How to connect from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport & other Airports nearby to the City Center
Amsterdam only has a single airport located in the Southern part of the city and its only 15 kms from the city center. This airport was known as Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Amsterdam only has this airport but it’s the largest and the most important in the Netherlands. This is where majority of international flights arrive.
Schiphol was a fairly large-sized airport and can be confusing if you’ve never been there. We recommend that you arrive way ahead of appointments to avoid last minute problems.
If you are going to be in the city for only a few days, try to only bring a handbag or a backpack to avoid waiting to check-in luggage or collecting luggage off the belts.
If you are traveling to Amsterdam you may also be interested in our post 3 DAYS IN AMSTERDAM!
How to Get from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport to the City Center:
Train
Traveling by train is the easiest and most comfortable way to get to Amsterdam. We chose this option when we were visiting the city as it seemed to be value for money and the commute-time was reasonable.
The train station was located in the underground part of the arrivals terminal. You could find signages to lead the way. We had no trouble finding it. Look for ‘Sprint’ trains.
You have to buy the tickets in the yellow-coloured-machines that you can find at the entrance of the station. Every single-way ticket cost us €4.30 (price 2019) and add €1 more for the paper-chip card. This card must be scanned at the checkpoints around the platform entrance and on the platforms themselves upon disembarking from the trains. Usually these tickets are valid for 24-hours.
The journey to the city was about 15-20 minutes and the train reaches Amsterdam Central Station (Amsterdam Centraal). Once here, and depending on where your accommodation is, you will have to decide if you wish to walk, or if you would like to take a tram-ride (GVB). Grey-coloured tram ticket-machines are located at the main entrance of the central station or you could also buy tickets on trams as they have a customer service counter towards the back of the ride.
Bus
The bus is another good option to get to the city but it takes longer than the train to have more stops. The journey is about 30 minutes. You can buy the ticket directly from the driver and the cost of the ticket is about €5.00 (price 2019).
During the day the bus lines that make the journey from the airport are 397 and 370, stopping at Leidseplein.
If you arrive at night you can take the Niteliner N97 and N30 also arriving in Leidseplein.
Other Options:
There are also shared car services or the conventional taxi but prices are higher. We didn’t use these services.
To know more information about transportation, prices and timetable CLICK HERE
Other Airports near Amsterdam
Lelystad Airport
Lelystad Airport is located at about 60km of Amsterdam.
To get to Amsterdam from this airport you have these options:
TRAIN
From the train station you can take a train that takes you to Amsterdam. The route is about 50 minutes, which is not bad because during the journey the train makes about 10 stops.
BUS
To get to Amsterdam from here you can use the Bus number 148. The route is about 45 minutes.
To know more information CLICK HERE
Rotterdam Airport
Rotterdam airport is located 70km from Amsterdam.
To get to Amsterdam you have these options:
TRAIN
Its always a better option since it’s more comfortable and the price is usually affordable. You can choose between Intercity Direct or Sprinter.
Intercity stops at Schiphol airport before going to Amsterdam and the journey takes about 45 minutes. The Sprinter is somewhat cheaper than the Intercity but the journey is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
BUS
The bus is the cheapest option, good for tighter budgets. The worst part is that buses leave from Sloterdijk Station, located on the outskirts of the city. So if you choose this option you will have to take another transport to get there. The journey by bus is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
To know more information CLICK HERE
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