Amsterdam Copenhagen Train: Times, Changes and Tickets

Most readers want the short version first. Here it is as a table, and each step below fills in one row.

Step 1: Count the hours on the Amsterdam to Copenhagen train

The best listed Amsterdam to Copenhagen train journey takes 10 hours 46 minutes, with two changes. The Copenhagen page of NS International gives that time and also says the trip takes around 12 hours, with changes in Osnabrück and Hamburg. It mentions no direct train and no night train for this route. So treat 11 to 12 hours as your working number.

Your day starts at Amsterdam Centraal. Our guide to Amsterdam public transport shows how to get there by tram, metro or bus. The station itself is covered in the Amsterdam Centraal train station guide.

Key Takeaway The Amsterdam to Copenhagen train needs two changes, Osnabrück and Hamburg, and the best listed time is 10 hours 46 minutes.

Step 2: Book the Amsterdam to Hamburg and Hamburg to Copenhagen legs

You can buy the whole trip from NS International, from €57 one way, or buy it in two parts. NS International says its tickets can be booked separately, which lets you build your own plan. The first part is Amsterdam to Hamburg, which takes 5 hours 15 minutes with one change and starts from €33 at NS International.

The second part is Hamburg to Copenhagen. Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) says trains run up to nine times a day from Hamburg via Odense to Copenhagen in 4¾ hours. Its super saver fare starts at EUR 28.99 on short routes such as Hamburg to Copenhagen. You can book up to six months ahead. NS International publishes no booking window for Copenhagen. It says only "Early booking = lowest prices" and offers 1st or 2nd class with different flexibility levels. At their starting prices of €33 and EUR 28.99, the two parts cost more than the €57 single ticket.

The super saver fare has a catch. These tickets are excluded from exchange and cancellation, apart from a free cancellation within 3 hours of buying online. So buy it only when your Amsterdam train is booked and your date is firm.

Pro Tip If you buy the Amsterdam to Hamburg and Hamburg to Copenhagen legs as two tickets, leave at least an hour in Hamburg, or sleep there and take the first morning train to Copenhagen.

Early booking gives the lowest prices, says NS International, and evening trains are often cheaper. The train is the wrong choice when time is short. A one-way ride uses most of a day, so a trip of two days or fewer in Copenhagen is better spent staying put.

A long train day goes faster when it has a clear stop in the middle.

Step 3: Compare other train routes from Amsterdam

Many trains from Amsterdam Centraal go to Germany without a change. NS International lists Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin with zero changes, while Prague, Zurich and Copenhagen need at least one. This table shows the fastest listed time and the lowest one-way fare on each NS International page.

Frankfurt is simple. NS International lists no change, arrival at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, and fares from €38, with lower prices for early booking. Munich is the one row where NS International disagrees with itself. Its Munich ticket page says you can ride from Amsterdam Central to Munich without changing trains in 6 hours 57 minutes. Its route page lists 7 hours 48 minutes with one change. Check the journey planner for your date to see which one you get. The Munich page also lists a direct Nightjet from Amsterdam Central, with seats from €35 to €165 and bunks from €55 to €230.

Night trains help on the longest routes. For Prague, NS International says the European Sleeper runs three times a week from Brussels via Amsterdam to Berlin, Dresden and Prague, and you board in the evening in the Netherlands. Seats start at €39 on that page. For Switzerland, NS International lists a Nightjet to Zurich from €40, and the Basel night train takes 10 hours 5 minutes from Amsterdam and arrives at 06:00. Neither page lists a night train to Copenhagen.

Going west instead? The same planning applies to the train from Amsterdam to London and the train from Amsterdam to Brussels.

Oslo is a different story. DFDS lists one passenger crossing from Amsterdam, which goes to Newcastle, and none to Oslo. Its page does not cover other operators, so check them before you rule out a ferry. No official page compares ferry and train times to Oslo. A DFDS route document does list a daily Copenhagen to Oslo ferry, leaving at 16:30 and arriving at 10:00 the next day. It covers April to December 2025 and calls itself preliminary, so check the booking portal for your date. That makes train to Copenhagen, then ferry, one way to reach Oslo. For Norway by land and sea, the sensible first step is the train to Copenhagen.

Step 4: Fill your last day in Amsterdam before the train

A day trip from Amsterdam can fill the day before a long ride. The Best Travel Destinations' count of GetYourGuide listings for Amsterdam in October 2026 found 42 day trips from Amsterdam, from €16.88 to €289.00. You can see them all under tours from Amsterdam.

Doing the trip yourself means planning your own transport between stops, while a tour bundles it. If you want the countryside, the Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken tour runs 6.5 to 8 hours, from €33 per person. It is rated 4.75 from 5,713 reviews on GetYourGuide and is run by Guides and Tours, who list free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. GetYourGuide lists no pickup and no group size. It meets at De Ruijterkade 153, includes the bus, a cheese tasting and the clog workshop, and does not include other food or drink. The bus is not suitable for wheelchair users.

If you want cities, the Rotterdam, Delft and The Hague tour lasts 9 hours, from €60 per person. It is rated 4.21 from 2,727 reviews and is run by Tours & Tickets, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. It meets at the Tours & Tickets shop at De Ruijterkade 34, inside Amsterdam Central Station, for groups of up to 80 people. It includes the bus, a guide, the Markthal visit and entry to the Royal Delft museum, but lunch and tips are extra. Check in at least 30 minutes before departure.

The Hague and Delft are easy to do without a tour. NS says The Hague takes about 49 minutes and Delft about an hour from Amsterdam Centraal, with 2026 single fares of €15.30 and €17.30. The tour adds Rotterdam, a guide and entry fees, but it is a full day.

For a short evening, the one-hour open-boat canal cruise costs from €18 per person and is rated 4.7 from 2,852 reviews. KINboat runs it, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. It lasts 1 hour on an electric boat with a live guide. Groups hold up to 35 people, or up to 20 on the private option. It has five meeting points, so pick yours when you book, and hotel pickup is not included. It is not suitable for wheelchair users. Drinks come with it only if you choose that option.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.