Amsterdam to Copenhagen without a car

An international ICE train leaves Amsterdam Centraal and crosses straight into Germany, reaching Osnabrück and then Hamburg within about four hours. From Hamburg, a second train runs north through Flensburg into Denmark — the route that replaced the old car-ferry crossing at Rødby–Puttgarden — before a final train crosses the Great Belt fixed link and rolls into København H.

NS International, Deutsche Bahn and DSB all sell tickets for their own legs, and most journey planners (the DB Navigator app works well end to end) will string the whole trip together for you. An Interrail or Eurail pass covers all three operators if you're combining this with more of Europe.

Booking each leg separately a few weeks ahead usually beats a single through-fare: Deutsche Bahn's Sparpreis Europa and DSB's Orange fares can bring the total down to around 59€, while buying everything last-minute can easily double or triple that.

Seat reservations on the German and Danish legs are optional but cheap, and worth adding on a route this long. If you're travelling in July or August, book at least a few weeks out — this corridor gets busy with summer holidaymakers.

Hamburg sits almost exactly halfway — about four hours from Amsterdam, and another seven or so to Copenhagen — which makes it the natural place to break the journey. The harbour, the red-brick Speicherstadt warehouse district and the Elbphilharmonie concert hall are all an easy walk or ferry ride from the Hauptbahnhof.

The ride only turns properly scenic once you're past Hamburg and into Denmark: the line crosses the Great Belt fixed link between the islands of Funen and Zealand, with open water on both sides, and the last stretch into Copenhagen hugs the Baltic coast — especially striking in the low evening light.

Amsterdam Centraal sits on the edge of the canal ring, with trams, the metro and ferries fanning out from the front steps — driving into the centre is actively discouraged, and most hotels assume you'll arrive on foot or by bike anyway.

Copenhagen's Central Station is a ten-minute walk from Tivoli Gardens and the old town, and the city's flat streets, cycle lanes and metro make onward travel effortless without ever needing a car — many visitors rent a bike within the hour.