Will be in Amsterdam in May and have to leave on a Sunday and be in Berlin on a Monday (before 6 p.m.). We will have a small suitcase each (which if we fly will have to be checked which is ok). From what I can figure out (so far) a high speed train would be great but the transfer times are impossibly short (we are seniors, fit yes, but seniors never the less). Don't mind spending 6+ hours on a slow train so the price was OK (o/a $200 each). Flights seemed pretty expensive but I'm thinking I just don't know where to look (checked Luftansa and KLM). Very concerned about Ryan Air but maybe it would be OK if we brought our own oxygen and stood the whole flight (just kidding). Renting a car is a possibility but my experience has been that renting in one country and returning it in another jacks up the price by a lot. Tips or suggestions very much appreciated.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33758 posts
Marie
Can we have a bit more detail please?
Where are you getting your fares? How would €39 per person do you, no changes?
How much time to make any required changes do you think your senior legs could manage (I'm a senior too)?
You're not looking at RailEurope are you?
What time of day do you want to travel? Since it takes less than a day to get there do you want an extra night in Amsterdam or would you rather get to Berlin a day early?
Can you say just which weekend we're talking about? Does it coincide with one of the May holidays?
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3277 posts
There are fast trains with no changes that depart Amsterdam every two hours, taking 6 hours to reach Berlin. Prices start at 39 euros if you buy 62 days in advance on Bahn.de, the German train website.
Posted by
OP
San Diego, CA, United States
864 posts
Thanks for the replies. Yes Nigel I was looking at RailEurope. Better site...Bahn.de Thank you Sasha! Trains every two hours - yea!!! My husband is fluent in German so I'll make him do some work for a change - lol. This is why, for me, this forum is so great. Need a answer from someone who's been there done that or lives where you are going this is a great place to get feedback.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32345 posts
Marie,
As the others have mentioned, that's a very easy six hour (or so) trip. I'm also a "senior" and have travelled that route in the past.
I assume your departure station will be Amsterdam Centraal and arrival station Berlin Hbf? You might want to arrive at the station in Amsterdam a bit early to pick up some sandwiches and drinks for the trip. There are lots of food outlets there. You could also use the dining car but that will probably be a bit more expensive.
Which part of Berlin will you be staying? From the Berlin Hbf (which is HUGE), you can take the S-Bahn or other local transport to the area where your hotel is located.
Happy travels!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Marie, while it's great that your husband is fluent in German, that's not a necessity to use the Bahn website. Here's Rick's tutorial, which includes a link directly to the English page.
You should always use Bahn for searching for train routes within Europe. It will only have prices for trains that start and/or end in Germany, so you may need to use another site to book; here's a great list for that, from the Man In Seat 61. You should never use Rail Europe; they are a reseller, they do not list all trains, and they mark up tickets they do sell (sometimes substantially, as in your example).
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
There is an allotted number of discount fare tickets for each direct train from Amsterdam to Berlin. To have the best chance of getting €39 tickets, book ASAP (up to 92 days allowed) on the German Rail (bahn.de) site. Here is a link to the English version of the site.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4087 posts
More basic resources:
www.seat61.com Everything about rail travel.
www.skyscanner.com
www.whichbudget.com
These offer budget airlines connections, which are fundamental for travel in Europe these days. They connect to the airlines' own sites. Read the regulations very carefully because the rules are strictly enforced and a slip-up can be expensive. That said, they really are bargains and Ryanair didn't become Europe's biggest carrier because people hated them.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5493 posts
Yet another example of Rail Europe ripping off the unsuspecting.