Say goodbye to strict Ryanair baggage rules and navigating those confusing low-cost flights flying within Europe:
Starting this upcoming winter, you’ll be able to travel between two of the Old Continent’s most iconic cities on a low-cost train with tickets starting from only $22, when historically, Eurostar fares have ranged between around $50 and $150.
Talk about a bargain.
Soon enough, you’ll be able to hop on a train in Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ picturesque capital, and cruise all the way down to Paris just in time for that romantic riverside dinner on the Seine… without spending an arm and a leg for the privilege.
Meet GoVolta: Ryanair, But Make It Rail
In case you’ve never heard of them, you’re not alone: GoVolta is a newly-launched Dutch low-cost, open-access train operator specifically designed to make European rail travel a lot cheaper.
If you’ve ever had to weigh up between spending $100+ to travel from one EU country to the next and $30 on that cheeky last-minute Ryanair deal, only to feel bad about your carbon footprint later, GoVolta is the answer to all your prayers.
It operates outside the traditional national rail companies, like the French SNCF and the Dutch NS, and it’s essentially positioning itself as the budget alternative to Eurostar.
Eurostar is the main operator running trains between Paris and Amsterdam, and unless you book them several months in advance, or you’re lucky enough to snatch a deal, you’re looking to spend around $100 on average one-way.
Yes, it’s fast, and yes, it’s comfortable, but no one has $200 to blow on train tickets when those are already two of the most expensive city breaks on the continent.
GoVolta promises not speed or Eurostar-level comfort, but rock-bottom affordability and greater accessibility:
Amsterdam To Paris For Only $22
Here’s everything you need to know about the new route:
Similarly to Eurostar, the new route will connect Amsterdam Centraal to Paris-Gare du Nord. The big difference? Unlike Eurostar, this isn’t a high-speed service.
The official start date is December 14, 2026, and tickets will start from just €19 (roughly $22) one-way.
That’s cheap enough to make you do a double take, but there’s one pretty big catch: Paris-bound trains leave Amsterdam Centraal just before 8:00 a.m., getting you into Paris-Gare du Nord before 3:00 p.m.
That’s 7h 08m door to door.
Heading the other way? The Amsterdam-bound train leaves Paris at around 4:00 p.m. and rolls into Amsterdam at roughly 11:30 p.m., making the return journey a slightly longer 7h40m.
So no, you’re not exactly replacing Eurostar if you’re in a rush. But if you’ve got the time and don’t fancy handing over €100+ for a three-hour train ride, €19 starts looking pretty damn tempting.
How Safe Are Paris And Amsterdam In 2026?
Wondering how safe Paris and Amsterdam are to visit right now?
Recent visitors have assigned an overall average of 87 out of 100 for Amsterdam on the Traveler Safety Index, with most complaints centered around pickpocketing, particularly in zones like Centraal Station and the Red Light District, and other petty theft:
As for Paris, the incidence of petty theft is on a somewhat similar level, though travelers seem to feel generally less safe than in Amsterdam, with an average of 81/100 on the Traveler Safety Index.
As someone who lives here, the main issues are street scammers trying to wrap friendship bracelets around your wrist at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, then charge you a fortune for it, or itinerant scam artists urging you to sign fake petitions, while their light-fingered sidekick slides a furtive hand into your back pocket.
Violent crime does occur on occasion, though that’s usually related to extreme forms of organized crime and religious extremism:
The Full Route
The full list of stops is as follows:
- Amsterdam Centraal, Netherlands
- Haarlem, Netherlands
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- The Hague, Netherlands
- Antwerp-Centraal, Belgium
- Ghent-Sint-Pieters, Belgium
- Arras, France
- Amiens / Longueau, France
- Paris Gare du Nord, France
With a basic ticket, two pieces of hand luggage are included.
They are sort of the Ryanair of the rails, but they’re actually being super generous with regard to baggage allowance.
If you do need to bring extra luggage, a large suitcase costs €15 extra (around $17.40).
The service will operate one round trip per day, year-round.
Check Entry Regulations For Europe In Advance
If you’re traveling to Europe as an American in the near future, you should keep in mind there are new entry rules and border regulations in place.
For those touching down in Europe from America, or in fact any non-EU country, you’ll be required to undergo new biometric border checks as part of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), including having your fingerprints and facial image recorded.
Starting in the last quarter of 2026, Americans will also be expected to obtain a pre-travel authorization, effectively an electronic travel authorization rather than a visa, if they wish to hop across the pond. This includes both France and the Netherlands.
The good part is, you don’t need to do the legwork yourself: just use the Entry Requirement Checker, and it will pull up the exact list of documents, requirements, and must-haves before you head to the airport, based on the rules in effect for your trip.
The Prettiest Little Stopover
The most interesting piece of news is that GoVolta has deliberately chosen to avoid routing it via Brussels, the usual major pit stop between Amsterdam and Paris.
According to the company, the Belgian capital is already well-connected to Amsterdam and Paris via existing Eurostar services. Instead, it’s postcard-ready Ghent, a small city of around 260,000 residents, that got picked up.
Ghent had no direct international rail connection to either the Netherlands or Paris, even though it’s one of the prettiest cities you could visit in Central Europe.
Ghent is an intact medieval city dotted with those typically Flemish brick buildings, stepped roofs and all, and criss-crossed by navigable canals.
The route will also mark the return of a direct international train connection from The Hague to both Antwerp and Paris, since Eurostar started favoring Rotterdam for connections.
The Hague is the Netherlands’ administrative hub, and a modern seaside city straddling the North Sea, known for its international institutions, world-class art, and charming historic center also lined with grand medieval buildings and picturesque waterways.
More On The Train Itself
These new GoVolta trains will consist of 11 cars in total:
- 9 Economy cars
- One Comfort car, featuring more spacious seats, extra legroom, and a quieter environment
- One dining car, particularly handy for the Paris → Amsterdam nighttime stretch
The total capacity is up to 840 passengers, and if you’ve ever ridden on the GoVolta service from Amsterdam to Berlin, you’ll be familiar with the 2+2 seat layout and the refurbished interiors.
For this December launch, GoVolta has also announced the development of a GoVolta Lounge area, where you’ll be able to order breakfast, lunch, or dinner onboard. We’re assuming that’s the newly added dining car.
Why Take The GoVolta Instead Of Eurostar
The strongest case here isn’t that GoVolta is necessarily better than Eurostar overall. It is simply a radically cheaper, and more relaxed alternative if time isn’t your priority.
If you’d rather avoid flying, it offers an easy city-center-to-city-center connection, while avoiding the usual security lines and airline baggage games.
The big selling point here is that it skips the customary Rotterdam–Antwerp–Brussels route, and opts instead for Ghent, possibly the prettiest little stopover you could ask for on your way from the Netherlands to France.
To sum it up, GoVolta is for travelers who’d rather save €100 or more on transportation, rather than shaving four hours off their journey… and while they’re at it, maybe breaking up the trip and discovering a fairytale town or two along the way.
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