Train help - Amsterdam to Frankfurt
Dec 9th, 2006, 11:13 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Train help - Amsterdam to Frankfurt
Hi All,
I hope you can help me. We were going to drive from Amsterdam to Frankfurt (actually Landsthul,Germany). But, in one of my earlier posts a few people mentioned taking the train and then renting a car once we get to Germany. Sounds like a great idea.
OK the problem starts when I try to investigate the train routes. They are so many options, some local, some regional, some overnight, some take 8 hours while others take 4. I have never taken a train before and thought it would be a cool way to travel. For you that take trains all the time I'm sure it is very simple, but for some reason I'm finding this all a bit confusing.
We are arriving in Amsterdam at 6:30 p.m. after a 8 hour flight from Nairobi. We will be spending a week in Germany seeing my son then we want to come back to Amsterdam for a few days before heading back to Florida. We will be traveling to German the evening of July 15, 2007 from Schiphol airport and returning either to the airport or city entre the morning/afternoon of July 22. We would rather not stay the night of the 15th in Amsterdam if possible. Late night travel would be preferred.
Ideas on which train? Which web site to check? Any help would be appreciated. I'm pretty lost here.
Thanks for your help,
Duane
I hope you can help me. We were going to drive from Amsterdam to Frankfurt (actually Landsthul,Germany). But, in one of my earlier posts a few people mentioned taking the train and then renting a car once we get to Germany. Sounds like a great idea.
OK the problem starts when I try to investigate the train routes. They are so many options, some local, some regional, some overnight, some take 8 hours while others take 4. I have never taken a train before and thought it would be a cool way to travel. For you that take trains all the time I'm sure it is very simple, but for some reason I'm finding this all a bit confusing.
We are arriving in Amsterdam at 6:30 p.m. after a 8 hour flight from Nairobi. We will be spending a week in Germany seeing my son then we want to come back to Amsterdam for a few days before heading back to Florida. We will be traveling to German the evening of July 15, 2007 from Schiphol airport and returning either to the airport or city entre the morning/afternoon of July 22. We would rather not stay the night of the 15th in Amsterdam if possible. Late night travel would be preferred.
Ideas on which train? Which web site to check? Any help would be appreciated. I'm pretty lost here.
Thanks for your help,
Duane
Dec 9th, 2006, 11:36 AM
#2
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 17,549
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The best place to check routes would be the GermanRail site:
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
As I recall your ultimate dsestination is Landstuhl. Remember that would be close to somewhere such as Mannheim or Kaiserslauthern.
You could get to at least Cologne in 3.5-4 hours; there's no way you'll get all the way to Frankfurt in four hours although you could get as far as Mannheim overnight but with several changes
On the rail site type in <b>AMS Schiphol Airport</b> as your origination point.
Take a look and post further questions.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
As I recall your ultimate dsestination is Landstuhl. Remember that would be close to somewhere such as Mannheim or Kaiserslauthern.
You could get to at least Cologne in 3.5-4 hours; there's no way you'll get all the way to Frankfurt in four hours although you could get as far as Mannheim overnight but with several changes
On the rail site type in <b>AMS Schiphol Airport</b> as your origination point.
Take a look and post further questions.
Dec 9th, 2006, 05:57 PM
#4
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you can get to the Schiphol Airport train station by 20:15 (which should be easily possible if your flight is on time), you can get a train to Utrecht, where you change to the CityNightLine sleeper train leaving Utrecht at 21:02. You could get about 7 hours sleep on this train before getting off at Karlsruhe at 4:25 where you change to a local S-Bahn train to Landstuhl arriving at 7:00.
If your plane is late and you miss the 20:15, then you might as well spend the night at Schiphol because there is nothing into Germany until the next morning. In this case you could get a 7:45 train that would get you to Landstuhl in 6 hours with two changes.
If your plane is late and you miss the 20:15, then you might as well spend the night at Schiphol because there is nothing into Germany until the next morning. In this case you could get a 7:45 train that would get you to Landstuhl in 6 hours with two changes.
Dec 9th, 2006, 06:48 PM
#5
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,273
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Give up on the idea of leaving for Germany right after your flight. All bets are off, with the inherent uncertainty of on-time arrivals, especially with overseas flights, and possibly long lines at immigration/customs, especially late in the day and on a Sunday during heavy vacation and travel season.
Instead, book a night in a hotel near Schiphol, have a leisurely dinner, rest up and make the trip on Monday.
Look up your trains at http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...n?L=profi&
Instead, book a night in a hotel near Schiphol, have a leisurely dinner, rest up and make the trip on Monday.
Look up your trains at http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...n?L=profi&
Dec 10th, 2006, 12:29 AM
#8
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 775
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From Schiphol airport to Amsterdam Central station (CS) there are frequent trains, about 4/6 each hour.
From CS to Frankfurt easiest connection is ICE, which is the inbternational train between those cities.
For schedule and prices check:http://www.ns.nl/servlet/Satellite?c...=en&c=Page
From CS to Frankfurt easiest connection is ICE, which is the inbternational train between those cities.
For schedule and prices check:http://www.ns.nl/servlet/Satellite?c...=en&c=Page
Dec 10th, 2006, 10:23 AM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A sincere thanks for all the suggestions. Where else can I get real information on catching a train from Amsterdam to Germany but here?
I'll check this out when I get home. I'm sure I'll have more questions
Thanks again,
Duane
and ask further questions hen
I'll check this out when I get home. I'm sure I'll have more questions
Thanks again,
Duane
and ask further questions hen
Dec 10th, 2006, 01:10 PM
#10
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dukey's first reply to your original post gives the URL for the English version of the German Rail site. This is your best source of information. Just put in your departure and arrival points (using AMS Schiphol Airport for departure as Dukey suggests), date and time of travel, etc.
