Train vs. rental car: Amsterdam to Leipzig (cost, 2014, country)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I thought it was cheaper to use the train system than rent a car in Europe! I'm starting to plan a trip with my spouse to Europe. We are starting in Amsterdam and then traveling to Leipzig. I went to the Rail Europe website and was quoted 401 Euros (base price) for the two of us to take a train!! Seriously!?!?
Is this how much it costs just to get from Amsterdam to Leipzig?
I've been reading about the German Eurail pass once we get to Germany but how to get there from the Netherlands seems ridiculously expensive.
Flying would be about the same or a bit cheaper. The train is normaly expensive but if you search around you can find some specials. I found some websites offering 1 way starting at 39 Euro. Busses for 20. https://www.nsinternational.nl/en/germany/berlin-by-train
I've never heard of someone going from Amsterdam straight to Leipzig. Hell, I've never heard of the typical tourist going to Leipzig in general. It's a cool city, though.
200/person sounds like way too much. I don't know how much of a hurry you are in, but you can always take a train to some major city over the border like Dusseldorf or Kolln. From there you can then hop on one of their ridiculously cheap busses which usually always have wifi, and are very comfortable. That should save you a lot.
I don't know where you are looking for tickets, but I would guess booking from the Deutsche Bahn website (GER308 linked it) will be cheaper than booking through the Netherlands' system. That's just a guess though.
What are the specific days of your journey, if you happen to know them? The further in advance you know, the better when it comes to trains.
I actually just checked Meinfernbus, and they have busses that will get you from Amsterdam to Leipzig (albeit, 9 hours). I did a random search for busses leaving tomorrow, and the fare was 29 Euro. So. Yeah.
I've never heard of someone going from Amsterdam straight to Leipzig. Hell, I've never heard of the typical tourist going to Leipzig in general. It's a cool city, though.
200/person sounds like way too much. I don't know how much of a hurry you are in, but you can always take a train to some major city over the border like Dusseldorf or Kolln. From there you can then hop on one of their ridiculously cheap busses which usually always have wifi, and are very comfortable. That should save you a lot.
I don't know where you are looking for tickets, but I would guess booking from the Deutsche Bahn website (GER308 linked it) will be cheaper than booking through the Netherlands' system. That's just a guess though.
What are the specific days of your journey, if you happen to know them? The further in advance you know, the better when it comes to trains.
This is great information - thanks!
Well, I'm a musician and I'm wanting to hear some great orchestras. We're going to hear a concert at the Concertgebouw while we're in Amsterdam and travel to Leipzig to take in a concert by the Gewandhaus Orchestra. We are in no particular hurry to get to Leipzig. I was doing research about taking public transport from city to city. Here is where I got the 401 Euro quote: Europe Train Tickets & European Train Schedules from Rail Europe
I tried to imput at first dates in March 2015 but it couldn't process the request so I just chose next Tuesday to get an estimate.
I actually just checked Meinfernbus, and they have busses that will get you from Amsterdam to Leipzig (albeit, 9 hours). I did a random search for busses leaving tomorrow, and the fare was 29 Euro. So. Yeah.
That RailEurope fare sounds suspicious. Here's the fare I got for a random date next week from the Deutsche Bahn website: EUR 59 per person for a 7.5 hour ride and one change of trains. I would pay the extra 30 euros per person to avoid taking the bus, but that's just me. I haven't taken the Flixbus - maybe it's more comfy than what I am envisioning. I definitely would not drive that long of a distance. BTW, the reason you can't plug in March 2015 is because the schedules and fares change annually, usually in Oct-Nov.
Flying would be about the same or a bit cheaper. The train is normaly expensive but if you search around you can find some specials. I found some websites offering 1 way starting at 39 Euro. Busses for 20. https://www.nsinternational.nl/en/germany/berlin-by-train
That RailEurope fare sounds suspicious. Here's the fare I got for a random date next week from the Deutsche Bahn website: EUR 59 per person for a 7.5 hour ride and one change of trains. I would pay the extra 30 euros per person to avoid taking the bus, but that's just me. I haven't taken the Flixbus - maybe it's more comfy than what I am envisioning. I definitely would not drive that long of a distance. BTW, the reason you can't plug in March 2015 is because the schedules and fares change annually, usually in Oct-Nov.
That RailEurope fare sounds suspicious. Here's the fare I got for a random date next week from the Deutsche Bahn website: EUR 59 per person for a 7.5 hour ride and one change of trains. I would pay the extra 30 euros per person to avoid taking the bus, but that's just me. I haven't taken the Flixbus - maybe it's more comfy than what I am envisioning. I definitely would not drive that long of a distance. BTW, the reason you can't plug in March 2015 is because the schedules and fares change annually, usually in Oct-Nov.
I genuinely believe that the busses are as comfortable as the trains. All the trains (2nd class) I've been on in Europe have actually kind have been a disappointment from what I've envisioned. That's including using the ICE in Germany once. Most daytime intercity cars are set up barely any more comfortably than a typical modern metro car. I guess if you had a sleeper or something, it would be a different story.
I think you're from Canada, arcticgardener, and these are no Greyhound. This is what the typical interior of a bus would look like, such as Meinfernbus or Flixbus:
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
