Train travel from Augsburg to Amsterdam

Here is a modest proposal. If you want a bit more scenic route, specify a stopover with 0 time in Koblenz. That route will take 2 more hours than the 7 1/2 hours on the fastest route and two train changes rather than one. That one leaves Augsburg at 8:03 and you change trains in Mannheim to an IC train to Cologne that goes along the Rhine river through the famous gorge with all the castles. At Cologne you change trains to Amsterdam. That change is 1 hour and 39 minutes, so that will give you time to walk out and see the great Cologne Cathedral, right next to the Hauptbahnhof.

These tickets are about 70 EUR per person, bought now nonrefundable. I also see you can upgrade to 1st class for 10 EUR more per person. That includes seat reservations, which are normally 4.50 EUR extra per person with 2nd class tickets.

Sam and scythian, thank you both for your answers!! Since there is no scenery on the train we were considering, I am really glad I asked!!

Sam, I looked on the DB app and THINK I found the train you were talking about - does it leave at 8:03 and arrive at 17:05? I didn't see a layover, but that might be tough anyway with all our luggage. If we could even just ride through the gorge with all the castles, that would be great!! If the route I picked isn't scenic, how do I find the one you mentioned?

Scythian, I will definitely do First Class then and yes, as I said above, I'd be interested in recommendations for scenic routes! Also, the Bavaria ticket sounds perfect for when we arrive in Munich. We arrive in the morning and can't check into our Augsburg hotel until late afternoon, so I am hoping we can find lockers at the train station for our luggage and visit Munich for a few hours. Would that be a good use fo the Bavaria ticket since it includes the subway? Should I buy it on the DB app or wait until I'm at the airport? If it's the same price, I might prefer getting it ahead of time so I have less things to worry about. Also, are there lockers at the train station and is it an easy ride from the airport to Munich Hbf?

Thanks again to both of you for your help!!

Yes, there are lockers at Munich Hauptbahnhof, and the Bayern Ticket does cover city transportation in Munich.

The S-Bahn train from Munich Airport to the Hauptbahnhof is a slow suburban train that stops many times and can get crowded. If you aren't travelling in the rush hour, the express bus service to the Hauptbahnhof doesn't take any longer and is quite a bit more comfortable. Note that this airport bus service is not covered by the Bayern Ticket, although the S-Bahn is.

Ist class is worth it IF you get a good price. Comfort levels aren't hugely different.

"If we could even just ride through the gorge with all the castles, that would be great!! If the route I picked isn't scenic, how do I find the one you mentioned?"

To ensure you travel via the Rhine Valley you can insert a stopover with 00:00 stopover time in Koblenz. That will route you properly.

(Note that if you want to get off the train in one of the old-world Rhine towns for an hour or two for lunch or just to look around, you can insert a stopover in any of the Rhine towns for that purpose.)

Click on "add intermediate stops" at the DB itinerary search page to enter these stopovers.

The train I was referring to arrives in Amsterdam at 17:28. The one you are looking at has the first two legs the same, but the second has you continuing to Duesseldorf, then changing to a train to Venlo, then changing to a train to Utrecht, then changing to a train to Amsterdam. So even though it gets you to Amsterdam 23 minutes earlier, you have 2 more train changes along the way.

The train I saw, changes to an ICE in Cologne after a 1 hour and 39 minute wait, but that ICE is direct to Amsterdam. I am looking at June 9, it it is 10 EUR more per person than the itinerary that gets in at 17:05. Both itineraries offer upgrade to 1st class at 10 EUR per person.

I don't know how the DB app is set up, but on the website, you can click on "change other data" then add a stopover in a town with 0 time, so you are not actually getting off the train, just getting routed on a train through that town. Koblenz is on the Rhine, so it will route you on that line.

The search engines always route you on the fastest option. The fastest options is to take the 8:03 train all the way to Cologne. Between Frankfurt and Cologne it is on a special high speed track that follows the median of the Autobahn much of the way, by passing the Rhine. That train goes up to 200 mph, but the view is mostly of you passing Mercedes on the Autobahn.

As a frequent ICE traveler I do not agree that the first class is worth it, at least not if you have to pay the normal 50% premium ore even more. There are sometimes cheap tickets for the first class, but certainly not on the direct connection Munich - Frankfurt / Cologne. Right now a discounted ticket (for the connection dep. Augsurg 10:02 arr. Amsterdam Centraal 17:28) for a random day in the first week of June is € 39.90 in 2nd class, while a first-class discount ticket costs € 69.90. I would reserve seats (€ 4.50 pp) and invest the rest into dinner.

Thanks everyone - so many great suggestions!! I am looking at purchasing airline tickets in the next two days, and will then try looking at DB on my computer at some of the options you recommend. The app is great, but I think maybe not as flexible as using a computer. Anyway, I will update you all as soon as I have a chance to look online. Thanks!!!!

Having purchased our airline tickets and made reservations for accommodations throughout the trip, I am now turning my attention back to planning the train trip from Augsburg to Haarlem. I found the exact train that Sam mentioned and really like the idea of a more scenic trip without too many train changes. Everything with that specific trip seems perfect except for the layover in Cologne. Our issue is that we have quite a bit of luggage, as well as two violins, so sightseeing while we commute is pretty difficult. I know they have a luggage storage system in Cologne, but with such a short layover, I am nervous to use it. Also, even if we did use it for our luggage, we can't leave the violins behind, so we would still be carrying those around. If this is the only train option, I suppose we can take turns watching the luggage while the other two sightsee quickly. Or if there is a cute cafe nearby, we could drag all our luggage with us. What do you suggest? Any other possible routes without a layover available or do we just make do with this, as described above?

Thanks for everyone's invaluable help!!

Hi Melanie,
Travel always involves choices. Seeing as you are traveling heavy due to the nature of this trip, maybe just taking the fastest route with a single change in Koeln is the way to go. Anyway, now you know the options you have.

If you're considering a side trip from Augsburg, I suggest Ulm (not at all far from Augsburg and rarely visited by Americans) to see the cathedral, one of the most famous in Germany, "das Ulmer Münster."

Hi,

There is another option offering a one time transfer, ie from Munich, ie the night train Munich to Düsseldorf on Night Jet, arrives at 08:42, then from Düsseldorf Hbf take the direct ICE to Amsterdam, departing 09:29, arr: 11:28. Maybe your kids may not be too keen on going by night.

When DB operated this night route, going from Munich to Amsterdam was done by CNL. a direct shot. It's still possible now with OeBB but requires a change at the terminus in Düsseldorf.

Thanks to you both! So many things to decide, but it's all part of the fun!

One last question - if I decide to wait to buy the tickets, is there a pretty good chance the saver fare would still be available? If my son doesn't make the later rounds of the competition, that opens up so many possibilities in terms of time for us. So my preference is to wait to see what happens, but I noticed the flex rates are really high. As long as we are flexible in terms of which train we take, are there usually saver fares available?

Low-priced saver fares on main routes (like yours) will rise as tickets sell. To delay purchase until competition results are in... well, if you mean only 1-2 days prior to travel, the answer is that you can expect to pay full price or close to it.

If you know the dates/times of the "later rounds" and you can stay on in Augsburg or nearby, perhaps that's the thing to do anyway. Schedule a saver fare ticket that comes after the final competition - and if your role in the competition ends earlier, use your additional time and the local trains in that area to visit some of the great places near Augsburg.

The old walled town of Nördlingen
Harburg
Landsberg - scroll for photos: https://www.stadtbild-deutschland.org/forum/index.php?thread/1974-landsberg-am-lech-galerie/&s=f8676a2a5f44199b4a267a72d7dda9a28d018378