Prague to Amsterdam by train or plane: a long day or a short flight

Amsterdam looks close on a map of Europe and rather less so once you start pricing tickets. It is roughly 700 km as the crow flies and a good deal further on the rails, across a Germany that offers plenty of chances to change trains and plenty of reasons to wish you had flown.

There is still a case for the train, and a better one for splitting it.

By plane

A direct flight is the quick way and, for most people, the obvious one. Which airlines fly it changes by season, so run a flight search for your dates. Then count the whole trip: transfer to Prague airport, check-in time, the flight, passport control at Schiphol and the ride into town. Our guides to the Prague airport terminals and getting from the airport to the centre cover your end.

The Dutch end is easy. Schiphol has a railway station beneath the terminal, with trains to Amsterdam Centraal; check the NS planner for current frequency. The one real catch is baggage: low-cost airlines charge for cabin and hold bags in ways that change, so work out the full fare before comparing it with a train.

By train

The train is long and needs planning. There is no through service you can count on, so you build the trip from two or three pieces. The usual plan is Prague to Berlin (around four hours, see our Berlin by train guide), then a long-distance train on to the Netherlands. Direct Berlin to Amsterdam trains have run on this corridor, and NS and Deutsche Bahn publish the timetables. The alternative is via Nuremberg and Frankfurt or Cologne, where connections to Amsterdam are frequent. Expect most of a day and leave slack at each change.

Buy the legs as one booking if you can, because a through ticket usually protects your connection when a train is late; read the conditions first. Separate tickets may leave you buying a new fare for the second leg.

The train does not win on speed. It wins because you cross Germany in daylight, arrive in the middle of Amsterdam and skip the airport queues. A table and a window beat a middle seat, at least until hour eight.

Break the trip

With a weekend, don't try the train in one go. Take a morning train to Berlin, stay the night, then continue next day. You get two cities, and neither day is exhausting. Cologne is another good stop: it sits on the main route into the Netherlands, with its cathedral beside the station. Heading north instead? See Prague to Hamburg by train.

Short of time, fly one way and take the train back. Plenty of people end up preferring that mix.

Work out the real price

Compare door-to-door cost, not headline fares. For the plane, add the airport transfer in Prague, any bag fee and the rail ticket from Schiphol. For the train, add seat reservations where required and a hotel night if you break the journey. A cheap flight with a paid bag and two transfers can land close to an early-booked train ticket. Price both for your dates.

Timing matters as well. An early train from Prague gets you to Amsterdam in the evening, which wastes a day but saves a hotel night. A midday flight gives you an afternoon.

The bus

Coach operators run long-distance services to Amsterdam. They are slow, often overnight, and mainly a way to save money, so they suit patient people on tight budgets. Check the stops at each end, since coaches often stop outside the very centre, and decide whether the saving covers the lost sleep.

Once you arrive

The Netherlands is in the Schengen Area and uses the euro. Cards are normal, and Amsterdam's trams, metro and buses share a ticket system you can pay for by card or app. Cyclists are numerous and fast: look both ways at every cycle lane, then look again.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to go from Prague to Amsterdam by train?

Most of a day, usually with a change in Germany. Check the planner for your date.

Is there a direct train from Prague to Amsterdam?

Not as a through service we can rely on. Build the trip via Berlin or another German hub and check the timetable.

Is it quicker to fly?

In the air, yes. Airport transfers narrow the gap, but the plane is still faster for most people.

What currency does the Netherlands use?

The euro. Cards and contactless are widely accepted.

If you are not in a hurry, take the train and break it in Berlin.