Direct trains connect Amsterdam to Paris, to major Belgian cities like Brussels and Antwerp, and to German cities like Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin. The ticket machines directly sell tickets to nearby destinations in Belgium and Germany, for longer journeys you will need to consult the international ticket office at the west end of the Central Station. CityNightLine trains run directly from Amsterdam Central Station to Milan, Vienna, Copenhagen, Prague, Warsaw, Moscow, Munich, Innsbruck, and Zurich reservation compulsory.
Almost any place in the Netherlands can be reached within 3 hr of rail travel. To make more sense, day trips can be divided into those close to the city about 30 min by public transport and those further afield.
about one hour
Alkmaar - historic town with its cheese market
Delft - well-known for its typical blue and white ceramics
Den Bosch - typical city for the Southern Netherlands, goes crazy during carnival
Enkhuizen - interesting small town with the Zuiderzee Museum, that shows how people used to live with the persistent danger of the sea
Hoorn - historic port that played a large role in the history of the Dutch East India Company VOC
Kinderdijk - this authentic network of windmills shows the typical Dutch countryside at its best
Keukenhof - a seasonal attraction in the Spring, these enormous flower fields are popular among travellers
Rotterdam - has a history of rivalry with Amsterdam, and a completely different atmosphere with modern architecture
The Hague Den Haag - political heart of the country, Madurodam, and Scheveningen, the most popular beach of the country
Utrecht - historic town that has a less-ambitious canal system
about 30 minutes
Broek in Waterland - a 'picturesque' village and a tourist destination since the 19th century
Haarlem - the closest of the historic cities, just 15 minutes from Amsterdam center by train
Zuid-Kennemerland National Park - a unique national park made of dunes formed over the centuries
Monnickendam - a small 17th-century port town
Muiden - formerly a small port at the mouth of the Vecht river, it boasts the Muiderslot, the best-known castle of the country
Naarden - surrounded by a complete ring of 17th-century fortifications
Hilversum - wealthy town known for its magnificent town hall, also offers cycling tours through forests and the heath
Weesp - nearest small fortified town with a quiet historic center on the Vecht River, 14 minutes by train
Volendam - once a fishing village, it is now the most commercialised tourist destination in the Netherlands Edam and Marken are nearby and more authentic
Zaanse Schans - historic windmills, trademen workshops and open-air museum
Zandvoort - closest beach resort