Berlin

The direct Intercity connects Amsterdam via Amersfoort and Deventer to Berlin every two hours. In roughly six hours you journey smoothly from downtown to downtown with generous legroom, power outlets, and an onboard bistro. Main departure and boarding stations for the Intercity Berlijn / ICE include:

• Deventer (4h 12m, direct)
• Amsterdam Central (5h 30m, direct)
• Liège-Guillemins (5h 30m, 1 transfer)
• Brussels-South (Midi) (6h 10m, 1 transfer)

With Deutsche Bahn's Sparpreis Europa fares, one-way tickets start from €29.90. Booking 3 to 6 months ahead saves about 76% compared to walk-up fares (which peak around €125.00). Road-based alternatives include Flixbus or FlixTrain from the German border.

You arrive at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, situated directly along the River Spree and the government district. From the platforms, the BVG S-Bahn & U-Bahn connects swiftly to Alexanderplatz and Friedrichshain, with share bikes from Nextbike / Jelbi stationed outside.

The drive to Berlin takes approximately 7h 44m along the Autobahn (~688 km). While the Autobahn is toll-free (no route tolls (toll-free on the German Autobahn)), budget around €87 for fuel (assuming 6.5 L/100 km, or ~€52 for EV charging (19 kWh/100 km)) plus parking (€24 per day in the city center (or ~€8 per day at a peripheral P+R)). For a weekend trip (round-trip fuel, any tolls, and 48 hours of central parking), total driving costs amount to ~€222 (~€152 for an electric car). The city center is governed by German Umweltplakette (green sticker mandatory in the Umweltzone, €100 fine). Fast chargers along the route are listed on this map.