Getting Around · Our pick in Amsterdam
Amsterdam by rail: the back story
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Slaunger · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Amsterdam by rail: the back story
Amsterdam Centraal stands on the IJ, at the meeting point of the city’s trams, metro, ferries and trains. Eurostar trains run from here to Brussels, Paris and London; NS trains run to Schiphol, Haarlem, The Hague, Utrecht and the rest of the Netherlands.
Centraal
The station faces the old centre to the south and the IJ to the north, where the GVB ferries leave for Noord.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Gijsz · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsEurostar
Eurostar runs from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels, Paris and London; book on eurostar.com.
From Schiphol, the train to Amsterdam Centraal takes about a quarter of an hour.
Across the Netherlands
NS trains run to Haarlem, The Hague, Delft and Utrecht, and to Schiphol. Check in and out with a contactless bank card or an OV-chipkaart.
Our advice: Amsterdam Zuid is being rebuilt as a second gateway; from 1 November 2026 it is entered through the new Brittenpassage.
Why it's on our list
- Centraal
- Eurostar
- Across the Netherlands
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Amsterdam by rail: the back story before you go.