Scotland & the North to Amsterdam
A short cut from the North of England to Amsterdam, for onward trains to Germany & beyond! DFDS Seaways' overnight ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam is a floating hotel that makes the journey as enjoyable as the destination. The ferry sails overnight, a time-effective alternative to flying for a weekend away or a short break. You sleep in a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet after dinner in one of the restaurants on board or an evening in the nightclub. DFDS Seaways Commodore Deluxe cabins are a real treat!
Newcastle ► Amsterdam
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Step 1, take a train from your local station to Newcastle.
Aim to arrive in Newcastle before 14:15. You can leave Glasgow around 11:15, Edinburgh around 12:30 or Carlisle around 12:50.
Check train times as shown on the UK page or at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
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Step 2, transfer from Newcastle Central to North Shields Ferry Terminal.
DFDS transfer buses leave Newcastle central station for the North Shields ferry terminal at 14:45 & 15:45.
To find the bus stop, walk out of the main exit from Newcastle Central Station and turn immediately left, walking along the glazed station front until you reach the pedestrian crossing. Cross the main road (Neville Street), and you'll see a side street called Bewick Street right in front of you. Walk half way up the right hand side of Bewick Street until you reach the bus stop marked Bus 327 DFDS ferry terminal only.
The bus takes about 40 minutes, it's wheelchair accessible and has extra luggage space. You can add this transfer bus to your ferry booking.
Alternatively, a taxi from Newcastle station to the DFDS ferry terminal costs about £18, journey time 35 minutes.
You can also take the Tyne & Wear Metro to Percy Main station, from where the ferry is a 1.2 mile 24 minute walk, see walking map.
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Step 3, sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam with DFDS Seaways.
The ferry sails from North Shields Ferry Terminal at 17:00 every day, arriving at IJmuiden, 20 km from Amsterdam, at 09:45 next morning.
The luxurious DFDS Seaways ferry has bars, restaurants, cinema & cosy cabins all with en suite toilet & shower. The ships on this route are Princess Seaways & King Seaways. Both are excellent, although the King has Commodore Deluxe as well as Commodore & Seaways class cabins, and in my opinion is the nicer ship. Check sailing times at www.dfds.com.
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Step 4, transfer from IJmuiden ferry terminal to Amsterdam Centraal.
A transfer bus will be waiting at IJmuiden to take you to Amsterdam Centraal station, expect to arrive around 11:00. You can add this transfer bus to your ferry booking.
Alternatively, a taxi to Amsterdam will cost around €60, and if you want one you'll have to pre-book it as there aren't many in IJmuiden. Try calling ATC Taxis on 00 31 251314422 or Taxi Tervoort on 00 31 255 513838.
The nearest station to IJmuiden ferry terminal is Driehius, 5.9 km away, with trains to Amsterdam every 30 minutes, taking 32 minutes.
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For onward trains from Amsterdam to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland & so on, see the Trains from Amsterdam page.
Amsterdam ► Newcastle
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Step 1, transfer from Amsterdam Centraal to IJmuiden ferry terminal.
A DFDS transfer bus leaves Bus Platform G on the far (northern) side of Amsterdam Centraal station at 15:30 to connect with the ferry to Newcastle. You can add this transfer bus to your ferry booking, check bus details when you book.
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Step 2, sail from IJmuiden to Newcastle by DFDS Seaways overnight ferry.
The ferry sails from IJmuiden at 17:30 and arrives at Newcastle International Ferry Terminal at North Shields at 09:15 next morning.
The luxurious DFDS Seaways ferry has bars, restaurants, cinema & cosy cabins all with en suite toilet & shower. The ships on this route are Princess Seaways & King Seaways. Both are excellent, although the King has Commodore Deluxe as well as Commodore & Seaways class cabins, and in my opinion is the nicer ship. Check sailing times at www.dfds.com.
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Step 3, transfer from Newcastle ferry terminal to Newcastle station.
Shuttle buses will be waiting outside the ferry terminal when the ship arrives to take foot passengers to Newcastle central station, the journey takes about 40 minutes. The buses are wheelchair accessible with extra luggage space. You can add this transfer bus to your ferry booking.
Alternatively, a taxi from the DFDS ferry terminal to Newcastle station costs about £18, journey time 35 minutes.
You can also walk from the ferry terminal to Percy Main Tyne & Wear Metro station, 24 minutes, 1.2 miles, see walking map.
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Step 4, take a train from Newcastle to any station in Britain.
You can check train times as shown on the UK page or at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
How much does it cost?
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Newcastle to Amsterdam by ferry varies greatly by season & type of cabin, so see www.dfds.com to check prices for your date.
For two people, Newcastle to Amsterdam one-way sharing a 2-bed cabin with shower & toilet costs starts at as little as £43 per person.
For a solo traveller, Newcastle-Amsterdam one-way with sole occupancy of a 2-berth cabin with shower & toilet starts at around £85.
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The transfer bus from Newcastle station to North Shields ferry terminal costs £7, added to your ferry booking.
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The transfer bus from IJmuiden to Amsterdam Centraal costs £9, added to your ferry booking.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, book the ferry at www.dfds.com.
Remember to add the Newcastle station transfer bus and the IJmuiden to Amsterdam transfer bus to your booking.
Tip: These transfers are added on the Extras page, look for outbound transfer and return transfer.
You can also add dinner and/or breakfast to your booking if you like, with dinner in either the buffet or the à la carte restaurant.
It's ticketless, you simply bring your booking printout to the ferry terminal.
You can't add a pet if you're a foot passenger, to book with a pet call DFDS on 0871 522 9955. More about travel with pets.
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Step 2, book train tickets to Newcastle, online as shown on the UK page or at www.nationalrail.co.uk. Allow plenty of time for connections!
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Step 3, book onward trains from Amsterdam to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland & so on as shown on the Trains from Amsterdam page.
Route map
What's the ferry like?
DFDS Seaways Princess of Norway (now Princess Seaways) about to sail from Newcastle to Amsterdam. See the video.
Commodore class cabin on the Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.
Restaurant on the ferry. About as far from Ryanair as you can get.