The fastest and easiest connection from Aachen to Amsterdam is through Heerlen, a Dutch town quite close to Aachen. From Heerlen, there is a direct train connection to Amsterdam Centraal Station during the day.
From Aachen Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) to Heerlen, you can either take the Regional Express train, which goes once every hour, 45 minutes past the hour, or take Arriva bus 44, which leaves twice per hour during the day, at 21 and at 51 minutes past the hour. The train journey takes half an hour, the bus journey takes an hour.
From Heerlen to Amsterdam Centraal, the NS intercity train leaves twice per hour; at 19 and 49 minutes past the hour, this journey takes 2.5 hours. On saturday, the last direct train leaves at 16:49. After that, a change will have to be made in Sittard (or Maastricht).
The fastest connection is as follows:
- 08:45 - Departure Aachen Hauptbahnhof
RE train to Heerlen (5 stops) - 09:13 - Arrival Heerlen
- 09:19 - Departure Heerlen
NS intercity train to Amsterdam Centraal (8 stops) - 11:44 - Arrival Amsterdam Centraal
The same journey can be made every hour on saturday starting at departure time 6:45, up to departure time 15:45. On weekdays, the earliest departure time is 5:45, on sunday it is 8:45.
Tickets can be bought at the train stations, but also online. Note that they can be ordered no sooner than 180 days ahead.