Antwerp to Amsterdam by train

Direct Eurostar trains run from Antwerpen-Centraal to Amsterdam Centraal in about 1 hour 20 minutes, roughly once an hour all day.

Eurostar or Eurocity Direct

Both direct trains leave from Antwerpen-Centraal, but they end at different Amsterdam stations. Book Eurostar (the former Thalys) if you want to arrive in the city centre. It calls at Rotterdam and Schiphol, then terminates at Amsterdam Centraal. Arrive at Antwerpen-Centraal 20 minutes before departure.

Eurocity Direct, run by SNCB and NS, is the cheaper train and needs no reservation. It calls at Rotterdam and Schiphol too, but in Amsterdam it stops at Zuid, not Centraal. Choose it if you are flying from Schiphol or staying near Zuid. Metro line 52 links Zuid with Centraal.

A slower EuroCity also runs from Antwerp via Noorderkempen and Breda to Rotterdam, where you change for Amsterdam. It rarely beats the direct trains.

Journey time and frequency

On a normal weekday Eurostar has about 12 departures, mostly hourly, and the trip takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Eurocity Direct also runs hourly, up to 16 times a day, and reaches Amsterdam Zuid in about 1 hour 20 minutes.

Eurostar keeps a similar hourly pattern in the new timetable from 13 December 2026. Eurocity Direct times may move a little from that date.

Tickets, fares and seats

Eurocity Direct fares from Antwerp to Amsterdam start at €20 in second class. The cheapest tickets are tied to one train and limited in number. Once on board you sit anywhere in your class.

Eurostar fares start from €29 one way in Standard, again for a limited number of seats. The ticket includes a reserved seat. Standard and Plus both allow two bags plus one small item; Plus has roomier seats.

With an Interrail pass

A reservation is compulsory on every Eurostar. Between Belgium and the Netherlands the pass holder fare is €22 in Standard and €27 in Plus. Pass places are limited, so reserve early. Eurocity Direct needs no reservation and no supplement for this cross-border trip.

Engineering works in November and December 2026

Works on the Dutch and Belgian lines affect several weekends:

• 7 and 8 November: Eurostar runs only a few trains, taking over 2 hours. Most Eurocity Direct trains run only from Brussels to Breda; the five that reach Amsterdam Centraal skip Rotterdam and Schiphol.
• 14 and 15 November, 28 and 29 November: Eurostar runs a reduced timetable, and the trip takes about 1 hour 40 minutes. On 14 and 15 November Eurocity Direct starts in Antwerp and runs to Amsterdam Zuid.
• 5 and 6 December: Eurostar runs a limited service because of Dutch engineering works and does not call at Rotterdam Centraal; Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal are still served.

Look at your train's stops and times before travelling on these weekends.