The Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is only 9 kilometers southwest of the city centre and thus is one of the most easily accessible airports in Europe.
When you have only one day in Amsterdam, the mode of transport becomes extremely important. What a 15-minute train ride would cost you is a 40-minute budget bus ride, which can mean the difference between visiting three museums or two, or spending the golden hour along the canals, or even not being able to visit your afternoon canal cruise at all.
This guide will divide the total number of alternatives of arriving in central Amsterdam out of Schiphol the quickest route in case the individual is in a hurry, the cheapest route in case of a tight budget, and the most convenient door-to-door routes when you are carrying your luggage or a group of persons.
Train
The Schiphol train does not only save time. The straight line to Amsterdam Centraal leaves you right in the heart of the system of the city and trams lead you to all corners of the city and the canal-lined streets of the Jordaan are only a ten-minute walk away.
The ride requires a duration of 14-18 minutes between platforms and trains do not require more than 5 to 10 minutes at any given time of the day both in early mornings and late evenings. To reach the trains, go by the yellow signs of Schiphol Plaza, the Trains/Treinen. The platforms are directly under the airport terminal as you need to get in through escalators. The train arrives at Amsterdam Centraal Station, which are the stations located underground, on the underground tracks and as soon as you get out of the train by following directions of Centrum, you will get at the IJ waterfront with the city stretching behind you.
Now, when you are staying in any of the places anywhere near Centraal Station, Jordaan, or Dam Square, you will find yourself right at the door of your hotel. It is also suitable to those people who have minimal luggage. The stations boast of escalators and elevators and the trains have specific luggage compartments close to the entrance.
Bus 397
This bus, which runs on the route that is basically an ideal one-day Amsterdam itinerary: Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum, the cafe-filled square of Leidseplein and lastly Jordaan Elandsgracht. I have seen passengers on this bus get out of Schiphol into the bus and get out a half an hour later at the Rijksmuseum steps, registering at their hotel.
The distance is 30 to 40 minutes with traffic, however, the transport route is very efficient even during rush hours, as a large part of it is covered with special bus lanes. The frequency of the buses is very consistent; every 7 to 10 minutes starting in early morning till late at night. You are going to board the bus at Schiphol Plaza through bus stop B17. Go out of the arrivals hall. Walk along the signs towards buses.
The bus has planned strategic stops at Museumplein, then the Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein with its theatres and nightlife and finally Elandsgracht at the fringe of the Jordaan. The stops all put you within walking distance of great sightseeing locations, hotels, and the most photographed areas of the canal belt.
This bus is recommended to those who travel directly to museums, and they do not want to spend a single minute on learning other cultural aspects. When your hotel is located between Museumplein and the Jordaan, it is your most efficient walk. Amsterdam is a place that can be viewed through the windows as you go past Vondelpark and grand 19 th -century residential avenues.
Private Transfer
The private transfers are one step above the normal taxi. Not in pace or direction, but in the total elimination of doubt and work. The ride takes the same 20 to 30 minutes as a taxi, traveling along the same streets into the center of Amsterdam, but all the things around that ride turn into transactional to seamless.
I have observed families with tired children, older couples on anniversaries and business travelers on a tight schedule use this option and the similarity is easily noticed which is relief.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
The train is decisive at 14 to 18 minutes platform to platform, which reaches Amsterdam Centraal. Under perfect conditions, taxis and transfers take 20-30 minutes, but they are destined to traffic factors that the train does not give a second thought to.
Yes, there are trains between Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal all through the night, but the frequency is low during the darkest times of night. Between 1 am to 5 am there will be 1 hour intervals instead of 10-11 minutes intervals between the trains but there will be no total halt in the service.
The northern tip of the canal belt is reached already by taking the train to Amsterdam Centraal. The well-known concentric waterways start right across the road where the back exit of the station is located. Going there, a 10 minutes walk south takes you to the beautiful canals of the Jordaan and 15 minutes to the Prinsengracht where Anne Frank House is located. When you get on Bus 397 and get off at Leidseplein, you are right in the Singelgracht and have the museum neighbourhood canals radiating around you. Will take you no more than twenty-five or thirty-five minutes altogether, including baggage pick-up and the ride itself.
This entirely depends on the age of your children and the luggage you have. In the case of families that have children below 10 years old, the taxi or the personal transfer is highly recommended, particularly when in the company of a stroller or a bag pack or more than one.
Train or Bus 397 can be a great choice in case your children are older and quite travel-savvy and you are staying in an area close to Centraal Station or the museum one.
