Had one too many drinks and missed the last train? Bracing yourself for a taxi journey that will eat up your monthly pay? No need! You can still travel around on night service transport in the Netherlands.
Night buses and trains are offered in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands — so don’t worry, you won’t be stranded anywhere!
Here is all you need to know about late-night (or early-morning) travel in the Netherlands.👇
When and where do night trains in the Netherlands run?
Night trains in the Netherlands run after the last ‘regular’ train leaves, usually around 1 AM. ⏰
They don’t run as regularly as normal trains, but about every hour or so, you can board a night train and be safely transported to your destination until the early morning hours.
| Location | Transport available |
|---|---|
| Randstad region | Every single night, hourly |
| Rotterdam via Den Haag Holland Spoor, Leiden Centraal, Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam Centraal to Utrecht Centraal | Every single night, hourly |
| Between Utrecht and Nijmegen/Arnhem | ‘Only’ one night train on Friday and Saturday nights, around 1 AM |
| From Utrecht to Amersfoort | Every Friday and Saturday and then you can take a connection from Utrecht to other major cities |
| From Randstad to the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen | There is a late train every Friday and Saturday night |
Other late trains include Amsterdam to Alkmaar, Utrecht to Eindhoven, Rotterdam to Eindhoven, Amsterdam to Haarlem, Utrecht to Rotterdam, Amsterdam to Amersfoort to Deventer, Schiphol to Zwolle, and Rotterdam to Zwolle via Utrecht and Amersfoort.
Night trains in Amsterdam
As this is the capital city, it’s important to ensure residents and visitors are not led astray. So, if you want to go to a major city or travel back to Amsterdam, you’re in luck.
A train runs hourly into the early hours of the morning, so you can always find your way back, no matter how long you are boogying into the night. 🕺
It’s important to note that these trains do take a little longer to reach your destination than normal, and high-speed trains don’t run at this time. Always check online before deciding to stay out.
Tip: I’ve done the early morning slog to Rotterdam Centraal many times and made it! It’s also the same price, and if you have a handy day card, it’s valid until 4 AM.
Are there sleeper trains?
There’s always enough room for a snooze, but most aren’t sleeper trains — just regular old trains.
READ MORE | We slept our way from Amsterdam to Berlin on the new European Sleeper train
You can, however, hop on the Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin line, which now also chugs on to Dresden in Germany and Prague in the Czech Republic.
Be warned, though: this is an international service, not NS!
This means you’ll be able to sleep during your journey and wake up in a completely different (more mountainous) country! ⛰️
Night buses in Amsterdam
Just after midnight (around 12:30 AM), the metros, trams, and regular buses stop running.
Need to get home? Don’t panic! 😱 From then until 7:30 AM, you can catch a night bus.
READ MORE | What your favourite Dutch mode of transport says about you
This means transport is available 24 hours a day! Normal conditions usually resume from around 6 AM on a weekday. These night buses operate 11 routes to Amsterdam Centraal Station via Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein.
How much do night buses cost?
Pricing is different than usual. A single ticket costs €5.70, is valid for 90 minutes, including any transfers, and can be purchased through the GVB app.
Many other options exist online or at your local GVB ticket office. For a hassle-free experience, you can use your bank card or mobile phone. 🙌
Have you ever taken night buses or night trains in the Netherlands before? Let us know your experiences in the comments!
Very useful