Mainz to Amsterdam

Its hard to answer - depends on what you deem best. Fastest, cheapest, most scenic? But I'm a little bored so here's some info I found: The train is about 4 1/2 hours from city center to city center and costs about 80 to 120 E for second class. For me the train would be the best way - no airport hassles and getting to/from city center. The cheapest flight I saw was $209 - but it has a 10 hr or so overnight lay-over. The next is $308 and takes 4:10 plus airport security time & travel to/from.

There are fares as low as 39 Euro if you go out 90 days.

Either way, you'll probably need to go by train or S-Bahn to Frankfurt airport to catch a plane or to catch the ICE to Amsterdam. From the airport, a direct ICE to Amsterdam takes 3¾ hours. Checking in, going through security, waiting at the gate, boarding, flight time to Schiphol, deplaning, and taking the train into Amsterdam will take longer than that. Plus, flights from FRA to AMS will be expensive. A flight on RyanAir from Hahn might be cost competitive with the train but you'll have to add a bus trip of 70 min, 13,00€, to get to Hahn, and Ryan doesn't fly to Schiphol, but farther out Eindhoven. With advance purchase, the fare from Mainz to Amsterdam Centraal could be as low as 39€. If you fly, you'll have to add to the ticket price the fare to FRA, (4.25€), or Hahn, and the fare from Schiphol, or Eindhoven, to Centraal.