Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Guide
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is consistently voted one of the best airports in Europe. It is located just 17km south-west of Amsterdam, Netherlands And is a major hub for KLM-Air France and partner Delta. This is our guide for travellers using the airport... |
Getting to / from the centre of Amsterdam - The 2 cheapest ways to get to the city are by train or bus. There is a train station at the airport with platforms below ground. Tickets to Amsterdam Central station cost €3.80 one way (or €6.50 in first class). You can buy your tickets at the yellow and blue ticket machines - these take Euro coins, Dutch "PIN" cards or credit cards / Maestro - and have an English display option. You can also buy tickets at the sales desk which incurs a €0.50 surcharge (surcharge also in effect for paying at the machine with non-Dutch cards). If your ticket is dated then you don't need to validate it.
Make sure you get on a train that goes to "Amsterdam Centraal" and not "Amsterdam Zuid/WTC" and "Amsterdam RAI" which are stops on another line. The trip takes 15-20 minutes.
At Schiphol you can also take other Intercity services: one going to Utrecht, Den Bosch and Eindhoven; another going to The Hague and Rotterdam. There are also high-speed Thalys train which can take you to Antwerp, Brussels and Paris and FYRA trains which go to Antwerp and Brussels. A Deutsche Bahn service can take you to Berlin.
There are a couple of bus services that can get you to Leidseplein in the centre - Interliner 370 (cost €3.80 one-way) or bus 197.
Shuttle buses run by Connexxion to hotels cost €15 one-way and €24.50 return, while a taxi to the centre can set you back €40 - 50 and takes up to 45 minutes depending on traffic. There are also special shared taxi services run by the airport which can be good value if travelling alone.
The Airport
Schiphol has a shopping area called Schiphol Plaza in the public area of the airport. The departures side is effectively one terminal with a Schengen and non-Schengen section - this has the "See Buy Fly" shops selling the usual airport fare. Despite the tax free advertising, prices are not that cheap. There are a couple of small supermarkets in the station hall (Food Village and AH to Go) which are probably the cheapest places to buy various items. If you want to buy souvenirs / Dutch delicacies / flowers you are probably better off buying them in town.
There is an outside panorama terrace on the public side where you can watch the planes. From Departure Hall 1 you need to go upstairs - follow the signs.
If you are flying to one of the Schengen countries in Europe there are no passport controls. If you are connecting from a non-Schengen to a Schengen flight (or vice versa) you will need to go through a passport check. Passport controls do not normally take more than 10 minutes maximum. However when connecting at Amsterdam you should schedule in plenty of time - if you land on the (infamous) Polderbaan 18R/36L runway it can take you 15-20 minutes just to reach the arrival gate. You may then have to walk to the other end of the airport on top of any passport / security checks.
There is a membership scheme for European nationals called Privium which allows fast border passage via iris scans. The basic scheme costs €109 per year, Plus membership €159 per year with extra benefits - lounge access (see below), business class check-in on participating airlines and some further discounts.
There are a numerous restaurants / fast-food places / cafes / bars including an Irish pub on the departures side. There is a good variety of comfortable seating at Schiphol including many "lazy chairs" where you can lie down. Additional seating is found upstairs which is a much quieter area - this is where all the airport lounges are located. See: Amstedam Schiphol Airport Lounges
Other facilities
Showers - Free showers are available in the toilets near the BA lounge. You need to bring your own toiletries and towels (and a pair of flip flops is handy for hygiene). Alternatively go to the Mercure hotel where you can take a shower in a private cabin (with soap, shampoo and towel provided) for €12,50. Located upstairs (Top Level) in Departures Lounge 3.
Hotels - The departures side Mercure Hotel has 33 rooms - day rooms can be booked. The capsule style Yotel is located in Lounge 2 and can be booked in 4 hour blocks. Rooms are small (7 to 10 m^2).
There are 3 other hotels in the airport compound, walkable from the arrivals - the Hilton (a little tired), the Sheraton (comfortable but expensive) and the newer CitizenM (compact but good value, check out a CitizenM review). About 3km out there is the likes of Crowne Plaza, Novotel, Ibis, Radisson SAS - which are connected by shuttle buses (free for guests).
Rijksmuseum Schiphol - this is a small museum with regular exhibits of old paintings. Free entry, located on Holland boulevard between piers E and F. Open between 0700 and 2000.
XpresSpa - Spa offering pedicures, manicures, massages, foot reflexology. Departures Lounge 2 between 0700 and 2000.
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