Beste reizigers, you read that right! Beginning in March, rail startup GoVolta will offer direct connections from Amsterdam to Berlin and Hamburg that are actually affordable.
Tickets start at just €10 for a one-way ride, with the average price of about €30, according to Het Parool.
The low-cost train operator from the Netherlands also plans to launch a daily Amsterdam-Paris service in a year.
In a press release, co-founder Maarten Bastian points out that many travellers want to take the train, but are terrified of the NS and Eurostar’s erratic prices.
“With GoVolta, we’re going to make it incredibly simple: affordable tickets and a guaranteed seat,” he says. We like the sound of that.
Ok, when are they running?
Pack your best Berghain outfit. From March 19, 2026, trains to Berlin will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Meanwhile, Hamburg-bound departures will be scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
But that’s not all, by the time summer arrives, GoVolta plans to offer a daily service to Berlin and Hamburg.
Each train has 11 carriages, accommodating a total of 820 seats, a lounge car, free seat reservations (no more sitting on the floor), and space for two pieces of carry-on luggage.
GoVolta has also informed the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) of its expansion plans from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, Munich, Copenhagen, Bruges, and even Basel.
Is this the RyanAir of the rails (but better)?
Given the rise of budget airlines in Europe, it is no surprise that more and more people opt for flights rather than trains to reach nearby cities.
However, in the press release, co-founder Hessel Winkelman says that if price, convenience, and reliability are assured, people will switch to train travel.
According to the startup, travelling to Berlin may cost €300 return with current providers in the Netherlands. Finding a cheap train ticket is like finding a needle in a haystack.
GoVolta wants the option to travel by train to become as “obvious” as booking a cheap flight.
Although the new operator will compete with ICE on the Berlin route, the direct connection from Amsterdam to Hamburg is bound to shake up the international rail market.
The Amsterdam-Hamburg route is also a first, giving the Germans a much-needed break from delayed DB transfers in Osnabrück.
Are you tempted now to go to Berlin? Do you think GoVolta will live up to the prices it has promised?
