How to Get From Amsterdam Airport to the City by Train
Amsterdam Airport has a great rail connection to the city, and this guide shows you how you can take this convenient airport train.
Train from Amsterdam Airport to the city
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (IATA code: AMS) has its own underground railway station located directly beneath the arrivals hall.
The train station at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport not only serves passengers travelling to and from the airport, but is also an important railway junction where many domestic Dutch passengers connect between different lines.
Train at Amsterdam Centraal, the main railway station of the Dutch capital. ©AndyBTravels
Different trains
With the exception of the Eurostar to London, all other trains stop at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport station, including Eurostar services to Brussels and Paris, EuroCity trains to Antwerp and Brussels, domestic InterCity services, and of course the slower commuter trains.
You can therefore get from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to dozens of stations across the Netherlands, Belgium, and even France, on a direct train – with many more places reachable with a single connection elsewhere.
Schiphol Plaza
At the heart of the arrivals terminal in Amsterdam is Schiphol Plaza, where the platforms of the railway station are located just one level underground.
On Schiphol Plaza, you will find staffed ticket counters and numerous ticket machines to buy tickets, which can also be bought online on the website of the NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the Dutch national railway company).
However, it is now much easier to simply use your debit or credit card to tap in at the platform gates, board your train, and tap out again when exiting through the platform barriers at your destination.
The fare is automatically calculated and deducted from your card.
A ‘Sprinter’ commuter train at the underground platforms of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. ©AndyBTravels
Getting from Amsterdam Airport to the city centre
Amsterdam Centraal Station (often abbreviated as Amsterdam CS on signs and in timetables) is the main railway station of the Dutch capital and the city’s most centrally located station.
It is within easy walking distance or a short tram ride from most of the city’s sights, including the canal zone.
However, if your hotel is located outside the city centre, taking a train from the airport to Centraal Station might not be the best option, as other stations in the city, such as Amsterdam Zuid, could be more convenient.
Currently, up to eight ‘Sprinter’ commuter trains per hour run between Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal, taking just 16 minutes for the journey.
A one-way, second class train ticket from the airport to Amsterdam’s central station currently costs €5.20.
Watch the video below to see what the journey from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to the city centre by train looks like, and to get a sense of what it’s like as a passenger transiting the arrivals area of Schiphol Airport and finding its underground railway station.
Conclusion
Taking the train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal, the station serving the city centre, is extremely straightforward.
With up to eight departures per hour and the airport station located directly beneath the main arrivals hall, the train is by far the most convenient way to travel to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Want to read about more airport trains? Read my articles about the Vienna Airport Train, Helsinki Airport Train and the Oslo Airport Train!
