The plane is faster door to door. Fastest train 6h50 (Amsterdam Centraal → Berlin Hbf (European Sleeper uses Berlin Gesundbrunnen during Oct-Nov 2026 works)), ~4 direct day trains/day. Checked 2026-11-01.
The comparison
| Fastest train | 6h50Amsterdam Centraal → Berlin Hbf (European Sleeper uses Berlin Gesundbrunnen during Oct-Nov 2026 works) |
|---|---|
| Trains | ~4 direct day trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average 4.4/day incl. sleeper); European Sleeper 3 nights/week each wayNS International / DB InterCity, European Sleeper |
| Flight | ~1h30 AMS-BER (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; KLM and easyJet fly nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time. |
| Door to door | The plane is faster door to door |
Honest verdict: by day the plane is faster (pickthetrain.com door-to-door model (its own assumptions: 1h30 airport check-in/security, 20 min to exit, typical-for-distance flight time, public-transport access estimates): plane faster by 2h55). The overnight European Sleeper (Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague, Brussels departures Mon/Wed/Fri, returns Tue/Thu/Sun; e.g. Amsterdam 21:35 → Berlin 05:18) is the rail case: it replaces a hotel night.
Questions
Is the train faster than flying from Amsterdam to Berlin?
The plane is faster door to door. The fastest train takes 6h50 city centre to city centre; the flight is ~1h30 AMS-BER (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; KLM and easyJet fly nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time..
How often do trains run from Amsterdam to Berlin?
~4 direct day trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average 4.4/day incl. sleeper); European Sleeper 3 nights/week each way
Sources: pickthetrain.com, europeansleeper.eu, b-europe.com, europeansleeper.eu
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