Train service
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Deutsche Bahn
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Malmö to Amsterdam by train is not direct. The route runs via Copenhagen and Hamburg, crossing four countries, and takes the better part of a day. Plan for two or three changes.
Train service
Öresundståg / Skånetrafiken / DSB runs the short cross-Øresund leg between Malmö C and Copenhagen H. This is a regional service, not an international long-distance train. Tickets are sold through Skånetrafiken on the Swedish side and DSB on the Danish side. International rail resellers do not reliably list Öresundståg for this leg.
DSB and Deutsche Bahn operate the overland service between Copenhagen H and Hamburg Hbf. Fully overland. No ferry.
Deutsche Bahn and NS (Dutch Railways) handle the Hamburg to Amsterdam Centraal leg. There is no direct train. The journey uses ICE trains with a change at Osnabrück. Book through the Deutsche Bahn website or NS International, and check both for availability and price.
Malmö to Amsterdam by Train at a Glance
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Direct train | No direct Malmö to Amsterdam train |
| Main stations | Malmö C to Amsterdam Centraal |
| Daytime route | Malmö C to Copenhagen H, then Hamburg Hbf, then Amsterdam Centraal |
| Leg 1: Malmö C to Copenhagen H | Around 35 minutes by Öresundståg, roughly every 20 minutes |
| Leg 2: Copenhagen H to Hamburg Hbf | Around 4 hours 40 minutes by DSB/DB |
| Leg 3: Hamburg Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal | Around 5 hours 15 to 5 hours 20 minutes by ICE (DB/NS), with a change at Osnabrück |
| Total with good connections | Around 12 hours including waiting time at changes |
| Typical planning range | Around 15 hours is realistic for most itineraries |
| Overnight option | Snälltåget night train from Malmö C to Hamburg Hbf (seasonal), then daytime trains to Amsterdam |
| Rail pass fit | Interrail and Eurail Global Passes can work, but reservations still need checking for each leg |
The trip crosses Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Connection time at Copenhagen and Hamburg matters. Check your exact timetable before booking.
The best daytime route
The standard daytime route is three trains: Malmö C to Copenhagen H, Copenhagen H to Hamburg Hbf, and Hamburg Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal.
Malmö to Copenhagen
Öresundståg runs roughly every 20 minutes between Malmö C and Copenhagen H. The crossing takes around 35 minutes.
Buy your ticket through Skånetrafiken if you are departing from Sweden, or through DSB if you prefer the Danish booking channel. Resellers do not always list Öresundståg, so go to the operator channels directly. Both station names work in booking engines: Copenhagen H and København H refer to the same station.
Copenhagen to Hamburg
DSB and Deutsche Bahn run the overland service from Copenhagen H to Hamburg Hbf. Around 4 hours 40 minutes.
The route is fully overland via Padborg, Flensburg and the Great Belt Fixed Link. There is no ferry. The old train ferry crossing was abolished in December 2019, and the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is not yet open.
Do not cut this connection fine. Trains through Denmark and northern Germany can run late, especially in summer, and a missed connection at Copenhagen adds hours to your day. If the booking engine marks this train as reservation-required, buy the reservation alongside the ticket. Do not treat it as optional.
Hamburg to Amsterdam
Deutsche Bahn and NS (Dutch Railways) handle the Hamburg to Amsterdam Centraal leg. There is no direct train. You travel by ICE with a change at Osnabrück, and the whole leg takes around 5 hours 15 to 5 hours 20 minutes. Book through the Deutsche Bahn website or NS International.
Hamburg Hbf is where this journey either holds together or falls apart. Give yourself 30 to 45 minutes here. Check your onward platform, get food, and confirm your connection is running before you sit down. Less than 30 minutes is not enough buffer on a multi-leg international trip. Check both the Deutsche Bahn website and ns.nl when searching for this leg. DB and NS can show different availability or pricing for the same service.
The overnight option via Hamburg
The Snälltåget night train departs Malmö C late in the evening and reaches Hamburg Hbf in the early morning, where you connect to a daytime ICE to Amsterdam.
Snälltåget's preliminary 2026 timetable lists Malmö C at 21:55 and Hamburg Hbf at 05:06. From Hamburg you continue to Amsterdam by daytime train. This works well if the night train runs on your specific date and you are comfortable arriving in Hamburg before 06:00.
Snälltåget says its 2026 Berlin service bookings are open until 12 December 2026, with departures running into early January 2027. The service then pauses for the season and resumes after Easter. Check the Snälltåget website to confirm your date is covered before buying anything else.
Bring the right identification. Snälltåget requires passengers on the Berlin-Malmö night train to carry a passport with an MRZ code or an EU/EEA national ID card that meets its stated requirements. Check the current requirements before travelling.
Journey time and ticket prices
A realistic Malmö to Amsterdam connection runs around 10 and a half hours of pure travel time across the three trains. With time at the two changes, plan for closer to 12 hours on a well-timed day, and up to 15 hours for slower or disrupted itineraries.
That gap matters when choosing how tight to build your itinerary. A delay on the Copenhagen to Hamburg leg can cascade into a very late arrival in Amsterdam. If you are travelling with luggage, children, or a deadline at the far end, a slightly slower plan is worth the extra hour or two.
Fares vary significantly by date, demand, and booking window. Starting examples on major resellers have been as low as around EUR 57 for some date combinations. Summer fares and last-minute bookings often cost considerably more. Treat those low figures as orientation, not as a likely price for your date.
Advance booking matters for cross-border fares. Cheaper quota tends to fill weeks before departure, and peak-season Hamburg to Amsterdam trains are particularly susceptible to price rises as the date approaches.
Booking tickets
Book in sections rather than chasing a single through ticket for the whole journey.
| Section | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Malmö C to Copenhagen H | Skånetrafiken (Swedish side) or DSB (Danish side). Resellers may not list Öresundståg. |
| Copenhagen H to Hamburg Hbf | DSB or Deutsche Bahn. |
| Hamburg Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal | Deutsche Bahn or ns.nl. Compare both. |
| Overnight Malmö to Hamburg Hbf | Snälltåget (when the seasonal service runs). |
| Whole-trip comparison | Rail Europe, Trainline or Omio can help you compare itineraries. Confirm route, connection times, and operator detail on the original booking channels before paying. |
Separate tickets carry a real risk. If one train causes you to miss the next separately booked service, the cost of rebooking falls on you. Leave a realistic buffer at Copenhagen and a generous one at Hamburg.
Interrail and Eurail passes
An Interrail or Eurail Global Pass covers Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. It does not cover the seat reservations you still need on most trains along this route. Those are separate fees.
On the Copenhagen to Hamburg section, DSB and Deutsche Bahn require reservations on marked international trains. On the Hamburg to Amsterdam ICE, DB and NS also require reservations. Check the Interrail or Eurail app for current reservation fees on each specific train. Fees vary by operator, and the amounts are not interchangeable.
For the Öresundståg leg, a pass may cover travel on a regional service, but check whether your pass type includes Öresundståg before you board.
A Global Pass makes most sense if Malmö to Amsterdam is part of a longer European trip. For a single journey, compare the combined cost of pass days plus reservation fees against point-to-point tickets. They are not always cheaper.
Train, bus, or flight
The train is the right choice if you want a city-centre to city-centre journey without flying.
A flight from Malmö or Copenhagen to Amsterdam takes around 2 hours in the air, but the total door-to-door time typically runs closer to 5 or 6 hours once you include getting to the airport, security, and arrival at Schiphol. The train takes longer end-to-end, but it drops you at Amsterdam Centraal in the middle of the city.
Bus is long. Very long. It also removes the option of breaking the journey in Copenhagen or Hamburg, which a flexible rail ticket allows.
If you are travelling by train specifically to avoid flying, the route is workable. Build your itinerary conservatively and do not bank on the fastest possible connection.
Practical tips before booking
Use the exact station names: Malmö C, København H (or Copenhagen H), Hamburg Hbf, and Amsterdam Centraal. Spelling variations can return wrong results or incorrect departure boards in some booking engines.
Check on the operator booking channels as well as on resellers. Resellers are useful for comparison. For reservation rules and real-time availability, the operator sites are more reliable.
Plan 30 to 45 minutes at Hamburg as a minimum buffer. A 10-minute Hamburg connection works fine until the Copenhagen train is late, at which point it becomes a missed train and a much longer day.
Re-check the timetable a few days before you travel. The Malmö to Amsterdam journey uses three separate rail networks, any of which can be affected by track works.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct train from Malmö to Amsterdam?
No. There is no direct train from Malmö to Amsterdam. The route requires two changes, typically at Copenhagen H and Hamburg Hbf. The Hamburg to Amsterdam leg also requires a change at Osnabrück, so plan for three trains in total on the daytime route.
How long does it take to travel from Malmö to Amsterdam by train?
The three legs add up to around 10 and a half hours of travel time on the trains themselves. With connection time at Copenhagen and Hamburg, total journey time is typically around 12 hours for a well-timed itinerary. Many practical combinations take closer to 15 hours. Check your specific timetable and connection times before booking.
What is the best route from Malmö to Amsterdam by train?
For most travellers, the best daytime route is Malmö C to Copenhagen H by Öresundståg, Copenhagen H to Hamburg Hbf by DSB or Deutsche Bahn, and Hamburg Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal by ICE (DB or NS International) with a change at Osnabrück. If you want an overnight leg, the Snälltåget night train from Malmö to Hamburg is worth checking when it runs seasonally.
Can I travel overnight from Malmö to Amsterdam by train?
Yes, when the Snälltåget seasonal night train runs. It departs Malmö C at 21:55 (2026 preliminary timetable) and arrives at Hamburg Hbf at 05:06, where you connect to a daytime train to Amsterdam Centraal. The night train stops at København Syd, not Copenhagen H. Check the Snälltåget website to confirm your date is covered before booking.
Do I need to change trains at Hamburg for the Amsterdam leg?
Yes. There is no direct train from Hamburg Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal. The ICE journey requires a change at Osnabrück and takes around 5 hours 15 to 5 hours 20 minutes in total. Book through Deutsche Bahn or NS International and allow at least 30 to 45 minutes at Hamburg before your onward train.
Can I use an Interrail or Eurail pass from Malmö to Amsterdam?
Yes. A Global Pass covers Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. You still need to check and book seat reservations for each international leg separately. Reservations are not automatically included and the fees vary by operator. Check the Interrail or Eurail app for current reservation requirements and fees on each specific train.
