Berlin to Amsterdam

Wife and I will be in Berlin mid-May, and then would like to take a train to Amsterdam. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated. Especially, do we need to book far in advance?

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If you travel overnight and want to get one of the special deals (SparNight for a night train, Europa Spezial for the daytime traveling) - see www.nachtzugreise.de, www.bahn.de - yes, you need to book far in advance. If you are happy with the standard price you should book a couple of days in advance for a night train, and there is no need to book at all if you travel on a daytime train.

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Quite a good journey by rail I believe. You need to check the Deutsche Bahn website, but I think there is a daily direct daytime train which takes about 7 hours. You can book tickets on this website and even print them off. You could get quite a good deal, but do check with their office if the deal offered is the cheapest. I looked a while ago and I think the fare was about 75 euros one way. You may find it is cheaper to travel at weekends.

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DB timetable

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

From: Berlin

To: Amsterdam Centraal

There are 3 direct IC trains (dep Berlin Zoo 08:45, 12:45 and 16:45).

Travel time 6:04.

Normal single ticket EUR 92,20.

No compulsory reservation, i.e. these trains cannot book out.

If you like to reserve a seat you can do this e.g. when arriving in Berlin.

No night train Berlin to Amsterdam.

As a Surf%26amp;Rail International ticket you can get Berlin to Amsterdam from EUR 29,00.

db.de/site/…surf__rail__international.html

Limited offer, i.e. book well in advance. But yet is too early for May. Should be possible from February or March on.

Unlike a normal ticket, such a special ticket is valid only for the booked connection.

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Thank you all for the very specific feedback. We will definitely take the morning train.

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You can also fly from Berlin to Amsterdam...for example with airberlin from 29€/person. I would recommend this, as the landscape between Berlin and Amsterdam isn%26#39;t really worth a visit....taking the train would be more expensive....save your money and your time.

;)

Look here...

www.airberlin.com/site/index.php?LANG=eng

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In case you really do want to take the train, do it, otherwise I would go by plane.

Air Berlin and Transavia (budget airlines) both fly out of Berlin-Tegel Airport and generally offer competitive prices if booked in advance:

http://www.airberlin.com

http://www.transavia.com/en

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The advantage of the train is, here, the flexibility - you can change your travel plans in the last minutes without extra cost or hassle. If you certainly know when you are travelling and don%26#39;t change your plans in the last minute then flying is a better alternative on this relation. There is indeed not much to see on the way - flat countryside, some cities.