Leaving Amsterdam, hopping on a train, and going to Brussels isn’t that difficult at all. Brussels is 209 km away from the Dutch capital and it is a perfect destination for a getaway. While in Amsterdam tourists may enjoy the canals, the Van Gogh Museum and the Dutch fries, in Brussels travelers will love to taste its beers, appreciate its historical buildings, see The Atomium and The Grand Place.
Amsterdam Centraal Station
Being the main station of the capital city, the Amsterdam Central Station is responsible for connecting the city. The station is often used as a meeting point for tours and it is also where the main Tourist Office is located. The station operates trains to other small and main cities around Amsterdam. The station doesn’t offer free wi-fi but it is available in the restaurants.
How is the journey?
There are two options to go to Brussels by train: high-speed trains or intercity ones. The high-speed train is operated by Thalys and the trip takes 1h54. The InterCity trains take 2h43. There are about 16 high-speed trains leaving daily from Amsterdam to Brussels. The first train leaves the Amsterdam Central Station at 06h17 and the last one at 21h22.
Amsterdam Central Station
Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid - train station
Distance: 209km
Travel Time: 1 hour and 54 minutes
Train information
Thalys operates the high-speed trains to Brussels and its trains have three classes of travel available: Standard, Comfort, and Premium. All classes have individual seats and power outlets.
Standard and Comfort tickets also offer the Thalys WelcomeBar with hot and cold drinks and a variety of snacks.
Premium tickets give access to NS International lounges in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam and Thalys lounges in Brussels. During the trip, it is provided multilingual newspapers and magazines at the coach entrance and full meal options with seasonal ingredients.
The ticket prices are between €25 – €95 for the one-way trip. It is advisable to buy the tickets as early as possible to get better deals. Tickets are available for booking up to three months in advance.
The regional trains to Brussels have a stopover in Rotterdam and seat reservation isn’t required. The ticket prices are cheaper than high-speed ones and travelers have the opportunity to stop along the way, for instance, in Antwerp in Belgium.
Brussels Train Station
Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid is served by Thalys, Eurostar, TGV Brussels-France, ICE and InterCity trains among its six international platforms. The station offers free wi-fi, toilets, baggage storage, shops, and bars. From there, travelers may get to their accommodation by tram, metro or buses. If they prefer to walk, it’s a 21-minute walk from Brussels Midi station to the Grande Place in the city center.
Arriving in Brussels
After the 2-hour journey, the traveler is ready to enjoy the days in the Belgian capital. Getting around the city is easy and tourists won’t have any difficulties to understand the public transport system that runs from 6 am until midnight during weekdays and has night buses on the weekends operating twice hourly from midnight until 3 am.
