The Final Leg: Cologne to Amsterdam
After navigating the tight timelines of Salzburg (8 minutes!), the chaos of Munich, and the scenic detour across the Rhine Valley, the final leg of our odyssey felt like a well-deserved victory lap. Leaving Köln Hauptbahnhof (Cologne Hbf) meant stepping onto the easiest stretch of our entire journey: the three-hour dash across Western Germany and into the Netherlands.
Our entire trip was enabled by digital planning, with all train tickets provided electronically to my inbox. However, a major lesson learned on this trip was the importance of redundancy: I printed every ticket, station map, and hotel confirmation and carried them in a single physical binder. This ensured that if my phone battery died or connectivity failed, our ability to navigate a twelve-minute transfer in Munich would not be compromised.
By the time we boarded our final train, the familiar high-speed Intercity-Express (ICE), we were well-versed in finding the correct carriage and locating our seats. The atmosphere was completely different from the long hauls; passengers were mostly business commuters or travelers making a head start on the weekend. Instead of studying station maps or worrying about frantic transfers, we simply settled into our seats to enjoy the flat, green landscape blur past.
The transformation from German industrial heartland to Dutch countryside was gradual but unmistakable. The rolling hills and forests near Cologne gave way to increasingly flat terrain. Chimneys and factory complexes dotted the horizon near Duisburg, remnants of the Ruhr Valley's industrial past. The journey across the Dutch border was smooth and unremarkable—a testament to the seamless travel experiences inside the Schengen Zone. As we crossed into the Netherlands, the landscape opened up completely—an endless expanse of green polders crisscrossed by canals and punctuated by windmills. The sky seemed to expand, no longer hemmed in by hills or mountains. This was the legendary Dutch flatness stretching to the horizon and, from the train window, it felt both vast and intimate at once.
When the conductor announced "Arnhem" in Dutch, it hit me: we were in our final country. The odyssey that had seemed so ambitious in the planning phase—four countries, multiple train types, impossible connections—was nearly complete. There was a bittersweet quality to it.
Somewhere between Arnhem and Utrecht, as the autumn light slanted through the train windows, I found myself mentally retracing our route. Just seven days earlier, we'd been nervous first-timers boarding the Frecciarossa in Milan. Now we were seasoned rail travelers, instinctively knowing which carriage to board, how to read platform displays, and exactly how much time we truly needed for a connection. The anxiety of those 8-minute and 12-minute transfers felt like a distant memory, replaced by a quiet confidence. Mauricio caught my eye and raised his glass in a toast. We'd done it.
Pulling into Amsterdam Centraal Station (CS) felt like more than just another stop—it was a homecoming of sorts. This was where we'd begun seven days earlier, bleary-eyed from our overnight flight, catching our connection to Milan. Now, as the ICE glided to a stop, we gathered our bags with practiced efficiency. The inside of the station was a blend of classic arches and columns with modern shops and restaurants—over 200,000 daily passengers flow through its halls. But this time, we weren't rushing to catch another train. We could simply walk through those grand Neo-Renaissance arches at our own pace, the circuit complete. When we emerged from the station's doors into the crisp Amsterdam air, we were pleased to see our hotel standing just across the canal. We had traversed four countries and logged hundreds of miles by rail, navigated impossible connections, and earned every one of those scenic Rhine Valley castles. Our odyssey was complete—but we'd carry the rhythm of the rails with us for days to come. But arriving didn't mean stopping—we still had two final days to explore Amsterdam before the long flight home to Seattle, a chance to process the journey on foot rather than rails.
Image by Siggy Nowak from Pixabay
Arrival in Amsterdam: The Park Plaza
We walked across the plaza to our hotel, the Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam. The hotel is another beautiful example of Neo-Renaissance architecture. It was designed by German architect J.F. Henkenhaf, who envisioned a hotel that would match the grandeur of the soon-to-be-completed train station. I would argue it does. The hotel features a Corner Pavilion design to make the building look monumental and anchor it physically to the street intersection. This was Henkenhaf's way of envisioning a hotel grand enough to compete visually with the massive train station across the street. Emphasizing the height and strength of the building, the façade is adorned with pilasters framing an array of windows: round, rectangular and arched. Sitting on opposite sides of the canal, the train station and hotel are a stunning pair, symbolic of an age when grand railways and grand hotels were built as powerful symbols of a city's place in the world.
Up elevators and down winding hallways, we found our wonderfully comfortable base for the final days. The corner room's interior featured a classic, elegant design with high ceilings and large windows offering views of the city center and train station. After the close quarters of the trains, the spaciousness of the room felt like a true luxury before our long flight home. The proximity to Amsterdam Centraal Station (CS) was unbeatable, allowing us to easily navigate from the rail platform with no complicated transit necessary.
Of course, I can hardly talk about the hotel and not mention the most curious feature. Blocks of houses were cleared for the construction, save two. Two residents refused to sell. In what must have been stubborn frustration, Henkenhaf just built around them in order to meet his deadline. A famous book, Publieke Werken, was written about the tale and it was later made into a movie. If you are in Amsterdam, make sure you walk by the hotel (if you don't stay there), and take note of the two little houses sandwiched into the imposing hotel.
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| Image courtesy Wikimedia |
Two Final Days in Amsterdam
Those last two days in Amsterdam were filled with culture, relaxation and family time. We took many long walks through the city's historic center, making sure to be very aware of bicycles, and visited the street market on Albert Cuypstraat, where you can find anything from clothing to antiques to food. This was the first time I had the idea to purchase a cheap bag to bring all of our souvenirs home, a recommendation in my post I Only Travel with a Carry-On: 5 Reasons Why. We picked one up at the market for €15.
We also had some amazing meals with Mauricio's brother and his wife that you can read about on our original blog ReviewSteak. We all took a scenic boat ride on the canals, a highly recommended excursion for a cool fall day. The rocking of the boat and the view from the large windows felt like a familiar sensation after days on the rails. From inside the relative warmth of the boat we got to take in the unique Dutch architecture: the tall and tightly stacked houses standing sentinel over the many canals, the rounded domes of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, and of course, the somber Anne Frank House where she took refuge from the Nazis. For a quiet dose of culture, we visited the Vincent Van Gogh Museum. Afterwards, as we walked past the nearby Rijksmuseum, we were lucky enough to witness an impromptu orchestra performance on the plaza. It was the perfect, reflective, and slightly magical end to our intense 10-day trip. We simply caught the tram back to our hotel, the circle truly closed.
The Final Tally: Did the Strategy Work?
Our Inaugural European Rail Odyssey was a resounding success, proving that complex, multi-country trips are manageable on a strict timeline and budget, provided the planning is meticulous. This entire adventure was built on two core strategic choices.
Key Takeaways from the Odyssey
- Point-to-Point Tickets: This strategy saved us over €100 per person compared to a rail pass and, more importantly, guaranteed our seats on every vital connection.
- Relentless Planning: Studying station maps ahead of time was the single reason we successfully navigated high-pressure, low-time transfers in Salzburg (8 min) and Munich (12 min) without a single delay.
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In total, we spent ten unforgettable days traveling through Austria, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, completing four major rail legs, navigating three international borders, and achieving our dream of cross-continental rail travel. |
Odyssey Complete: What's Next?
This trip confirmed my belief that slow, sustainable rail travel is the most rewarding way to experience Europe, and it was the first of many grand rail adventures we plan to share. I hope this five-part series helps you plan your own custom route with confidence.
→ Start Here: If you missed the start, go back and read (Part 1) The Planning Blueprint to learn how to choose the cheapest flights and master the ticket strategy.
→ Explore the Destinations: Now that you've seen the journey, explore Vienna: Our Imperial Itinerary for the historical, musical, and dining highlights of this imperial city we briefly visited in Part 3!
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