How to Travel from Amsterdam to Brussels by Train

Taking the train from Amsterdam to Brussels is enormously straightforward, with frequent departures and affordable prices.

This guide shows how you can book train tickets and what the journey between the Dutch and Belgian capital cities is like.

From Amsterdam to Brussels by train

There are multiple trains between Amsterdam and Brussels, with departures every hour for most of the day.

All these trains can easily be booked online via the website of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the Dutch Railways, with an e-ticket sent to your email inbox after booking.

Ticket prices for international trains between Amsterdam and Brussels vary depending on how far in advance you book, the type of train you take, and the fare conditions – with fully flexible and refundable tickets costing more than special advance fares, which are valid only on a specific departure.

You can use the NS search box above to find the best train connection for your chosen day of travel.

Different trains

There are different types of train you can choose when travelling between Amsterdam and Brussels:

• Eurostar: the fastest but also the most expensive option
• EuroCity Direct: only slightly slower than the Eurostar, but more affordable
• A combination of IC and EuroCity trains: the cheapest but also the slowest option, which does require a change of trains

All of these trains can be booked via the NS website.

You can choose between 2nd class or 1st class if you want more space and comfort.

Option 1: the Eurostar

High-speed Eurostar trains provide the fastest and most comfortable way to travel by train from Amsterdam to Brussels.

These trains stop at Amsterdam Centraal (Amsterdam CS), the main station in the Dutch capital, as well as at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

In Brussels, the train calls only at Brussels South (Bruxelles-Midi).

There is a Eurostar train between Amsterdam and Brussels every two hours for most of the day.

Tickets automatically include a reserved seat on the Eurostar train.

Option 2: the EuroCity Direct

Only around 20 minutes slower than the Eurostar, the EuroCity Direct is also an excellent option for travelling between Amsterdam and Brussels, as it is often much cheaper.

The only drawback is that this train does not call at Amsterdam Centraal, but instead uses the secondary station at Amsterdam Zuid.

The EuroCity Direct service runs once an hour and also stops at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

In Brussels, it calls only at Brussels South (Bruxelles-Midi).

Note that the EuroCity Direct does not have reserved seating – seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so you can simply take any available seat on the train.

Option 3: a combination of IC and EuroCity trains

It is also possible to travel between Amsterdam and Brussels using a combination of InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains, with a connection in Rotterdam.

You can take one of the frequent InterCity trains from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and change there onto the standard EuroCity train running between Rotterdam and Brussels.

This EuroCity train operates only between Rotterdam and Brussels and stops at more stations along the route compared with the EuroCity Direct, so it is a bit slower.

In Brussels, it calls at all the city’s main stations: Brussels North (Bruxelles-Nord), Brussels Central (Bruxelles-Central), and Brussels South (Bruxelles-Midi).

Like the EuroCity Direct, this train has no reserved seating, so you can simply take any available seat within your travel class.

Tips when travelling by train from Amsterdam to Brussels

When searching for train tickets between Amsterdam and Brussels, it is usually easiest to choose the stations closest to your accommodation or the location you need to reach in the city.

For example, if your hotel is closest to Amsterdam Centraal but you prefer to take the cheaper EuroCity Direct, which only serves Amsterdam Zuid, there is no need to buy a ticket from Amsterdam Zuid to Brussels.

You can also purchase a ticket from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels South that includes a regional train from Amsterdam Centraal to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, where you then board the InterCity Direct service to Brussels.

Alternatively, you can take the metro, a tram, or a taxi to travel from your hotel to Amsterdam Zuid, in which case you simply buy your ticket from Amsterdam Zuid.

If you need to change trains along the route, it is wise to allow enough time for the connection, as delays can be common.

For example, although your ticket usually ties you to a specific EuroCity service (unless you purchase a fully flexible ticket), you can always take an earlier or later InterCity or regional train along your route if you wish.

Suppose you have a ticket from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels with a 7-minute connection at Schiphol Airport from a regional train to the InterCity Direct service.

If you feel this connection is too short, you can simply take an earlier regional train from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport, which is allowed.

The same applies in the other direction: if you travel from Brussels to Amsterdam Centraal and your train arrives with a delay at Schiphol Airport, causing you to miss your intended regional train connection to Centraal, you can simply take a later train, which runs almost every 10 minutes on this route.

Conclusion

With frequent departures and generally affordable ticket prices, travelling by train is by far the best option between Amsterdam and Brussels.

You can buy your tickets through the website of NS – the Dutch Railways – which sells all trains operating on this route.