so prices rise as the departure fills up.
- Flexpreis Europa (flexible fare): From around €170 in second class, from around €298 in first class. Valid on any ICE train that day. Free changes and cancellations before departure.
For most travellers, the Sparpreis is the right choice if you know your travel date. The price gap between the two fares is large enough that Flexpreis only makes sense if you genuinely need flexibility.
Sparpreis fares become available roughly six months before travel. On popular departures (Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings, public holiday weekends) the cheapest allocations go early.
Classes
Second class on the ICE 3neo includes a comfortable seat, power socket, free WiFi, and access to the bar/restaurant car. First class has wider seats, more legroom, and quieter carriages. The journey is long enough that the extra space in first class is noticeable, but second class is comfortable for the full trip.
Children
Children under 6 travel free without a separate ticket and do not need to be listed on the booking. Children aged 6 to 14 travel free when accompanied by a passenger aged 15 or over, but you must add them to the booking at the time of purchase. There is no extra charge, but children cannot be added to a ticket once the journey has started. Up to four children can travel on one ticket. Do not forget to list them when you book.
GoVolta: the low-cost option
GoVolta is a Dutch low-cost rail operator that launched on the Amsterdam-Berlin route on 19 March 2026. It runs direct trains three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday), increasing to six times a week from 1 July 2026.
Promotional tickets start from €10, with typical fares averaging around €30. The journey takes approximately 6 to 7 hours. Two things to know before you book GoVolta instead of the ICE:
First, GoVolta does not arrive at Berlin Hauptbahnhof. At launch it used Berlin Gesundbrunnen, and from 14 June 2026 the Berlin terminus is Berlin Spandau. Neither is the central main station, though both have S-Bahn and regional connections into the city centre. Check which station your service uses before you book.
Second, the price difference between GoVolta and the cheapest ICE Sparpreis can be modest once promotional fares sell out. The ICE saves around an hour of travel time and deposits you at the main central station. Whether that trade-off is worth it depends on your budget and schedule.
GoVolta makes sense if price is your priority and the frequency fits your travel date. The ICE is the better default if you have any flexibility on cost or need a central Berlin arrival.
Book GoVolta at govolta.nl or through NS International.
Night train: Berlin to Amsterdam
The European Sleeper’s Paris-to-Berlin night train calls at Amsterdam three times a week. To Berlin it departs on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights; in the Paris direction it runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights.
This is not a dedicated Berlin-Amsterdam night train. It is a longer Paris-to-Berlin service that calls at Amsterdam Centraal as part of its route, travelling via Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Den Haag, and Schiphol Airport. Travellers boarding at Amsterdam Centraal join this service for Berlin.
Accommodation options:
| Type | What it is | Approx. starting fare |
|---|---|---|
| Seat | Reclining seat in a shared car | From around €39 |
| Couchette | Shared 6-berth compartment with bedding | From around €69 |
| Sleeper | Private compartment with bedding and washbasin | From around €109 |
A couchette compartment can be booked privately for a family or group of up to five people.
Book the sleeper or couchette well in advance. Those categories sell out faster than seats. A Sparpreis ICE the next morning will often be cheaper, but the night train saves a night’s accommodation and gets you in early, which can make sense on a short trip.
Book at europeansleeper.eu or through NS International. From 13 July 2026, the service also stops at Hamburg.
Seat reservations
For a standard DB full ticket, seat reservations are optional. You do not need one to board the ICE. During busy periods, reserving a seat removes uncertainty about where you will sit.
Rail pass holders: mandatory reservation in summer 2026
If you hold an Interrail or Eurail Pass, seat reservations on ICE Amsterdam-Berlin trains are mandatory from 26 June to 31 August 2026. You will not be permitted to board without one.
The pass-holder reservation fee on ICE trains to Berlin is around €5.20 in second class or €6.50 in first class. Book through NS International, the DB website, Interrail.com, or Eurail.com. Quotas for pass-holder reservations are separate from regular seats and can sell out before the train is full. If you are travelling in summer, book the reservation as soon as you know your date.
Outside the summer mandatory period, pass-holder reservations are optional but worth booking on peak departures.
Rail passes
Interrail and Eurail passes are valid on ICE trains between Berlin and Amsterdam. The pass covers the journey cost; the seat reservation is a separate fee on top.
European Sleeper also accepts Interrail and Eurail passes. You still need a reservation for your accommodation: seat, couchette, or sleeper. Couchette and sleeper reservations cost more than a standard seat reservation. Book early if you want a bed, as sleeper places go before seats on popular dates.
Stations
Departing Berlin: Most ICE trains leave from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the city’s main central station. Some services also stop at Berlin Ostbahnhof. Check your ticket for the exact departure station.
GoVolta departs from Amsterdam Centraal and arrives in Berlin at Berlin Spandau (it used Berlin Gesundbrunnen until June 2026), not Berlin Hbf. Check which station your service uses before you book, as the booking page may show only the city name. If a central Berlin arrival matters for your onward plans, book the ICE instead.
Arriving Amsterdam: All ICE trains and the European Sleeper arrive at Amsterdam Centraal, in the centre of the city. Trams, ferries, and buses connect directly from outside the station.
Check the arrival station on your booking confirmation before you travel. Booking pages sometimes display only the city name.
Onboard: ICE 3neo
All ICE services on this route have used the ICE 3neo since October 2025. The train has a bar/restaurant car serving meals and drinks throughout the journey, free WiFi, power sockets at every seat, and air conditioning. There is generous luggage space, with racks along the carriages and at the ends of each car.
Bicycles are permitted on this route but need a separate bicycle ticket and an advance reservation. Space is limited on international services, so book as early as possible if you plan to bring a bike.
How to book
DB international website (int.bahn.de): Use this for ICE tickets if you want seat selection. Offers digital tickets and pass-holder reservation booking.
NS International: Works for ICE, GoVolta, and European Sleeper tickets. No seat selection on ICE, but a solid option if you are booking from the Netherlands.
Omio, Trainline, Rail Europe: Third-party resellers. Useful for comparing fares across operators but may add a booking fee.
GoVolta: govolta.nl or NS International.
European Sleeper: europeansleeper.eu or NS International.
Ways to save money
Book Sparpreis early: DB advance fares open around six months before the departure date. The cheapest allocations sell first. On popular travel days, the lowest Sparpreis price can disappear weeks in advance.
GoVolta if price is the priority: GoVolta promotional tickets from €10 can beat the cheapest DB Sparpreis, though typical fares are around €30 and the difference narrows once the promo seats sell out. The trade-off is a longer journey and arrival at a less central station. If those differences do not matter to you, GoVolta is the cheapest option on this route.
BahnCard 25: If you travel between Germany and the Netherlands several times a year, the BahnCard 25 gives a 25% discount on the German portion of international fares. It pays for itself quickly if you are booking flexible fares or mid-range Sparpreis tickets.
Split ticketing: Booking separate tickets for Amsterdam-Bad Bentheim and Bad Bentheim-Berlin can occasionally undercut the through fare. It is not always cheaper and adds complexity, so check both options before committing.
Children travelling free: Children aged 6-14 travel free on DB trains when accompanied by an adult aged 15 or over. Add them at the time of booking, not later, as children cannot be added once the journey has started.
Cancellations and changes
| Ticket type | Cancellation | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Sparpreis Europa | Non-refundable | Not permitted |
| Flexpreis (more than 8 days before travel) | Free | Free |
| Flexpreis (7 to 1 day before travel) | Refund as e-voucher, fee applies | Permitted |
| Flexpreis (day of travel) | Fee applies | Permitted |
If your train arrives 20 minutes or more late, you can rebook the next available service without a change fee.
Engineering works: October 2026
From 2 October 2026, engineering works on the Hannover-Berlin high-speed line will reroute ICE services via Hamburg. Journey times will be longer than the standard timetable above (expect roughly an extra hour to 80 minutes), and the schedule will change. The diversion is expected to last into December 2026 and beyond.
If you are travelling in autumn or winter 2026, check the live DB and NS timetables for your specific departure before booking, and look for diversion notices on both operators’ sites. The schedule in this guide reflects the standard service and will not apply during the works period.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Berlin to Amsterdam train take?
The fastest ICE trains take around 5 hours 42 minutes; most services run close to 6 hours. GoVolta takes approximately 6 to 7 hours. From October 2026, ICE journey times will increase due to engineering works on the Hannover-Berlin line, so check the live timetable before booking.
How much do Berlin to Amsterdam train tickets cost?
DB Sparpreis fares start from €37.99 in second class and €56.99 in first class. Flexible fares are around €170 in second class. GoVolta promotional tickets start from €10, with typical fares around €30. Book DB tickets at int.bahn.de or through NS International.
How many trains run from Berlin to Amsterdam each day?
Around seven ICE trains depart daily, roughly every two hours. GoVolta runs three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday), rising to six times a week from 1 July 2026. The European Sleeper also runs three times a week in each direction.
Is there an overnight train from Berlin to Amsterdam?
The European Sleeper Paris-to-Berlin night train calls at Amsterdam Centraal three times a week. Fares start from around €39 for a seat, €69 for a couchette, and €109 for a private sleeper. From 13 July 2026 the service also stops at Hamburg. Book at europeansleeper.eu or through NS International.
Do I need a reservation on the Berlin to Amsterdam ICE with a rail pass?
Yes, if you hold an Interrail or Eurail Pass, seat reservations on ICE Amsterdam-Berlin trains are mandatory from 26 June to 31 August 2026. The fee is around €5.20 in second class or €6.50 in first class. Book through NS International, Interrail.com, or Eurail.com. Between September and late June, reservations are optional, though worth booking on busy departures.
What is GoVolta and which Berlin station does it use?
GoVolta is a Dutch low-cost rail operator that launched on the Amsterdam-Berlin route in March 2026. It does not use Berlin Hauptbahnhof. From 14 June 2026 the Berlin terminus is Berlin Spandau (it previously used Berlin Gesundbrunnen). Berlin Spandau has S-Bahn and regional connections into central Berlin. Book at govolta.nl or through NS International.
