Related Content
Content
Wien / Vienna to Amsterdam by train
How to take the rail journey from Vienna/Wien to Amsterdam
The only direct train from the Austrian capital to the Dutch capital is the overnight Nightjet service.
Despite the length of this route it's also possible to make this journey by day, connecting between ICE trains in Frankfurt (Main).
Share
Routes
Option 1: travelling through the night on a direct train
Journey Summary
13hrs 44min
Nightly
Travel Information
Final Destination: Amsterdam
The train also calls at: Arnhem (07:51), connect for Nijmegen; and Utrecht (09:29), connect for Rotterdam and Den Haag
The train is usually scheduled to depart Wien Hbf at 20:11 and will typically arrive in Amsterdam Centraal at 09:59; though due to the length of the journey this service is susceptible to having its timings extended due to works on the line, hence the arrival time being up to 30 mins later on certain dates.
1 x train per night
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Vienna/Wien at 20:12 so target that time when looking up this journey.
Online bookings open:
6 months ahead of the travel date on OBB
3 months ahead of the travel date on DB Bahn
The choice of accommodation - summary:
- Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
- Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
- Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
- Deluxe sleeping cars with showers (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
Click the train guide below for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:
The first price you will see on the OBB ticketing site will be for the compartment seats.
Travelling with a rail pass:
Rail pass users must reserve before boarding this train and you can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).
Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence the step-by-step guide.
If you'd rather not do so, rail pass reservations can be arranged and paid for at the ÖBB Reisebüro desk in Wien Hbf; ideally do this when you first arrive at Wien Hbf on the preceding train on your itinerary.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| OBB | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
On departure from Wien Hbf the coaches heading to Amsterdam will be joined to another train heading to Hamburg, so if you see 'Hamburg' on the departure screens, then the info will also be for this train.
On Tues/Thurs and Sunday evenings it will in effect be three trains in one, as another part of the train will be heading to Bruxelles.
Don't be concerned about joining the wrong part of the train, your reservations will be in the part of the train that will be heading to Amsterdam.
And the train conductor will greet passengers travelling in the sleeping cabins.
Option 2: travel by day, connecting between ICE trains
Journey Summary
11hr 14min
Daily
Travel Information
Connecting in: Frankfurt (Main) hbf
Train 1, final destination: Essen Hbf (usually)
Train 2, final destination: Amsterdam CS
Look up a journey by day from Wien/Vienna to Amsterdam and you will see multiple options for making this epic, but straightforward journey.
This option has been singled out for three reasons, other than speed and price.
- Frankfurt (Main) hbf is an exceptionally easy station in which to make connection
- You won't be making a connection into the final train of the day from Frankfurt (Main) to Amsterdam, so there will be contingency in the event of a delay.
- The transfer time between trains will be around 50 mins, so there's scope for a delay to the train from Wien/Vienna to not impact on making the connection; and if the train is on schedule you'll have time to have something to eat/drink in Frankfurt (Main) hbf etc, but won't be kicking your heels at the station for too long.
This info is for the daily optimum connection, but other combinations of trains will be available, so if they're particularly cheaper they're obviously worth considering.
Though if you will be travelling with a rail pass then these are the trains to target.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Bookings typically open: 6 months ahead of the travel date,
The end-to-end journey covering both trains can be booked with OBB and you can also avoid booking fees.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| OBB | from 84.90 |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Journey description:
From Wien/Vienna until Wels the train will travel at up to 230 km/h (close to the high speed threshold) on the main Western Railway which crosses Austria.
On departure from Wells the train will head towards the border with Germany and to the south of Passau, the railway takes a charming route on the east bank of The River Inn, which can be seen on left.
Then between Passau and Regensburg the River Danube is on the right.
Between Regensburg and Nurnberg the train rushes across a delightful rolling landscape and then until Wurzburg the train remains on the conventional railway.
On departure from Wurzburg comes a part of the journey with a wow factor, the train will be on the high speed line for less than 15 minutes, but there are some nice views as the train crosses some long viaducts; in particular look out for when the train will burst out of a tunnel and then immediately cross the River Main.
Between this river bridge and Aschaffenburg comes another scenic part of the trip when the railway winds through some valleys.
As the train will spend less than 3% of its journey on the high speed line, it didn't see right to put this journey in the high speed (partial) category.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Journey description:
There are few scenic highlights on this trip, though if you'll be reaching journey's end before dusk, on the right the railway line is beside a canal for the part of the journey between Utrecht and Amsterdam
What gives the journey the wow factor is when the train travels at more than 280 km/h on Germany's fastest high speed line between Frankfurt Flughafen and Seigburg/Bonn.
The video was taking on a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives a sense of what a thrill this train ride can be; this is a journey when it's especially obvious that you're travelling on a high speed train!
Though this high speed part of the journey only takes 40 mins, so for the majority of this trip, the train won't be travelling exceptionally fast.
The train which typically departs Frankfurt at 16:28 will reverse direction on departure from Koln
Please support ShowMeTheJourney
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.
This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.
