Amsterdam to Zürich / Zurich by train

How to travel by train from Amsterdam to Zurich

There aren't any direct trains between Amsterdam and Zurich, so the simplest of the many options available is what SMTJ has singled out here, as it involves only making one straightforward connection.

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Routes

From Amsterdam Centraal / Amsterdam CS to Zürich HB / Zurich main station

Travel Information

Look up the Amsterdam to Zurich train journey and you will see a multitude of options, but this daily opportunity to make the connection at Basel SBB station is by far the most stress-free.

If the ICE from Amsterdam does arrive in Basel too late to make the advertised connection, then tickets can be used on the next train on to Zurich/Zeurich, irrespective of which train it is.

Be wary of booking the (much) cheaper options that you will see on DB Bahn, which involve making connections between trains at Koln/Cologne; those connections can be particularly tightly timed.

**1 x optimum connection per day

Change trains in: Basel**

Tickets

Book in advance and save: YES

Online bookings usually open: 6 months ahead of the travel date

Look for the connection that departs from Amsterdam at around 08:02.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
DB Bahn *

DB Bahn Guide

DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.

It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.

A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany.

Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets.

NS Intl *

NS Intl Guide

NS is the Dutch national rail operator and it operates a bespoke website for the booking of international rail journeys from and to The Netherlands.
Therefore it offers tickets for journeys by:

  • Thalys trains to Bruxelles and Paris
  • IC trains to Berlin via Hannover and Bruxelles via Antwerpen
  • Eurostar to London
  • ICE trains to Basel and Frankfurt (Main) via Koln
  • the Nightjet trains to Austria and Germany

NS International also sells tickets to a range of destinations in Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Italy and Switzerland, which involve a change of train in Germany, along with the destinations in France, which can be accessed by making a connection in Bruxelles.

Journey Features

Scenic - NoHigh Speed (total journey)

Good to Know

Final Destination: Basel SBB

Also calls at: Utrecht Central; Arnhem

Final Destination: Basel SBB

Also calls at: Utrecht Central; Arnhem; Mannheim; Karlsruhe; Freiburg; Offenburg

Take the train to Basel Bad Bf if you are heading to Basel city centre.
Remain on the train (and book tickets to) Basel SBB if you will be connecting into trains to other destinations in Switzerland.

The journey is high speed between Seigburg/Bonn - Frankfurt Airport and between Karlsruhe and Offenburg.

Good to Know

Final Destination: Zurich or Chur

The DAYTIME train service between Basel and Zurich is unusual because along with the Swiss IC trains, OTHER international trains share this route.
Those international trains tend to be incorporated into the regular timetable, so an ICE or Lyria train takes the place of the usual Swiss IC train

What's also unusual is that it doesn't particularly matter what of these trains you travel by, the ticketing terms and conditions are generally the same; reservations aren't compulsory on the Lyria services when travelling between Basel and Zurich.

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