Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
Posted 16 years ago
[b]From AMSTERDAM to BERLIN, MUNICH, VIENNA or PRAGUE by night train.[/b]
Information for Interrail, Eurail travellers and persons with normal train ticket travelling by night train from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to European countries.
There are several night train available leaving every evening from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to other countries. For example to Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark and Switzerland. It is an inexpensive way to travel.
If you book early, you will get very [b]cheap special prices[/b].
:arr: [b]Booking[/b] (including all special prices) is available here: [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
[b]More information and schedules for night trains from and to the Netherlands at railcc[/b]:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/netherlands/nl[/u]
[b]Update: Nov 2016[/b]
anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
There's a train from Amsterdam to Berlin that arrives Berlin at 4am. What would you do after you arrive at that hour? :o
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
party?
no, youd probably be best putting your bags in lockers at the station and trying to find somewhere thats open for breakfast, because you wont be able to check into a hostel until the afternoon
TomS
Traveller
6 comments
Are the reclining seats a bit relaxed?? can you just have a normal sleep in that?
Normally, I sleep reasonable good, will a seat then a problem for me?
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
If there are six of us travelling together and we booked together a six-berth couchette would we all be in the same couchette (buy the whole couchette) or would we have to ask for this?
Jason
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
best ask to be on the safe side
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
Its very hard to get through to someone who speaks English to book reservations.
Is there any other way of pre booking a couchette for six people on a night train? online?
JD :P
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
i dont know of anyway online. And youve managed to find someone in Holland who doesnt speak English? Thats an achievment in itself!
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
No lol - im phoning the German number listed above to book a City night line train x
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
Good point. Try this, +31 900 92 96, it is the phone number for the Dutch railway company who should be able to help
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
Sorry Sidude. Are you sure that number is correct? It doesnt seem to be recognised. I am trying to book reservations for six people to have a six berth couchette on 7th of July from Amsterdam to Berling (19.01 CNL 457 train). I have phoned that number and if i do get through to someone who is English they tell me to call back later. One gave me a different number (+491805996633). Please help!! I want to book the berth so all six of us can have it. So i need to book soon
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
When i said I phoned that number I am referring to the one at provided at the top
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
Try this - 0900 202 1163 (with the dutch country code etc) Im just scouring the web trying to find their customer service number. Not speaking dutch doesnt help.
Or here - 08718 80 80 66 which I think is DB's UK office. They may charge a small fee though. Dont worry though - you dont have to rush, its a tuesday so shouldnt be too busy. Let me know how you get on
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
Thanks for the help mate
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
Yep that english number worked and I received my reservation today by post :)
As for the platforms (the night train arrives in Berlin on platform 12). I think the departure platform varies. At Amsterdam Centraal station where can I find platform information (I assume there are big screens somewhere?). Do they have a confusing layout or will it just say Amst - Berlin (19.01-04.21 = platform 4a etc)??
Cheers
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
There are departure screens at the entrance and on each of the platforms.
jasondavis180491
Traveller
18 comments
Cheers man
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
from amsterdam to hamburg there are plenty of free IC trains, changing just once, journey time just over 5 hours. Or there is a night train but it arrives at like 3 in the morning
from hamburg to copenhagen there is a daily direct EC and a couple of direct ICE trains.
[u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u] for more info, but the timetables for august might not be up yet
samatwell
Traveller
5 comments
Once I have reserved a couchette through DB, will I have to pay any other supplements when boarding the train?
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Nope.
samatwell
Traveller
5 comments
[quote]Nope.[/quote]
Thank you!
samatwell
Traveller
5 comments
[quote]Yep that english number worked and I received my reservation today by post :)
As for the platforms (the night train arrives in Berlin on platform 12). I think the departure platform varies. At Amsterdam Centraal station where can I find platform information (I assume there are big screens somewhere?). Do they have a confusing layout or will it just say Amst - Berlin (19.01-04.21 = platform 4a etc)??
Cheers[/quote]
How helpful were they on the phone - did they arrange it so that the six of you would all be in the same compartment? I am in a similar situation (though with only four of us) and was wondering whether it would be worth phoning or whether I should just do it online.
When you booked over the phone did you have to pay any additional fees to what you would have paid booking online?
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Usually the reservation system puts a group of people always together in a compartment - only when the train is almost fully booked your reserved seats might be apart from each other. :)
err_roisin
Traveller
1 comments
this information is all really useful thank you!
i've been following your steps to try and book a night train from amsterdam to berlin on the 4th july. for some reason i cannot find the option to say i have an interrail ticket and the website will only let me pay full price. can anyone help with this?
thanks
Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
simply do it STEP-BY-STEP like mentioned at the beginning of this topic page (1). I explained every mini-step. :)
on the night train you mentioned, seats aren't available any more. cheapest option:
4 persons in 6-berth cabin: EUR 80 in total - hurry... :)
anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
First at all, i'm totally new at this site. Next month we want to make a 10 day trip through central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Austria). The first journey we want to make is from Enschede (Nld) via Arnhem (Nld) to Zürich. We want to use CNL. I registered on the website of Die Bahn and want to reserve our tickets. But I can't find the option mentioned in the first post (Book only extra charge). Is there now another option to reserve tickets? I hope someone can help us.
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
I suppose you're from Enschede? Go to your local NS train station and make the reservations there - the online system seems to be out of order at the moment.
If they can't help you at Enschede go to the next larger station (Arnhem probably).
Flo 8)
Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
and just to add: sometimes it is simply not possible to book CNL trains from a Non-German country to an other Non-Germany country - so for crossing tickets it is not possible - in most cases. :)
and just a short wink to Flow who is just sitting in a night train right now. ;)
respiko
Traveller
22 comments
hi, do you think it's ok to book in the 2nd of august for a reclining seat to 4th of august? or should i book online now? it's kinda complicated cause i'm leaving tomorrow morning and i have to pack and stuff :P the line in question is amsterdam-munich.
nuno
Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
it seems that the booking system is not working at the moment?!
buy it at a big station - will be the best in your situation. and about a free seat: risky a little bit... :)
respiko
Traveller
22 comments
oh ok, but in an extreme case, do you think buying the reservation 2 days before the trip is ok or too tight? i'll try to buy it in paris tomorrow :P
thanks peter.
nuno
Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
2 days in high season is always a bit tight. but just try it - and I think you will get the reservation in Paris then. :)
Alexm
Traveller
1 comments
For our trip we plan on taking the night train from Amsterdam to Prague on a Wednesday September 16th.
We are unable to book reservation only online as many have said you cannot without stop in Germany.
We want to get couchette 4-berth for the trip. We arrive 3 days before departure. Can we reserve at Amsterdam or will train be full? Some have recommended booking online to Berlin and staying on the train until Prague. Is that OK or do we be asked to leave? Need help.
Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
Hi ...
I think you will still get a bed when booking for a Wednesday night, even only 3 days before.
Like you said: it is not possible for trains not starting or ending in Germany. So you have to book in Amsterdam main station.
I just checked it: there are still all special offers available. This shows, that the train is right now still empty.
For booking only until Berlin and then to stay in the train until Prague: some wagons end in Berlin (as there is the central place for cleaning. reparing, ... the CNL wagons). So you are not sure if your wagon continues until Prague.
The first normal direct day train in the morning leaving from Berlin to Prague has some wagons attached of the night train.
[b]Night train[/b]
Amsterdam Dep:
Berlin Ostbahnhof Arr: 0430 (track 2)
[b]Day train + attached wagons of the night train[/b] (you can there us the 2nd class seats)
Berlin Ostbahnhof Dep: 0500 (track 3)
Praha hl.n. Arr: 0956
[b]Other option:[/b]
Leave the night train at [b]Berlin Hbf[/b] (main station). Have a coffee at the station. Then just have a walk to the [b]Reichstag[/b] (German parliament) and the [b]Brandenburger Tor[/b] - really nice early in the morning. No tourists and the city is just waking up. All this is only 5-10 minutes away by foot of the main station. :)
And then continue by the next train in direction of Prague:
[b]Berlin Hbf[/b] Dep: 0635 (by free EC train direction of Budapest)
[b]Praha-Holesovice[/b] Arr: 1118