If your next destination is Amsterdam you are probably wondering how to transfer from Schiphol airport to the city center or to your accommodation.
Let’s go here with some useful information and tell you about our experience from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam city center. Shall we start?
Indice:
Arrival at Schiphol airport
In our case we were starting this new adventure that would take us to Holland and Belgium. Our first destination: Amsterdam.
On a somewhat long trip, since we left from Montevideo, making a stopover in Buenos Aires, we wondered if it would be complicated to do immigration at Schiphol since our English is quite basic, that was our first doubt. After a long line we arrived at immigration, and for our luck everything was very short, we were treated very well, they were kind and welcomed us to the country. Now we were finally in Amsterdam, but …. we were missing the transfer. Search flight to Amsterdam
Transfer from Schiphol airport to Amsterdam city center
There are several ways to get from the airport to the city center. Schipol airport is located about 15 km from Amsterdam, it is one of the most important airports in Europe and one of the best connected.
First of all check in which area you have the accommodation in order to better plan your trip. ►BOOKACCOMMODATION IN AMSTERDAM
Basically we have these ways to get there: train, bus, shuttle, cab or Uber.
Train
This is the way we did it, so this is the first one I will detail for you.
It is a fast, efficient and cheap way to get to the center of Amsterdam (Central Station). There are two lines, one direct (Intercity Direct) and one with two stops (Sprinter). It takes about 20 minutes from the airport to the center, and leaves every 15 minutes during the day and until midnight, every 1 hour after midnight, but runs 24 hours a day. The cost is €5.70 (second class) + €1 for the card, do not forget to validate it before getting on and off as it serves you for an hour to make transfers.
As soon as you enter the airport you will find some yellow machines, where you can get your train ticket. They only accept coins (not tickets) and credit cards.
Once you access the screen, select: English language, destination: Amsterdam Centraal, single ticket, second class (because it is cheaper). For any questions or changes that have arisen since our trip, consult the official website.
Once you have your ticket, you will go down looking for the departure platform, remember to validate your ticket at the machines before boarding the train. You will find a lot of people waiting for the train, if you think it is too crowded let it go, another one will arrive in a few minutes.
Bus
The bus (Amsterdam Airport Express) line 397 during the day, or N97 at night, takes you to central areas such as Rijksmuseum with intermediate stops. It departs every 7/15 minutes (depending on the season) from bus platform B15-19. The cost of a single ticket is € 6.50 and you can buy it at the airport, directly from the driver. The duration of the trip is between 30 and 40 minutes.
You have other bus lines such as line 69 during the day or N369 during the night, of the GVB company, but it does not leave you so centrally (Sloterdijk), although you can combine it with the metro or bus to Central Station. Again, first of all check well in which area is your hotel.
Shuttle Schiphol/hotel
This transfer is in shared minibuses of eight seats, the cost is around €17 for the trip, and it is a good option if you are going with a lot of luggage or you are very tired. The time is difficult to estimate because it will depend on whether your hotel is the first one they go to or if it is for the last place.
Cab
This last option is generally the most expensive, lasting about 30 minutes and costing between €40 and €50.
Other options from Schiphol airport
Hiring a private transfer, although obviously more expensive, can be a very comfortable solution if you arrive very tired from your trip, or if you are not sure where your hotel is located.
Also if you are going to visit the towns near Amsterdam, another option is to rent a car at the airport.
What are you going to do in your days in Amsterdam, here are some options.
Don’t miss our post of top 10 things to do in Amsterdam
Arrival in Amsterdam Central and accommodation
In a few minutes we arrived at Amsterdam Central Station. As soon as you get out of the station you are amazed, the image of this charming city captivates you immediately.
Now we had a few more steps to the chosen hotel, located in the main square of the city, Dam Square.
We did the tour walking, because even though we were carrying our suitcases we wanted to start enjoying this city.
►To visit the city a tourist pass is a good idea. ►Discover Amsterdam with Go City
The hotel we chose was the Hotel Rho, very well located next to Dam Square and not as expensive as we found most central accommodations to be in the month of August.
We were ready to start our tour of the city.
EXTRAS : VIDEO AND MAP
NOTE: the information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links.
