Amsterdam Airport To City Centre Guide For International Travellers

A local’s guide to getting from Schiphol without the stress.

Written by Alexandra, Founder of Who Is Amsterdam

The first thing I always tell people flying into Amsterdam for the first time: don’t overthink it.

Schiphol is one of the best-connected airports in Europe. The city centre is 15 minutes away by train. That train station is literally underneath the arrivals hall. You tap your contactless card, you get on, you’re done.

And yet, every week I hear from visitors who spent forty-five minutes in a queue for an unofficial taxi, or paid three times what they needed to, or stood confused in Schiphol Plaza trying to work out if they needed to buy a special ticket or download an app.

You don’t. This guide covers everything you actually need to know about getting from Amsterdam Airport to the city centre, the fastest option, the cheapest option, when a taxi is genuinely worth it, and the mistakes worth avoiding before you even leave the terminal.

Quick Answer: What’s the Best Way to Get to Amsterdam City Centre?

For most people, the answer is the same: take the train.

The Amsterdam Airport train to Amsterdam Centraal takes about 15 to 20 minutes, runs several times an hour around the clock, costs around €5 to €6 for a single, and you can pay with the same contactless bank card you used to buy your coffee at the airport. No app. No ticket machine queue. No decision-making required.

That said, there are situations where a taxi makes more sense. And one bus route worth knowing about if you’re not heading to Centraal. More on all of this below.

Taking the Train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal

The Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal train is the option I’d recommend to almost every visitor, and the one most locals use whenever they’re heading into the city from the airport.

How to find the train station

This trips people up more than anything else. Schiphol Airport has its own railway station built directly underneath Schiphol Plaza, which is the main terminal building. 

When you come through arrivals, follow the signs for Trains or NS/Nederlandse Spoorwegen and take the escalators or lift down one level. You’ll be at the platforms in under five minutes from the arrivals hall.

You do not need to exit the terminal, take a shuttle, or go to a separate building. It is genuinely that straightforward.

How to pay: OVpay contactless

The easiest way to pay for the train is OVpay, the Dutch public transport contactless payment system. Tap your Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card, or your phone wallet (Apple Pay or Google Pay), on the yellow card reader at the gate when you enter and again when you exit at Centraal. 

The correct fare is calculated automatically and charged directly to your card. No top-up, no balance, no separate ticket to buy.

The one rule worth remembering: each person needs to tap their own card or device. You cannot tap a single card for multiple travellers.

If you’d rather buy a physical ticket, the yellow NS machines in the station accept cards and cash, though a single-use paper ticket carries a small surcharge on top of the standard fare.

Journey time, frequency and cost

• Journey time: approximately 15 to 20 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal.
• Frequency: several direct trains per hour during the day. The route runs 24 hours, with night trains running hourly through the small hours.
• Cost: approximately €5 to €6 for a second-class single via OVpay. First class is around 1.7 times the standard fare.

What to expect on the train

The trains are clean, reliable, and almost always on time. Second class is perfectly comfortable. Luggage goes in the overhead racks or on the floor by your seat. The journey is short enough that it barely matters where you sit.

During morning and evening rush hours on weekdays, trains can be busy. If you’re travelling with large bags, aim for off-peak hours or board at the front or back of the train where there’s typically more space.

Taxi, Uber and Private Transfers from Schiphol

A Schiphol taxi costs significantly more than the train, typically €40 to €60 for a single journey to central Amsterdam, more with heavy traffic, late-night surcharges, or multiple stops. The journey takes around 20 to 30 minutes in normal traffic and can stretch to 45 minutes or longer during rush hour.

That said, there are genuinely good reasons to take one.

When a taxi is actually worth it

• Travelling as a group of three or four, where splitting the fare makes the cost comparable to multiple train tickets.
• Arriving with heavy or oversized luggage that makes a crowded train impractical.
• Staying somewhere outside easy reach of Amsterdam Centraal, where a taxi delivers you door to door.
• Arriving very late at night and wanting a direct, no-transfer option.
• Travelling with young children or reduced mobility, where the simplicity of a taxi is worth the extra cost.

How to get an official taxi and avoid unofficial ones

This is the one thing worth paying attention to at Schiphol. Unofficial taxi drivers approach passengers inside the terminal, in the baggage hall, and near the exits. They are not licensed, do not use meters, and consistently overcharge visitors. Ignore them entirely.

Official taxis have blue licence plates and are found at the marshalled taxi rank on the ground level outside Schiphol Plaza, follow the Taxi signs from arrivals. Every legitimate Amsterdam taxi uses a meter and will display a TTO licence card on the dashboard.

1. Uber

Uber operates at Schiphol. Pickup is from a designated ride-hailing area rather than the official taxi rank, and the app will direct you to the right spot. Prices are broadly comparable to a metered taxi at around €40 to €60 to the centre, and can surge higher at peak times. The advantage over a street taxi is knowing the price in advance.

2. Pre-booked private transfers

Various companies offer pre-booked private and shared shuttle transfers from Schiphol. A shared transfer costs less per person than a private car; a private transfer runs similar to or higher than a metered taxi. Worth considering for large groups or if you want to arrange everything before you arrive.

3. Airport Bus Options

For most visitors, the bus is not the first choice over the train. But there is one route worth knowing about.

4. Connexxion bus 397 – Amsterdam Airport Express

Bus 397 connects Schiphol directly with the Museumplein and Leidseplein area in the south of central Amsterdam, rather than going to Centraal. 

If your hotel is near the Rijksmuseum, Vondelpark, or Leidseplein, this bus drops you closer to your destination without a transfer from Centraal. The journey takes around 30 minutes and costs slightly more than the train.

If you’re heading to Amsterdam Centraal or anywhere well-connected to it by tram or metro, the train is faster and easier. But if you’re staying in the museum quarter, bus 397 is the more direct option.

5. Night buses

GVB night buses connect Schiphol with central Amsterdam during the late-night hours when some daytime services are reduced. Night trains also run hourly throughout the night, so there’s no window where you’re stranded at Schiphol regardless of when you land.

Which Transport Option Is Right for You?

Fastest to Centraal: Train. 15 to 20 minutes, no traffic, no detours.

Cheapest: Train. Around €5 to €6 versus €40 to €60 for a taxi.

• Easiest for first-time visitors: Train. Tap your card, get on, get off at Centraal. That’s it.
• Best for families with young children: Taxi or private transfer. The simplicity and door-to-door convenience is worth paying for.
• Best with heavy luggage: Taxi if you have a lot of bags, train if you can manage. The luggage space on the train is fine for most travellers.
• Best for late-night arrivals: Train (hourly night trains run all night) or taxi if you want door-to-door at 3am.
• Best for the museum quarter / Leidseplein: Bus 397, which drops you closer without a transfer.

Local Tips Before Leaving Schiphol

Exchange Currencies

You don’t need to exchange currency at the airport. The train, taxis, and virtually every shop and restaurant in Amsterdam accept contactless payment. Skip the exchange desk and the fees that come with it.

Schiphol Plaza and Supermarket

Schiphol Plaza, the main terminal area above the train station, has a supermarket (AH to go), cafés, and a pharmacy. If you need anything before heading into the city, it’s easier to pick it up here than to navigate a Dutch supermarket after a long flight.

Arriving During Morning Rush

If you’re arriving during morning rush hour on a weekday, 7am to 9am, the train into the city will be busy. If you can wait 30 minutes for the rush to thin, the journey is noticeably more comfortable.

Luggage Storage at Amsterdam Central

Amsterdam Centraal has luggage storage (staffed and lockers) if you arrive before your hotel check-in. Useful if you want to head straight into the city without dragging everything with you.

OVPay System

The OVpay system also works on Amsterdam’s trams, buses and metro, so the same contactless card that gets you from Schiphol to Centraal will work for everything else during your stay.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Accepting a ride from anyone who approaches you inside the terminal. They are not licensed, not metered, and will charge what they like. The official taxi rank is outside.
• Forgetting to tap out on the train. OVpay charges the maximum fare if you don’t tap out at your destination. It takes two seconds and saves a headache.
• Assuming the train only runs during the day. Night trains run hourly all night. You are not stuck at the airport regardless of when you land.
• Paying the paper ticket surcharge when you don’t need to. If you have a contactless bank card or phone wallet, OVpay is simpler and cheaper.
• Getting in a taxi in peak traffic expecting it to be faster than the train. Road traffic in and out of Amsterdam can be severe. The train always takes 15 to 20 minutes. The taxi does not.

You’ll Be in the City Before You’ve Finished Your Airport Coffee

Schiphol is one of the easiest airports in Europe to arrive at and leave. The train is right under your feet, it runs all day and all night, and the city is fifteen minutes away. There’s genuinely very little that can go wrong if you follow one rule: take the train from the station under the terminal and pay with your contactless card.

The rest, like the neighbourhoods, the canals, the best places to eat and wander, that’s where we come in. Our Hello Amsterdam walking tour is designed for visitors who’ve just arrived and want to understand the city