Overnight trip Amsterdam to Bruges rental car or train?

First of all that is a long way to go on a day trip; I see it as forcing it.
I think it is better to take the train as you will have to park the car somewhere Bruges has a lot narrow pedestrian only streets; also you might lose time on your short day trip if you were to get lost driving.

If you pick the train just go with the one that either requires one change in Antwerp or Brussels.
You can compare the costs and/or book train tickets versus renting a car easily on this site
https://www.nsinternational.nl/en/home

That DBahn site only shows schedules when you are not traveling by train to Germany.

Well, it's true that you have to learn how to buy rail tickets online, but once you know how, it's quite easy. Our host has rail travel (and car advice too) on his menu, top left. I bought three sets of DB tickets last year, at great advance-discounts, bar coded tickets to print at home. (Not changeable or refundable at those prices, of course.)

I think you are making an American "auto culture" decision, which means you would rather be in control of your transport, even it it means annoying traffic and very difficult parking in the tourist mecca and medieval city (i.e. narrow, one-way streets, narrow arches and corners.) As noted, this is a long rail journey with changes (which aren't that hard), but it's also a long car trip. I personally would not visit Bruges as a daytrip to Amsterdam. (I've been to Amsterdam four times, and Bruges from Antwerp twice.) I suggest you visit Delft or Amersfoort, as approximations of a medieval city center. Or Alkmaar. They are not the same, but they are related experiences.

If 13:00 is the END of the permitted embarkation time, I would not make this trip. If you can board up to 16:00 or 17:00, it's safer. You are not really in control of the trip by car, when you are in two foreign countries. (Time of year matters, I imagine it's peak tourism season.)

It is not clear from your question if the cruise departs at 13:00 or if you have to check in by 13:00 or if you have calculated that you need to get back to Amsterdam by 13:00 in order to make the cruise.

There is no way I would consider doing this, but if you are committed, go by train, and plan to get back to Amsterdam 2 hours before you need to be at the cruise port.

If you can cancel your hotel in Bruges, I concur with the previous posters who have suggested easier day trips. Then you can come back to Amsterdam the day before and avoid the need to unpack and repack, and you won't have to rush and feel stressed in the morning before your cruise departs.

Forget the rental, all you are looking for is transportation. You will not have time to see anything along the way and driving around Amsterdam and navigating to Bruge has it's own difficulties.

It will cost you more, maybe double, but well worth it. (Though remember expensive fuel, parking, possibly a tunnel that has a toll depending on route)

If you want to look at prices, go to www.ns.nl , the Dutch train site. Do not try to punch in your trip on the home page, go all the way to the bottom and in the fine print options is "international travel" that will take you to the international booking site. There may be an advantage buying ahead, there may be some discounts if you are 6bit.0 or above, and buying round trip will save you a bit.

Just one word about halfway in that journey.

Antwerp.

Driving anti-clockwise southbound around Antwerp has a bit less traffic, is much further, has an expensive tunnel toll, and is pretty complicated. Same northbound clockwise.

Driving the other way around through the city is shorter, no toll and only somewhat complicated. But it is notorious for its awful traffic delays.

Changing trains in Antwerp Centraal station is very easy, going either up one floor by escalator or down depending on your direction. The building is beautiful and if you have a few minutes between trains there is an opportunity for food and drink and other amenities.

Because of where I live and where I go I often pass through Antwerp by car and by train.

I hate driving around Antwerp, even more than I hate driving around Brussels.

Parking in Brugge/Bruges is very difficult and very expensive. You must understand the blue zone / white zone parking restrictions if you decide to drive there.

Can you cancel your reservation in Bruges? Whether train or car, it's a lot of trouble for what effectively is an afternoon and an evening in a city for which you have much easier accessible alternatives near Amsterdam. Apart from the already mentioned Delft and Amersfoort, there is also Enkhuizen, 1 hour from Amsterdam on a half-hourly direct train. A gem of a port town, with everything you expect and without all those coach parties which make Bruges almost unpleasant.

Much, much better to take the train. For starters, have you considered the hassle of parking in Bruges? And then you'll have a deadline of 1pm to return the car to Amsterdam? Who needs that? Plus the amount of driving you will be undertaking for an overnight trip? Maybe it's because we're from NYC that taking the trains is second nature to us between cities like that. Public transport is such a benefit; use it.

Not sure why you chose to look at the Deutsche Bahn website; you're not going through Germany. That's why there are no prices and no means of buying tickets. Follow the advice above regarding rail websites and buy your tickets ASAP to take advantage of cheaper rail fares. And have fun!

Bruges is a nice city, well worth visiting. But how it's been elevated into a be-all and end-all, "must-see" destination, so special that it's worthy of the long journey from Amsterdam even just for a day trip or overnight, puzzles me.

So, I agree with the others. Driving back and forth from Amsterdam to Bruges, for one night (less than one full day), when you have to get back by a deadline to catch a cruise, is a lot of hassle for insufficient return. You'll do much better to see places nearer to Amsterdam. If the suggestions given so far are not to your liking, Rick's Amsterdam And The Netherlands book has lots of ideas, from cities to rural areas, complete with goof-proof direction on how to see them as day trips from Amsterdam.

As an aside, the Bahn website only shows prices and allows ticket purchase for trains that start or end in Germany. To see prices and options for trains on this route, you can look at the Belgian rail internation site: https://www.b-europe.com/EN

I agree with everyone, especially Harold. I just visited Bruge on Tuesday and wondered at all the rave recommendations of it. Yes, it’s a very charming place and I enjoyed my time there, but to be honest, I don’t think it’s worth going much out of your way for.

However, if you still feel the need to go there, then I would definitely take the train. It’s incredibly easy to order the tickets, pay for the tickets and then get on the correct trains. Driving in European cities can be difficult at best and chaotic at worst. Believe me, I’ve been there and done that. I will always vote for the train unless you are in areas where there is not good public transportation