Bruges to Amsterdam

You take an IC train to Antwerp, and then change to another IC train direct to Amsterdam. There's at least one train every hour. No need to book in advance, simply purchase your tickets at the station on the day of your journey. Fares are around 35 euros.

The fastest--and most expensive--route would be to take an IC train from Bruges to Antwerp and a high-speed Thalys train from there to Amsterdam.

Normally you could also take an IC train to Antwerp and another IC train from there to Amsterdam without any bus ride. I just checked the timetables on the German Rail site, www.bahn.de. Since the normal route is shown for weekdays both before and after this coming weekend, I'm guessing that there are engineering works scheduled for Saturday and Sunday on the tracks used by IC trains between Essen and Roosendaal and that buses will be used to bypass the section that will be closed. It's only a 15-minute bus ride.

Thanks for the heads up... But a follow-up question... What is "IC train"? I'm assuming the staff at the ticket counter will direct us the right way and explain all the changes...?

IC=inter-city

Likewise, "IR" =... hmm, not sure what it stands for (Inter regional?), but it means the train travels slower and stops at more stations. So, given the choice between IC and IR, take the IC. The cost is the same.

"I'm assuming the staff at the ticket counter will direct us the right way and explain all the changes...?" They may or may not do it automatically, but certainly will if you ask.

I took the train from Bruges to Amsterdam last September using the routing Michael described (change in Antwerp). Bought ticket morning of travel with no problems. I used the Deutsche Bahn website to check schedules and decide which train to take.