Amsterdam in March

Been there, done that. 2 hour 16 min with a change at Duisburg from the airport Regional Station (not the S-Bahn station in the airport, but the station reached by the airport parking lot tram).

Thanks, I've been checking the Bahn site and can't find a train for an early morning flight. Also very pricey. How do you find a schedule for the other train. Are two days enough in Amsterdam to do it justice?

Bill, everyone has differnt likes. you could do AMS in 2 days, but it would depend on what you like. there are some really nice museums and those would take 1+ days. happy trails.

We love Amsterdam and would always opt for a visit there. Be sure to include the Anne Frank House (suggest advance tickets purchased from home to avoid the lines) and a canal tour in a glass top boat. There are also excellent art museums. Two days won't cover everything but it is a good start - perhaps you'll return.

There is a direct ICE to Duesseldorf Hbf at 18:34 gets in at 20:46. get a hotel room by the station. There are S-Bahn and RE's to the airport every 15 minutes or so from 4 am on. 8 to 12 minute trip

Thanks again! What about renting a car at the airport in Dusseldorf and driving to Amsterdam? I could do that for less money and save having to get a room at the airport to wait for a 9:15 AM flight. It would mean a 4:00AM start from Amsterdam. Is driving unrealistic?

The cities are only 145 miles apart, and I cannot think that a train fare would be very much. You could drive it, but parking in the center city is very expensive on parking meters. By all means, go for it.
Amsterdam is one of those places you're going to return to.

Well, you're going to need to pay for a hotel room that night anyway, either in Amsterdam or in Dusseldorf, and I'm willing to bet the Dusseldorf hotel will be less money than the Amsterdam one. Advance purchase round trip train is 38 euro. Now maybe you have a big family or plan on spending the last night in Amsterdam at the disco and peeling out at 3 am. It can be done. I can't imagine going to Amsterdam with a car.

Train fares Dusseldorf-Amsterdam start at € 29 if you buy with maximum advance (92 days, but often well into 40-50 day territory in March). There are 8 daily ICE trains on that route.

Thanks for the advice! Are there any reasonable and unique lodging recommendations out there? We would like to get the most out of our three night stay.

If you rent a car in Germany and drop it off in Amsterdam, you'll have quite a hefty international drop-off fee. Your train tickets will definitely be cheaper. Get advance ticket at a sale price and enjoy your trip.

Depending on the weather this coming winter, end of March might also be a good time to take a side trip from Amsterdam to see the tulips at Keukenhof.