Amsterdam Airport

Getting to and from Amsterdam Airport

During our travel planning, we always research a lot about the best way to get to and from a city, mainly because we like to stay in the center or close to the main attractions. Depending on where you are in Europe, the train is the best option to get to Amsterdam and the big advantage is that it already drops you off at the Amsterdam Centraal Station that gives you access to the main points of the city. However, for a matter of time, we ended up choosing to arrive in Amsterdam by plane and the question arose: how did we get to the center of Amsterdam in a quick, cheap and quiet way? It was much easier than we thought and you can see below the options for getting to and from Amsterdam Airport and which one we chose.

Amsterdam Airport: Schiphol Airport

Amsterdam Airport was founded in 1916 as a military airbase, but today it is the main international airport in the Netherlands and the 4th largest number of passengers in Europe. It is located in Schiphol at a distance of 9km from the center of Amsterdam:

When disembarking at Amsterdam Airport, you will have a few options to get to the city center and it is worth evaluating and deciding which is the best depending on your style of travel. The options are taxi, train, bus, and transfer (shuttle).

• Taxi: this is the most comfortable option since the taxi drops you off at the hotel door, but it is also the most expensive. The journey time from Amsterdam Airport to the city center is about 30 minutes and will cost 40 to 50 euros. It can be a good option if you have a lot of luggage or if you are in more than 2 people to dilute the value of the race.
• Train: great advantage of Amsterdam Airport is that it is connected to the train station. Near the disembarkation, you will find the yellow machines to buy the ticket to your destination (Amsterdam or another city in the Netherlands), but the machines we found in this area only accepted coins or cards. As we only had notes, we went to the ticket counter to buy our ticket. The ticket price for Amsterdam Centraal Station was 5.10 euros, the trip takes about 20 minutes and the train company that operates in the Netherlands is NS. There are trains that make the direct route (without stops) and others that make some stops, but all very quickly. The blue signs on the platforms show the main stations that the train will pass through and you can check the route using the maps available on the platforms.

Amsterdam Airport – Train Tickets

• Bus: Bus 197 ( Conexxion company ) leaves the airport and goes to the Museumplein / Leidseplein region. If you are staying in this region, it may be a good option. The trip takes about 30 minutes and the ticket costs 5 euros.
• Transfer: Conexxion also has a choice of vans or transportation via a request that takes you to and from the airport. The ticket costs about 17 euros only one way to the center (the amount will depend on the region you are staying in) or 27 euros if you book a return trip. The website for consultation is the Airport Hotel Shuttle.

What is the Best Option for Arriving and Leaving Amsterdam Airport?

The best option to get to and from Amsterdam Airport depends on your travel style, amount of luggage, number of people traveling, region you will be staying in and how much you are willing to spend. It is worth evaluating all the options above and sees which is the most suitable for your style of travel.

In particular, we think the best option is to go by train. We stayed at The Albus Hotel which is located at Vijzelstraat 49 at a distance of 2.4 km from Amsterdam Centraal Station. So, it was very worthwhile to take the train to Amsterdam Centraal Station and from there take a tram (tram) that left us at the hotel’s postage. You can get very close to most hotels in the center of Amsterdam by tram and this is a great option for most travelers. Of course, if you are in a very large family or if you are carrying very heavy bags, it is also worth considering the transfer options or even taxis. For those in the Museumplein / Leidseplein region, it is also worth considering the option of taking the 197 bus.