Amsterdam Airport Transfers: Getting from the Airport to the City

Airports serving Amsterdam

• Schiphol (AMS) — 17 km from the centre

  NS train to Amsterdam Centraal every 10 min (€5.90, ~15 min); Uber/taxi ~€45.

• Rotterdam The Hague (RTM) — 80 km from the centre

  Intercity train Rotterdam Centraal → Amsterdam Centraal in ~40 min (~€17).

• Eindhoven (EIN) — 125 km from the centre

  Low-cost hub; NS train via 's-Hertogenbosch in ~1h30.

Arriving by train

Amsterdam Centraal runs Thalys and Eurostar to Brussels (~2h) and Paris (~3h20), plus ICE to Cologne and Frankfurt.

Entry and arrival formalities

Schengen external-border checks at Schiphol; ETIAS required for visa-exempt visitors once launched.

The Netherlands is in the Schengen Area. Many nationalities enter visa-free for 90 days per 180; ETIAS applies once launched. Others need a Schengen short-stay visa.

Getting into the city

Trams and metro (GVB) run ~06:00–00:30; contactless card or OV-chipkaart taps in and out. NS trains from Schiphol reach Amsterdam Centraal in 15 min. The canal ring is walkable end-to-end in an hour; bikes are the default local transport and free NDSM/Buiksloterweg ferries cross to Amsterdam Noord.

• Tram (GVB)

  Dense network across the canal ring and Museum Quarter; runs ~06:00–00:30.

• Metro

  5 lines including the North–South line under Centraal.

• NS trains

  Fast intercity network to Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague.

• Bike

  The default local transport — MacBike, Yellow Bike or Donkey Republic for visitors. Follow bike-lane etiquette strictly.