Frankfurt to Amsterdam by train

Direct ICE trains run from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal in just under 4 hours, leaving roughly every two hours through the day.

One direct train, every two hours

The ICE International is the train to take. It leaves Frankfurt (Main) Hbf roughly every two hours from early morning to evening and reaches Amsterdam Centraal just under 4 hours later. The earliest departure skips some days.

On the way it calls at Frankfurt Airport, Siegburg/Bonn, Köln Hbf, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Arnhem and Utrecht. Until 12 December 2026 it also stops at Oberhausen. DB Fernverkehr runs the train as far as Arnhem, where NS takes over. You keep your seat throughout.

Frankfurt Hbf or the airport

Board at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf unless you are coming straight off a flight. Every direct Amsterdam ICE from the Hbf calls at the Frankfurt Airport long-distance station 11 minutes later. The late afternoon is the exception. That train comes up from Munich and stops at the airport only, so there is no direct departure from the Hbf in that slot.

Fares and seat reservations

One-way tickets start from €38. The cheapest sell first, so book once your dates are fixed. Three fare types apply:

Flexpreis Europa adds a City-Ticket, valid on local buses, trams and metro in over 140 German cities.

You do not need a seat reservation for most of the year. On a four-hour trip one is still worth having. From 25 June to 5 September 2027, a reservation becomes compulsory for international ICE journeys. Interrail passes are valid on these trains, and pass holders follow the same pattern: optional most of the year, compulsory in the summer peak.

Diversions and works ahead

From the evening of 9 November to 16 November 2026, the ICE runs via Venlo instead of Arnhem. It skips Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Oberhausen and Arnhem, and the trip stretches to about 4 hours 20 minutes. Trains leave Frankfurt at their usual times. You reach Amsterdam roughly half an hour later.

Köln Hbf closes for new signalling from the evening of 8 January to 19 January 2027. On those days the ICE stops at Köln Messe/Deutz instead. Some departure times shift by a few minutes.

The two-hourly pattern carries on after the timetable change on 13 December 2026. Exact 2027 times can still move, so look up your train again before you travel.