Amsterdam Airport Train
All You Need To Know About Amsterdam Airport Trains
If you are flying into Amsterdam Airport for work or leisure in the Netherland’s capital city, you’ll have several transportation options available to get into Amsterdam. The modern airport, which handles more than 70 million passengers a year, provides the following transport methods: renting a car, taking a bus, riding on the train, hailing a taxi, or using a shared ride service.
The right method for getting from the airport will depend on your individual needs. Some methods of traveling such as public transportation are better for people on a budget, while others such as luxury taxis are ideal for anyone wanting to experience a first-class ride.
Taking a train from the airport to the center of Amsterdam provides a great mix of affordability with comfort and timing. It might not be the quickest option for getting into the city, but it’s less expensive than alternative transportation. You’ll be sharing the train with other travelers and therefore space might be limited for your luggage, but it’s still a perfectly good choice.
Details about the rail network available from Schiphol Airport
It’s easy to find the train station at the airport; after you have cleared passport control and collected your luggage, look for signs pointing you toward the railway or ask a member of the airport staff for directions to get there. The train station is underneath the airport terminal and you can access it either by taking an elevator or an escalator downstairs.
Trains are operated by the Netherlands-owned company NS, and the network from Schiphol Airport connects to many destinations in Amsterdam and elsewhere.
Thankfully, trains operate for most of the day and night so you should be able to find a service that works for your journey regardless of when your flight lands at the airport. Generally the trains run from 6am through to 1am the next day, departing every hour at other times.
How to get a train ticket from Schiphol Airport into Amsterdam
You can buy train tickets for the journey from the airport into the city center online in advance. Alternatively you are able to buy tickets for a one-way ride at the airport train station. The ticket machines at the airport are yellow in color and you can pay by credit card or with Euros.
Paying about €4.60 should cover the cost of a train ride to the central station in Amsterdam, although the price might be higher if your final destination is further from the airport. This is significantly less money than you can expect to spend if you were to rent a car or take a taxi to get into the city, so if you’re traveling on a budget then the train might be the ideal choice.
Top facts about traveling by train from the airport to the city
Once you have your train ticket — whether bought in advance or at the airport station — you should look for the signs to the train departures, which are one floor below the area where the ticket machines are located. You can take an elevator or escalator to get there.
One option that you can use is to buy an Amsterdam Travel Ticket, which gives you the ability to use almost all of the public transportation on offer in city such as trains and buses.
The average journey time from the airport to Amsterdam’s Central Station is between 14 and 17 minutes, which is generally quicker than taking a taxi, bus, rental car, or shared car.
You should always check with NS, the railway operator, ahead of your journey to see whether there is any planned maintenance work that could affect the timing of the trip into the city, particularly if you are planning to take a train after midnight or on a weekend service.
Luggage space can sometimes be limited on the train, and if you are traveling at a particularly busy time of day then you might struggle to find enough room for all of your bags. Consider booking flights that will allow you to use a train service at a quieter time of day.
One potential drawback of traveling by train is that you won’t arrive at your specific hotel or other final destination in Amsterdam. Instead, the train will drop you off at a station and then you’ll have to either walk, take a taxi, or ride public transportation to get there. That can be inconvenient for those travelers who prefer a direct route from the airport to their hotel.