Amsterdam to Dusseldorf, Cologne, and Frankfurt by Train
From Amsterdam, you can take the excellent German ICE high-speed train to travel directly to Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Frankfurt.
This guide shows you how to book tickets, what the experience on board the train is like, and provides some additional useful rail travel tips.
Use the Dutch Railways’ search tool below to find the best train connection between the Netherlands and Germany for your day of travel.
By train from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf, Cologne, and Frankfurt
There are currently 7 daily ICE trains linking Amsterdam with Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Frankfurt in Germany.
According to the current timetable, there is a departure every two hours throughout most of the day, with the first train leaving Amsterdam Centraal (Amsterdam CS, the city’s main railway station) at 06:38 and the last train departing at 18:38.
From Amsterdam, the ICE high-speed train takes approximately 2 hours and 16 minutes to reach Dusseldorf, about 2 hours and 40 minutes to reach Cologne, while the final stop, Frankfurt am Main Hbf, is around a 4 hour and 10 minute journey from Amsterdam.
The ICE train is best booked through the website of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the Dutch Railways.
ICE high-speed train at Amsterdam Central Station. ©AndyBTravels
Route
Each Amsterdam-Frankfurt ICE train also stops at the Dutch stations of Utrecht and Arnhem, from where you can also book your ticket.
In Germany, the trains call at Oberhausen, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne (Köln in German), Siegburg/Bonn, Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (the long-distance railway station at Frankfurt International Airport), and finally Frankfurt Hbf.
On board the ICE high-speed train
The ICE high-speed train – which stands for InterCity Express – is the premium train operated by Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway company.
These are highly comfortable trains, with second class seating in a 2+2 configuration and first class seating in a more spacious 1+2 configuration.
Each ICE train has a dining car, where you can buy drinks, snacks, and even sit down for a full hot meal.
Read more about this German train in the ICE train guide on DiscoverByRail.
Note that there is also an ICE train from Amsterdam to Berlin (via Osnabrück and Hanover) if you need to travel to this part of Germany.
ICE high-speed train at Frankfurt Hbf. ©AndyBTravels
First class seats on an ICE high-speed train in Germany. ©AndyBTravels
Travel tips
Tickets prices for the ICE high-speed train from the Netherlands to Germany are variable, with the cheapest fares typically available when you book in advance and prices increasing as you get closer to the travel date.
It is also worth noting the difference between the cheaper saver fares, which can be used on your selected departure only, and the more expensive fully flexible tickets, which allow you to take any train along the route that day and can usually be fully refunded.
Seat reservation on the ICE train is optional and comes with a small surcharge of €5.50 in second class or €6.90 in first class.
Without a seat reservation, simply check the electronic indicators above each seat to see whether it has been reserved between certain stations along the route.
If it has not, you are free to take the seat.
Note that during the busy summer travel period (26 June to 31 August 2026), it is compulsory to reserve a seat on most cross-border long-distance trains to and from Germany, including the ICE train from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Frankfurt.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to travel from the Netherlands to Germany is by taking the excellent ICE high-speed train from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf, Cologne, or Frankfurt.
This train is not only fast but also highly comfortable, making the journey a real pleasure.
