It’s the dream trip you’ve waited for all these months… a few days in Amsterdam, city of canals, cobbles, culture and more. Whether you’re here to ogle classic Rembrandts, Vermeers and van Goghs at the Rijksmuseum, to pay your respects at Ann Frank House, or simply to sample the famously, ahem, laid back café culture, you’ll want to get to the heart of the action fast. Chances are you’ll be arriving by plane, so we’ve put together a quick guide to the travel options that will get you from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to the city center in a heartbeat. Read on for the gen…
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in Brief
There’s only one international airport in Amsterdam which, if nothing else, should minimize the chances of getting lost, or of pitching up at the wrong city airport on your return leg. The name Schiphol is said to derive from the wetlands on which the airport now stands, where – as lore would have it – many ships were once lost (the literal English translation is ‘ship hole’), though there’s no actual evidence to support such wild claims. In any case, it’s pronounced (roughly) as ‘shipple’. You’ll likely get funny looks from Dutch cabbies if you ask them to drive you to ‘ship hole’.
The airport lies around 9km south-west of Amsterdam city center in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer and is one of the busiest on the planet, thanks to its convenient location for connecting flights in and out of Europe. After clearing passport control and grabbing your bags, you can reach the city center in under 20 minutes. How? Here’s how.
Amsterdam Airport to City by Public Transport
By Train
Arguably the very best way to get to Amsterdam from Schiphol Airport, the fast train can cost as little as €4.90 one way and will hurtle you straight into Amsterdam Centraal Station in 17 minutes or less. Make your way through Arrivals and down under the terminal to the station, where Sprinter and Intercity trains depart every 4-10 minutes between 5.30AM and midnight, with a smattering of services continuing through the wee small hours to boot.
Book tickets online in advance to nab that bargain sub-€5 price. You can then print your ticket or store it on your phone or in the NS travel app for convenience. Alternatively, a single use OV-chipkaart costs €5.90 from the ticket counters and machines on Schiphol Plaza, one floor above the station.
By Bus
Schiphol is also very well served by bus services though, peculiarly, you’ll have to shell out a little more than you would if you caught the train instead. It’s €6.50 for the 27-minute (traffic permitting) ride from Schiphol Plaza to Leidseplein aboard the Connexxion Amsterdam Airport Express Bus 397. Tickets can be purchased online, on the bus or at various ticket points throughout the terminal.
Top Tip
If you plan to use public transport a fair bit while you’re in town, an OV-Chipkaart is good for use on trams, buses, trains and the subway. Minimum top-up is €20, but you’ll save overall if you’re transport-hopping enough of the time. OV-Chipkaarts are available to buy online and at ticket offices and yellow vending machines in the airport.
Similarly, the Amsterdam Travel Ticket gives you unlimited use of Amsterdam’s public transport network, with 1-, 2- and 3-day passes available at €18, €24 and €30 respectively. It even includes the Connexxion Amsterdam Airport Express Bus 397. Buy yours online, at airport Connexion counters and from the Holland Tourist Desk at Schiphol Plaza.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to City by Private Transfer
Tickets schmickets. If you really can’t be bothered negotiating public transport or simply fancy gliding up to your holiday digs in style, perhaps a cab may be the travel option for you. Make a beeline for the Taxistandplaats (or plain taxi stand to you and me) just outside Schiphol Plaza. It’s well signposted and anyway you can’t really miss the lit taxi signs atop the city’s licensed cabs with their distinctive blue plates. Any cab without these, a company logo and a clearly displayed list of tariffs is likely an unlicensed scammer looking to fleece you for twice (or more) what you’ll pay for a taxi from the official stand. Avoid these dodgy dealers at all costs.
Chances are you’ll have to wait in line at peak times, but you should be able to pick up a cab at any time of night or day, reassuring if you’re arriving on the redeye.
Amsterdam Airport taxis are metered, but you can also agree a price with your driver before setting off. Note also that it isn’t essential to take the first cab in the line. If you have a preferred licensed company, just look for their logo and head to the first of their cars that you can see on the rank.
The cab ride can take anything from 15-40 minutes depending on what time of day you’re traveling and how busy the roads are.
Amsterdam Airport to City by Rental Vehicle
Hertz, Alamo, Enterprise, Sixt, Avis… you’ll find all the usual suspects and more at Schiphol. Prices are competitive due to the proliferation of options, and driving in and around Amsterdam is fairly straightforward and generally stress-free although, like anywhere, the streets and ring road around the city center tend to get somewhat congested at peak times.
Central Amsterdam is easy to navigate on foot (or by bike! Or by canal boat!) so a car is certainly far from essential. But if you want to get out of town while you’re here, having your own vehicle does give you the freedom to take day trips on your own timetable. Hit up the likes of medieval Utrecht, the windmills of Zaanse Schans, or Keukenhof’s 79 kaleidoscopic acres of vibrant Dutch blooms for the win.
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