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Still think Ryanair or easyJet are your best friends when it comes to exploring Europe on the cheap? Wait until you hear about this alternative that is generally rightly mentioned the easyJet of the railways:
GoVolta is a Dutch train startup that just launched across the continent, and they’re coming up with not one, but two absolute bangers.
You can now book train travel from just $21.92 (or the equivalent in euros), traveling between Amsterdam and Berlin, and Amsterdam and Hamburg – those are three European cities. What about a fourth?
There is one third route that will be launched later this year from Amsterdam to yet another major capital that tourists simply cannot stay away from.
Stick to the end to find out which one.
From Paris to Berlin or Hamburg for less than a meal at the table
From March 19, 2026, the new GoVolta trains will run 3 times a week from Amsterdam to both Hamburg and Berlin, two of the most sought-after city trips in Germany.
Amsterdam itself is one of the most postcard-like destinations on the Old Continent, with its winding canals lined with skinny brick buildings and towering church domes. An increase in visitor numbers is expected, especially this season, due to the Tulip Festival.
Hamburg is the rougher, perhaps sharper cousin of Amsterdam:
It is also crossed by canals and is a bustling port city with a rich industrial and maritime heritage. The Speicherstadt, a historic warehouse district, and Kontorhausviertel, an office district known for its sharp-angled buildings and undulating facades, are two underrated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
As for Berlinit hardly needs an introduction: quirky art galleries, laid-back beer gardens overlooking lush parklands and a stunning mix of 20th-century modernism and contemporary atmosphere. The city is buzzing with fun 24 hours a day.
What about the train routes and frequency?
Route information
Amsterdam → Berlin
Launch date: March 19, 2026
Stops:
- Amsterdam Central
- Amersfoort
- Deventer
- Hengelo
- Bad Bentheim
- Osnabrück
- Berlin Gesundbrunnen (first terminal)*
*In summer the terminal can be moved to Berlin Spandau, closer to the city center. Berlin Hauptbahnhof is not served.
Travel time: 7+ hours (day shift)
Frequency at launch: 3 times a week (Tues, Thurs, Sunday)
Summer 2026 and beyond: daily departures scheduled
Amsterdam → Hamburg
- Launch date: March 20, 2026
Stops:
- Amsterdam Central
- Amersfoort
- Deventer
- Hengelo
- Bad Bentheim
- Bremen
- Hamburg
Frequency at launch: 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri)
Summer 2026 and beyond: daily
Economy tickets start from €19 (about $22) for a single trip if you book early, although the typical price is around €30 ($34).
Through GoVolta you can also book city trip packages, including train tickets and hotels at your destination.
What about the fourth city?
If you’ve been wondering what the fourth surprise city is, how is a weekend away in the? City of Lights next winter sound for you?
As a resident of Paris, I find it even more romantic in the colder months, when the early morning mist rolls into the Luxembourg Gardens, making it look almost ethereal, and old lamps illuminate the cobbled roads around Montmartre.
You can also book later in the year ultra-affordable train tickets from Amsterdam to the baguette capital of the world.
That said, you should keep that in mind GoVolta trains are much slower than the average Eurostar. It reaches a top speed of 160 km/h, while the flagship train for Central Europe reaches a speed of 300 km/h.
In practice, the journey to Paris will take twice as long as the Eurostar, but with such low ticket prices we’re not really in a hurry to get anywhere.
Why choose the train at all?
Train travel is more popular than ever on the Old Continent, and as much as environmentalists like to take credit for that, travelers aren’t even necessarily committed to going completely green.
Have you seen it? how chaotic really European airports get summer? From the winding security lines to the confusing baggage rules and the long delays, disruption is almost certainly a given, especially if you rely on budget airlines to get from A to B.
For example, this Paris airport is a lot cheaper to fly into because Ryanair is there, but it is a whopping 50 miles outside the city center, there are no trains available and bus routes are limited. Yes.
By train it’s normal way simpler and much more convenient, not to mention that it can be almost just as quickly like going to heaven. We know this sounds quite counterintuitive, but how many hours do you actually spend commuting to and from airports and waiting for your flight to take off?
Let’s say you leave home 3 to 4 hours earlieryou’re sitting in an airport lounge for two hours munching on an overpriced sandwich meal combo, your flight is delayed about 45 minutes, and upon landing you still have about an hour to get from the Arrivals Hall to the city center.
That’s 6 hours. How long does a train ride from Amsterdam Central to Berlin take? 7 hours-ish?
The difference is: you gain weight right at your destination, usually within walking distance of your hotel, or a short subway ride. No more navigating confusing airport shuttle options or paying exorbitant taxi fares.
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