Many roads lead to…Paris? 🇫🇷
Listen, if there are two cities competing for the title of the most beautiful metropolis in Europe it probably comes down to an epic battle between Paris and Amsterdam.
Luckily, we don’t have to pick sides and can enjoy Amsterdam’s wholesome gezelligheid and Paris’ majestic grandeur all in one weekend!
The French capital is just a stone’s throw away from Amsterdam and can be reached by train, bus, plane, or car. Here’s how. 👇
🚂 Getting the train from Amsterdam to Paris
Bridging the distance between the Dutch and French capital by train is probably the easiest, fastest, and most comfortable way to get from A to B (or P, in this case).
Thalys: the fastest train from the Netherlands to Paris
In part, the convenience of travelling by train is due to the popular French-Belgian railway operator Thalys can get you back and forth in a mere 3h20 minutes! No stop-overs, free wifi, and comfortable seats included.
The downside? If booked last minute, tickets can get seriously expensive. Prices can creep up to €150 should you get the urge to see the Eiffel Tower only a couple of days before departure.
However, you’re in luck! If you want to plan a romantic getaway to Paris for the summer right now, there are special deals that’ll get you tickets for a really decent price.
Currently, rates for August and July are between €30 to €40 per one-way ticket.
🛫 Departure: Station Amsterdam Centraal
🛬 Arrival: Paris Gare du Nord
⏰ Duration: 3h20
💶 Price: €30 to €150
Even more train connections from Amsterdam to Paris
Should the Thalys be sold out or prices are too high, you can always opt for a little detour over the Belgium capital Brussels. (You just need to make sure not to spend all the money on Belgium chocolates and waffles during your stop-over.)
The IC Brussels will bring you from Amsterdam to Brussels-Midi station (Bruxelles Midi) in about 2h50. You see, this will take longer than taking the Thalys, but prices range comfortably between €20 to a maximum of €50.
From there, you can take either a bus or another train to Paris. Flixbus provides a bus that runs for about 4 hours and can be booked for anything between €10 to €30.
There’s also the option to take a Thalys between Brussels-Midi and Paris that will have you munching on a French croissant in just 1h22. However, tickets from Belgium to France are quite expensive and you’ll have to relieve your wallet of sums in the €35 to €120 range.
🛫 Departure: Station Amsterdam Centraal
🛬 Arrival: Brussels-Midi to Gare du Nord (by train) or Gare Routière Bercy-Seine (by bus)
⏰ Duration: 4h to 8h
💶 Price: €35 to €170
Our conclusion: if you gotta take a train from Amsterdam to Paris, your best option is to take the direct connection with the Thalys.
And if there really is no space in the train carriage or your budget is running low, accept the extra time it will cost you and choose the IC Brussels and the additional bus journey from Brussels-Midi to Paris Bercy-Seine.
Top tip: Le Train Bleu
Now that we’re on the topic of trains, international train travelling has a romantic touch to it and nowhere do you find this nostalgic feeling more than at the mesmerising restaurant Le Train Bleu.
Right on top of Gare du Lyon, you’ll find this classy restaurant that’s made of the stuff your Parisian dreams are made of: high ceilings, spectacular paintings, chandeliers, top-notch service and, of course, some of the best food in Paris.
The breaded veal with mac and cheese (trust me, it’s done with taste) was delish and by any means order the lamb — they cut the lambchop right next to your table. Oh, another thing that turns your evening here into a Parisian night you’ll never forget? A singing waiter! While it might be campy sometimes, this place definitely gets away with it.
Any downsides? Sure. Le Train Bleu is popular and often fully booked, and it’s not a cheap eat either — but you’ve guessed that by now I reckon.
🚎 Taking the bus from Amsterdam to Paris
Travelling by bus is probably the cheapest and, at the same time, the most uncomfortable way to get from Amsterdam to Paris.
However, if you’re up for a little adventure or you’re on a tight budget — this might be the way to go.
There are two bus operators, in particular, you should keep an eye out for.
Flixbus: the most comfortable bus from Amsterdam to Paris
Flixbus runs buses between Amsterdam and Paris several times a day as well as during the night.
While one-way takes up to 6 to 9 hours because of frequent stops, rates are usually very cheap. Tickets for day rides cost between €18 to €40. Night rides are a bit more expensive and cost between €50 to €80.
On these rides, plugs, free wifi, and toilet stops are generally included.
🛫 Departure: Amsterdam Bijlmer Station, Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station
🛬 Arrival: Gare Routière Bercy-Seine
⏰ Duration: 6h to 9h
💶 Price: €18 to €80
BlaBlaCar bus: the cheapest bus from Amsterdam to Paris
Another bus operator is BlaBlaCar. (Yes, sounds funny, but we did not make it up.) The main difference to Flixbus is that they run bus rides at even cheaper prices — but also shittier (excuse our French, we, of course, mean…, less comfortable) service.
A one-way ticket from Amsterdam to Paris costs between €13 to €35. The same goes for night rides.
However, wifi and plugs are not always available on these rides! Make sure to read the journey details carefully before booking your cheap-for-a-reason ticket.
🛫 Departure: Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station, Amstel Station
🛬 Arrival: Gare Routière Bercy-Seine
⏰ Duration: 6h to 9h
💶 Price: €18 to €40
🚗 Driving the car from Amsterdam to Paris
Not willing to rely on anyone else’s driving abilities to get you to the city of lights and love? You can always take things into your own hands and drive there by car.
READ MORE ︳Buying a car in the Netherlands: 6 things to know
A car journey from Amsterdam to Paris takes about 6 hours if you don’t run into any traffic jams. Chances are, however, that you will. So, in reality you’re looking to drive for about 8 hours or more.
Even if you make it to the city without major interruptions, Paris’ road system is majorly overburdened. The autorink is always heavily congested and it will take you a while to get into the city.
Once you’ve made it inside, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. For one, you’re looking at a speed limit of 30 km/h to 50 km/h in all urban areas.
Secondly, where the heck do you park your car in Paris?
Parking in Paris
If you want to safely park your car in Paris you have two options: parking it on the street or parking it in an underground car park.
Either way, it’ll cost you — only 2,5% of all parking spaces in the city are free of charge. 🥲
Parking on the street in Paris
For street parking, Paris is divided in two tariff zones. If you’re looking for a parking spot in the 1st to the 11th arrondissement (district), you’ll pay €6/h. In the 12th to the 20th arrondissement, you’ll pay €4/h.
Wherever you park your car, parking on the street is limited to a two-hour maximum.
Good to know: Parking on the street in Paris is free every weekday from 9 PM to 8 PM and all of Sunday.
Parking in a Paris carpark
Just in case you don’t want to move your car around every two hours, you should opt for the many car parks scattered around the city.
This tool can help you find a carpark near you and also give an indication of the hourly rates. In general, you’re looking to pay anything between €4 to €7.
In some parking facilities, you can also request prices for longer-term parking if you want to stay for a week or even a month.
✈️ Taking the plane from Amsterdam to Paris
Last but not least, you can also head to Schiphol airport and see which plane will take you to Paris in less than 2 hours!
Obviously, we don’t recommend taking any short-distance flights if not absolutely necessary. Sure, it’s convenient but climate change is real and a healthy planet is worth accepting more than just a little discomfort. 🌎 (An 8-hour bus ride over a flooded Amsterdam anytime, please!)
Should you, however, still prefer to take the plane then here are the airlines that’ll take you from Amsterdam to Paris in no time.
Flying to Charles de Gaulle Airport
Two airlines are flying to the Charles de Gaulle Airport from Schiphol Airport: KLM and Air France.
Both operators price their flights on the higher end of the spectrum. A one-way ticket will cost around €50 to €150 depending on how far in advance you manage to book your flight.
On the upside, the journey takes a mere 1h15 to 1h30! But keep in mind that the check-in, passing the security check, boarding and the baggage drop-off will add at least an hour or two to the experience.
🛫 Departure: Schiphol airport
🛬 Arrival: Charles de Gaulle Airport
⏰ Duration: 1h15 to 1h30
💶 Price: €50 to €150
Flying to Paris-Orly Airport
You can also head for the airport Paris-Orly with Transavia airlines, which is a little cheaper than aiming for the more popular Charles de Gaulle airport.
Rates are between €45 to €70 and the trip also only takes a maximum of 1h30 from Schiphol airport.
🛫 Departure: Schiphol airport
🛬 Arrival: Paris-Orly airport
⏰ Duration: 1h15 to 1h30
💶 Price: €45 to €70
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These are the four main ways to get from Amsterdam to Paris. Whether it be by train, bus, car, or train — we hope you’ll have a picture of yourself munching on a buttery croissant in a romantic side-walk café in no time!
How are you planning to get from Amsterdam to Paris this summer? Tell us in the comments!