Travelling on trains in the Netherlands is ridiculously easy! You can use high-speed speed trains to get to all the major cities including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. To travel to even more of Holland's beaches, cheese towns and beautiful fishing villages, you can use the country's really comfortable regional trains.

Train types in the Netherlands

You can travel throughout the Netherlands using trains run by the national operator NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and several smaller railway carriers. High-speed trains connect the Netherlands to cities in neigbouring countries and beyond. You can find times for trains in the Netherlands in the Interrail timetable.

Route Map
DOMESTIC
DOMESTIC HIGH-SPEED
International High-Speed
International Night

Map with main train connections in the Netherlands

Regional and Intercity trains in the Netherlands

Intercity (IC)

Connects major cities such as Amsterdam, Maastricht and Utrecht.
No reservation required.

Sprinter (RE)

Slower than Intercity trains, these trains link regional destinations to larger Dutch cities.
No reservation required.

Domestic high-speed trains in the Netherlands

Intercity Direct (ICD)

On this train you can ride even faster between Amsterdam Centraal, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal and Breda.
A supplement of € 2,90 is required between Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam Centraal.
An Intercity Direct (ICD) supplement is only required if this train is used for domestic journeys.

International high-speed trains in the Netherlands

ICE International (ICE)

Connects Amsterdam with Frankfurt (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland).
Reservations are compulsory during summer season (June 17th till August 18th)
During the rest of the year, reservations are optional but highly recommended.
Amsterdam - Basel will only run till Frankfurt between May 27th and September 12th.

Intercity Berlin (IC)

Reach Berlin from Amsterdam in 6 hours 20 minutes.
Reservations are optional only. We recommend reserving when travelling during a busy period.

Intercity Brussels (IC)

Connects Amsterdam and Rotterdam with Brussels (Belgium).
Reservations are not required.
An Intercity Direct (ICD) supplement is only required if this train is used for domestic journeys.

Eurostar (EST)

High speed trains to Belgium, France and Great Britain on the routes:
- Amsterdam – Schiphol – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Brussels – Paris
- Amsterdam – Schiphol – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Brussels – Disneyland Paris
- Amsterdam – Rotterdam – London
Reservations are compulsory for these trains, which can get fully booked. We recommend making your reservation as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Services to Brussels and (Disneyland) Paris are operated by red-coloured former Thalys trains.

International night trains in the Netherlands

ÖBB Nightjet (NJ)

Amsterdam – Utrecht - Arnhem – Munich - Innsbruck
Amsterdam – Utrecht - Arnhem – Linz – Vienna
Amsterdam – Utrecht - Arnhem – Basel - Zürich

European Sleeper

Brussels – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Den Haag – Amsterdam – Berlin
Runs three times a week

Popular connections

Domestic routes
International routes

Here are approximate train times between Holland's most popular cities. These routes can all be taken with Intercity trains and are free for holders of an Interrail Pass valid in the Netherlands.

Route	Duration
Amsterdam to Groningen	2h 10m
Amsterdam to Leeuwarden	2h 10m
Amsterdam to Maastricht	2h 30m
Amsterdam to Rotterdam	40m
Amsterdam to Schiphol Airport	15m
Amsterdam to The Hague	50m
Amsterdam to Utrecht	27m

You can travel to and from the Netherlands from popular cities in the following European countries:

Route	Which train?	Duration	Reservations
Amsterdam to Berlin (Germany)	Intercity Berlin	6h 20m	Optional
Amsterdam to Düsseldorf (Germany)	ICE	2h 10m	Optional (Required June 17^th till August 18^th)
Amsterdam to Frankfurt (Germany)	ICE	4h	Optional (Required June 17^th till August 18^th)
Amsterdam to Basel (Switzerland) Only till Düsseldorf between May 27th and September 12th.	ICE	6h 40m	Optional (Required June 17^th till August 18^th)
Amsterdam to Paris (France)	Eurostar	3h 20m	Required
Amsterdam to Brussels (Belgium)	Intercity Brussels	2h 50m	Not required
Amsterdam to London (Great Britain)	Eurostar	4h 50m	Required
Amsterdam to Vienna / Innsbruck (Austria)	ÖBB Nightjet	13h 45m (overnight)	Required
Amsterdam to Zürich (Switzerland)	ÖBB Nightjet	11m 35m (overnight)	Required
Rotterdam (via Amsterdam) to Berlin (Germany)	European Sleeper	9h 30m (overnight)	Required

Reservations

Interrail reservation self-service system

Interrail
Eurostar, TGV, IC Berlin, ICE, Nightjet

Administration costs when booking through Interrail self-service

€ 2,- p.p.per train
Additional € 9,- per order (for paper tickets)

With railway carriers

SNCB (b-europe): Only Eurostar
DB (German railways): International trains to Germany/Switzerland
- IC, ICE
ÖBB (Austrian railways): International trains to Germany/Austria/Switzerland
- IC, ICE, Nightjet
ČD (Czech railways): International trains to Germany/Austria/Switzerland
- IC, ICE, Nightjet
European Sleeper: Only European Sleeper trains, international

By calling the NS International Customer Service

+31 030 2300023 (open 24/7). From 11 PM – 7 AM the call centre is only available for questions
When calling, you’ll hear a menu in Dutch. Select extension ‘5’ for services in English. NS International can book trains in various European countries (€7.50 booking fee per person, with a maximum of €22.50 per order; 2 reservations per call allowed or 1 consecutive journey). Reservations made over the phone can be paid with iDEAL, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Bancontact or SOFORT. The reservations ticket will be sent to you by email. Via a link in the email you can load it into the NS International app or print it.

Locally at one of the 5 stations in the Netherlands with an NS International ticket desk

NS International tickets desks are available at Amsterdam Central station, Arnhem Central station, Rotterdam Central station, Schiphol Airport and Utrecht Central station.

Note: Eurostar trains are popular and therefore, usually sell out quickly. Make sure to get your seat reservation in time. Alternatively, find trains without seat reservations in our timetable by toggling on the ‘no reservation needed’ button.

An explanation of how each booking platform works can be found here: How do I book my reservations.

Get your Pass for the Netherlands

With 1 rail pass you can conveniently explore the Netherlands without having to buy separate train tickets. All domestic trains in the Netherlands are covered, as well as more countries!

Interrail Benelux Pass

Offers you rail travel in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg
Discounts available for youth, senior and families
Additional benefits include a discounted ferry crossing from Hoek van Holland to Harwich (Great-Britain)
Prices from € 110

View Benelux Passes →

Interrail Global Pass

Travel by train as much as you like in 33 European countries including the Netherlands
Discounts available for youth, senior and families
Additional benefits include a discounted ferry crossing from Hoek van Holland to Harwich (Great-Britain)
Prices from € 194

View Global Passes →

Tips and tricks for the Netherlands

What are the main train stations in the Netherlands?

The Netherland's 3 main hubs have connections to many domestic and international destinations. They are:

Amsterdam Central Station
Rotterdam Central Station
Utrecht Central Station

The Netherlands' railway stations are extemely well developed with excellent facilities:

Lockers for storing your stuff
Cash machines and foreign exchange desks
Cafés, restaurants and shops
Tourist information offices
Elevators, escalators and access for disabled passengers

Spelling of names in the Netherlands

You'll usually find the local spelling of Dutch cities on train timetables and at train stations in the Netherlands.

Good to know:

Centraal Station = Central Station
Den Haag = The Hague
Hoek van Holland = Hook of Holland

Bicycles on trains in the Netherlands

One of the best ways to explore the country is by cycling shorter distances while riding the country's efficient trains between towns and cities.

Cycling is extemely common in the Netherlands. You can rent bikes from most large train stations.

Are there entry gates at Dutch train stations?: Yes. If you're travelling with an Interrail Pass, simply hold the square barcode on your pass cover against the scanner on the entry gate to open it.

Please make sure you're using the correct entry gate, as shown in the photo. It's recognizable by the arrow in the bottom right and the image showing a pink card (Dutch train chipcard) and a hand holding a ticket with a QR code.

If you attempt to go through gate that only shows the pink card, you won't be able to open it with your Interrail Pass.
Are there lounges at Dutch train stations?: Yes, and best of all, holders of a first-class Interrail Pass valid in the Netherlands can enter them for free! There are NS International lounges in the following Dutch railway stations:

Amsterdam Central Station

Rotterdam Central Station

Station Schiphol Airport
Can I take my bike on Dutch trains?: Yes. There are even guidelines for this:

You can take your bike on Dutch trains:

At weekends, on public holidays and in July and August.

On workdays, outside rush hour.

You need to buy a Bicycle Day Ticket and place your bike in the train's bicycle area (look for the symbol on the door).

Folding bikes can be carried as regular luggage, for free.

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