ICE summer travel needs a seat

In summer, an electronic ticket from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf or Frankfurt may still be missing one step. NS International states that international ICE journeys from 26 June through 31 August 2026 require a seat reservation, a measure intended to manage peak-season crowding. The same page advertises Germany from €20 and Switzerland from €38, but Supersparpreis fixes the date, time and train and cannot be changed or cancelled. A second-class reservation is shown at €5.50. Families buying tickets separately or adding seats later should verify that every passenger is in the same carriage, rather than assuming a shared booking reference solved seating.

• The compulsory reservation period ends on 31 August.
• Amsterdam–Düsseldorf and Amsterdam–Cologne examples start at €20 in second class.
• The cheapest fare cannot be changed or refunded.
• Domestic ICE travel between Amsterdam and Arnhem has a separate supplement rule.

Hokimi field note：Choose an acceptable fixed train first and reserve the whole group together; do not sort only by price if plans may move. Information last checked on 10 August 2026：source 1。