Cologne to Amsterdam by train

Direct ICE International trains leave Köln Hbf for Amsterdam Centraal roughly every two hours, and the journey takes about 2 hours 40 minutes.

Take the direct ICE from Köln Hbf

Köln Hbf sits directly beside Cologne Cathedral, so you can walk from the old town to the platforms in a few minutes. Most ICE International trains to Amsterdam start in Frankfurt, then call at Köln Hbf, Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Oberhausen. In the Netherlands they stop at Arnhem Centraal and Utrecht Centraal before Amsterdam Centraal. DB runs the train as far as Arnhem and NS takes over from there, but one ticket covers the whole trip.

There is no direct Eurostar to Amsterdam from Cologne. Eurostar journeys need a change in Brussels and take over four hours. On selected mornings the ÖBB Nightjet from Zürich also calls at Köln Hbf very early and reaches Amsterdam in about three hours, but it needs a compulsory reservation. Regional trains with two or three changes are slow too. They only make sense when the ICE is full or disrupted.

How long it takes and how often trains run

Expect about 2 hours 40 minutes on the direct ICE. Trains leave roughly every two hours, and the last direct departure of the day reaches Amsterdam late in the evening. The pattern continues into the timetable that starts on 13 December 2026, though individual times can still move by a few minutes.

The ICE does not call at Schiphol. If you are heading for a flight, change at Utrecht Centraal, which has frequent direct trains to Schiphol. Because most trains start in Frankfurt, delays further south can carry through to Cologne, so leave a buffer.

Fares and reservations

Second-class tickets from Cologne to Amsterdam start from €20 one way, and the cheapest fares go to early bookers. You choose between three fare types:

A seat reservation is optional for most of the year. In summer 2027, from 25 June to 5 September, reservations become compulsory on international ICE journeys. An Interrail pass covers the ICE. Pass holders can board without a reservation outside the summer period.

Works on the line in November 2026 and January 2027

Two periods of diversions affect this trip, so plan around your exact travel date:

• Late evening of 9 November to 16 November 2026: ICEs run via Mönchengladbach and 's-Hertogenbosch instead of Düsseldorf and Arnhem. The journey takes just over 3 hours.
• Evening of 8 January to evening of 19 January 2027: Köln Hbf is closed to long-distance trains. ICEs to Amsterdam leave from Köln Messe/Deutz instead and take about 2 hours 45 minutes. S-Bahn trains link Köln Hbf and Messe/Deutz in a few minutes.