Best way to get to Bruges from Amsterdam?

Check out a company called Flixbus. Looks like they do have a direct Amsterdam to Bruges service. I used them to go from Bruges to Lille, France during a trip in 2019 and had no issues.

Neither Amsterdam nor Bruges are designed with cars in mind and would be especially frustrating to those not really knowing where they are going, I'm sure. In Europe, generally, cars are never the best option to get from one city to another.

Another train option is to avoid the fast trains, take intercity trains from Amsterdam to Antwerp, Antwerp to Ghent, then Ghent to Bruges. You can buy a ticket that is valid on any intercity train that day ahead of time, for as little as 29 euro, more on weekends (39 euro) Time is about the same as taking the fast train.

“Driving would take less time and car rentals are quite reasonable. Would you recommend driving instead? ”

It takes at least 3 hours of driving to get from Amsterdam to Bruges, but that’s without any traffic jams along the way. You will however very likely hit traffic jams around Antwerp and maybe also in the Netherlands. You will also need to calculate time for getting to the car rental place and for completing all the formalities of car pick up and return. Once you get to Bruges you will need extra time to find a place to park. Upon returning the car, you will need to find a petrol station where you need to fill up the tank. Current prices are around €2.15 per liter (yes liter, not gallon!). Before you know it, that 3 hour driving time on paper has turned into 4 or 4.5 hours in real life. Also the after paying for gas and parking, the total cost may not be so reasonable any longer.
The train takes 3.5 hours with 2 easy changes if you take the inexpensive (€29/€39) non highspeed trains. Your ticket will even allow you to interrupt your trip in Antwerp or Ghent.
Bottom line; take the train. It will get you there stress and hassle free and is very likely to be cheaper.

richardcharles, welcome to this newsboard with your first post. There is a wealth of past discussion of this topic, accessible through the search box top center. Here's an example, although it covers a lot of issues:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/netherlands/amsterdam-to-brussels-to-brugge-back-to-amsterdam-by-train

As you have discovered, Bruges is not next door to Amsterdam. If I had not been to Belgium, there are other cities I would want to visit in this corridor of the country. I am a big fan of Amsterdam, but daytrips within the Netherlands can fill a week, as can daytrips in Belgium from Antwerp or Brussels (or from any of the other cities nearby.)

You are the first person to recently report "car rentals are quite reasonable." But you are proposing a trip in the single most crowded auto corridor in the entire country of Belgium. Because the local trains between Bruges (and Ostend, for that matter) are unreserved and run multiple times per hour during the day, they are extremely convenient. It does need to be said that the train station in Bruges requires a bus or a substantial walk to the historic center. But you will pay a pretty penny to park near the historic center, if you can find a garage. This is not like jumping in your SUV to browse at the Mall of America.

The train station of Bruges is located on the edge of the historical city center. The walk from the train station to the Market Square is an 18 minute walk, but it’s a very pleasant route and you will already pass by many historical sights on your way there. The beautiful Beguinage for instance lies halfway between the station and the Market square at only 10 minutes walking. The Halve Maan brewery is another 3 minutes walk away from the Beguinage. Wear sturdy shoes to manage the cobblestone stones and you’re good to go.

The walk from the train station to Minnewater Lake is not far. You can continue your walk from the lake through the old town.

We took the train from A-dam to Bruges. It was a long day, but a car is of little use in either city. Hopefully you plan to stay the night in Bruges, and not just trek there and back in a day? We stayed 2 nights, and spent an evening in Ghent (but it was a lot of traveling!)

There is a free Bruges centrum (city center) shuttle that runs from the train station through the city center, stopping at multiple locations, every 20 minutes. When you exit the train station and head toward the busses, look to your right. I think the side of the shuttle says "GRATIS centrum shuttle".

Our recent car rental in Germany was not very affordable, but we visited little towns that had more parking.

Thanks all—this is very helpful. We will take the intercity trains.