Amsterdam to Wien / Vienna by train

There are few scenic highlights on this trip, though you'll be travelling beside a canal between Amsterdam and Utrecht; it can be seen on the left when travelling in this direction.

But what makes this journey fascinating is the multiple towns that the train will pass through, there is an interest contrast between the Dutch and German cityscapes

What gives the journey the wow factor is when the train travels on Germany's fastest high speed line
between Seigburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Flughafen.
Though the train will only be travelling at more than 280 km/h for around 50 mins of this journey; between Amsterdam and Seigburg/Bonn the train won't be travelling exceptionally fast.

The train will also reverse direction on departure from Koln Hbf station.

This is a journey of nine distinct phases:

1. Between Frankfurt (Main) and Aschaffenburg the railway passes through a string of commuter towns.

2. Then east of Aschaffenburg, is a scenic and slow part of the trip as the railway follows a series of valleys.

3. As the River Main comes into view on the right, the train will speed up before bridging the river and entering a tunnel which will link it to the high speed line.

4. The train will spend around 10-15 mins on the high speed line as it nears Wurzburg, just before the station look out on the right for a brief panorama over the river and city.
   Because the train will spend such a small percentage of the journey on the high speed line, this hasn't been classed as a high speed trip

5. On to Nurnberg the train will be on conventional railway tracks.

6. Between Nurnberg and Regensburg the train travels across a rolling landscape of hills.

7. Between Regensburg and Passau the railway line is beside the River Danube, which can be seen on the left.

8. The highlight of the journey comes to the south of Passau, between there and the Austrian border, the railway line is by the banks of the River Inn, but on this part of the journey the river is over to the right.

9. Between Wels and Vienna the train will race across the Austrian countryside either side of Linz, this railway isn't a high speed route, but it has been straightened so that trains can travel at around 200 km/h

This is nearly always a stress-free journey, which showcases the best aspects of European international train travel.
The stations at both ends of the route have ideal city centre locations and the ICE 3 trains definitely have a wow factor!

Though what's a tad odd about this journey is that you'll be on board a train that's in the Top 5 on a 'fastest trains in Europe' list, but there's no high speed railway line between Amsterdam and Cologne.

So this route isn't particularly fast and it isn't going to wow scenery fans, but there's still lots to see as the train passes through numerous towns and cities.
And if you sit on the left, you'll see a typical Dutch canal between Amsterdam and Utrecht; so you can sit back and watch the boats go by.