GoVolta launches €10 Amsterdam–Berlin and Amsterdam–Hamburg trains from March 2026. See routes, timetable, stops, prices and how to book cheap tickets.

What is GoVolta?

GoVolta is a new Dutch private railway company based in Breda that wants to become Europe’s low-cost, long-distance train operator – basically the “easyJet of rail”.

From March 2026, GoVolta will start running international day trains from Amsterdam to Berlin and Hamburg with tickets starting from €10 one-way.

The concept is simple:

• Low fares starting at €10 for early bookers
• Always a reserved seat included in every ticket
• Direct international routes with no need to change trains

€10 tickets: how the cheap Amsterdam–Berlin train works

GoVolta’s main selling point is price. On each train, the first batch of seats (around 100 per departure) starts at just €10 one-way. Outside the promo fares, the average ticket price is around €30, still cheaper than many standard rail tickets on the same routes.

There’s also an extra sweetener for early bookings: some outlets report that travellers who book before 15 December will never pay more than €35 for a one-way second-class ticket on the new routes.

Compared with typical Amsterdam–Berlin fares on Deutsche Bahn / NS ICE services – which often start from around €35–40 one-way and can be much higher close to departure – GoVolta is clearly targeting budget travellers and city-break tourists.

Launch dates and timetable

GoVolta will roll out its international routes in stages:

Amsterdam – Berlin

• Start date: 19 March 2026
• Initial frequency:
  – 3× per week – Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday
• Planned upgrade:
  – Daily service from summer 2026

Amsterdam – Hamburg

• Start date: 20 March 2026
• Initial frequency:
  – 3× per week – Monday, Wednesday, Friday
• Planned upgrade:
  – Also daily from summer 2026

Both routes are planned as same-day returns: trains leave Amsterdam early in the morning and return from Germany in the evening, making them suitable for weekend trips and short city breaks.

Route, stops and journey times

Amsterdam – Berlin route

The GoVolta Amsterdam–Berlin train is a direct daytime service. Planned stops include:

• Amsterdam Centraal
• Amersfoort
• Deventer
• Hengelo
• Bad Bentheim (border)
• Osnabrück
• Hannover
• Berlin (Gesundbrunnen station)

GoVolta’s trains are limited to 160 km/h, so the trip is slightly slower than the fastest ICE options. Indicative journey times are around 6 hours 30 minutes from Amsterdam to Berlin and roughly 7 hours 45 minutes on the return, depending on the timetable.

Amsterdam – Hamburg route

The Amsterdam–Hamburg service is particularly interesting because it will be the first ever direct daytime train between the two cities. Currently, passengers must change at least once in Germany.

Planned intermediate stops:

• Amsterdam Centraal
• Amersfoort
• Deventer
• Hengelo
• Bad Bentheim
• Bremen
• Hamburg (Harburg station)

While Hamburg Harburg and Berlin Gesundbrunnen are not the main central stations, they offer good onward S-Bahn and regional connections into the city centres.

What are the trains like?

GoVolta is not using shiny new high-speed units. Instead, the company is going for a classic locomotive-hauled setup with refurbished coaches – a proven, cheaper option that matches the low-cost model.

• Carriages: refurbished Belgian i10 coaches, bought from SNCB
• Locomotive: modern Siemens Vectron
• Top speed: 160 km/h (not high-speed)
• Classes:
  – Economy (standard)
  – Comfort (roomier seating, more space)
• Onboard services:
  – dining car offering snacks and drinks
  – No Wi-Fi planned at launch, according to current reports

The idea is to offer simple, comfortable, but not luxurious trains – exactly like a low-cost airline cabin, but with more legroom and the usual advantages of rail.

Luggage, seats and extras

Another key promise from GoVolta is: “always a seat”. Every ticket includes a seat reservation as standard, so there’s no risk of standing in the corridor on a long international trip.

However, like most low-cost models, there are some extras and surcharges:

• Included:
  – Your seat reservation
  – Two pieces of hand luggage
• Paid extras:
  – Larger suitcases and extra baggage come with a surcharge
  – Seat upgrades to Comfort class

The company explicitly positions itself as cheaper than NS International / Deutsche Bahn, but with a stricter luggage policy – similar to many budget airlines.

How cheap is GoVolta compared to other options?

On the Amsterdam–Berlin route, travellers currently have three main choices:

1. Deutsche Bahn / NS ICE day trains
2. European Sleeper night train (Brussels–Amsterdam–Berlin–Prague)
3. Flights between Amsterdam and Berlin

Typical advance fares on ICE start around €35–40 one-way in 2nd class and can go much higher closer to departure.

GoVolta’s pricing strategy looks like this:

• From €10 for the first ~100 tickets per train
• Average around €30 one-way
• Early-bird cap at €35 if booked before mid-December (for the launch promo)

That makes GoVolta:

• Cheaper than most flexible rail fares
• Often competitive with low-cost flights, especially once you add airport transfers and baggage fees
• More climate-friendly than flying, which is a big part of the company’s pitch

The trade-off: you accept slightly longer journey times and no onboard Wi-Fi, in exchange for a guaranteed seat and low prices.

Future plans: Amsterdam – Paris and more

GoVolta is not stopping with Germany. The startup has already announced plans to launch an Amsterdam – Paris route in December 2026, again as a low-cost daytime service.

Because these trains are limited to 160 km/h, the Paris journey will likely be almost twice as long as a Eurostar trip, but significantly cheaper.

Beyond Paris, GoVolta has mentioned potential future routes from Amsterdam to:

• Frankfurt
• Munich
• Copenhagen
• Basel
• Bruges

If these plans go ahead, GoVolta could become a serious player in the North-West European city-break market, connecting major cities with affordable, direct trains.

Who is GoVolta for?

GoVolta is clearly aimed at:

• Budget travellers and backpackers who are flexible with time but sensitive to price
• City-break fans who want easy weekend trips between Amsterdam, Berlin and Hamburg
• Climate-conscious travellers looking for a cheaper alternative to flying
• Students and digital nomads who don’t mind a slightly longer train ride if it saves money

With its low prices and straightforward offer – “Go further. Pay less.” – GoVolta could become a popular option for people who currently either fly or skip train travel because it’s too expensive.

How to book GoVolta tickets

• Sales channel: tickets are being sold via the official GoVolta website and booking platform.
• Booking horizon: tickets for the March 2026 launch are already gradually being made available, with the cheapest fares going first.

If you want the €10 Amsterdam–Berlin or Amsterdam–Hamburg tickets, you’ll need to:

1. Book early – the cheapest fares are limited per train.
2. Be flexible on travel dates and days of the week (mid-week tends to be cheapest).
3. Travel light if possible, to avoid luggage surcharges.