Getting from Amsterdam airport to Centraal Station and downtown

If you're landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport (say SKIP-ul), the train is still the answer for most people: it leaves from a station right under the airport and gets you to Amsterdam Centraal in about 15 to 20 minutes. What has changed is how you pay. You no longer need to queue at a ticket window or hunt for a machine that takes your card. Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gate and walk on.

The short version

• Train to Centraal: about 15-20 minutes, €5.50 one way in second class (2026). Best for most people.
• Bus 397 (Amsterdam Airport Express): €6.50 one way, stops at Museumplein and Leidseplein. Best if you're staying in the Museum Quarter or around Leidseplein.
• Taxi: metered, and a ride to the center usually runs well past €60. Worth it for three or four people with heavy bags.

Where are you actually going?

If you've seen a map of Amsterdam you know the old city is shaped roughly like half a bicycle wheel, and Centraal Station sits at the hub. From Centraal Station you're steps from the Red Light District and a short walk from a big share of the city-center hotels. But if you're staying near Rembrandtplein, Leidseplein or the Museum Quarter, it's not a short walk with heavy luggage. Take the train to Centraal and a tram from there, or skip Centraal entirely and take bus 397.

Taking the train from Schiphol to Centraal Station

The station is directly below Schiphol Plaza, the big arrivals hall you walk into after customs. Follow the overhead train signs, then take the escalator down to the platform the departure boards show for Amsterdam Centraal. These are regular Dutch Railways (NS) trains on the main network, not an airport shuttle, so check the destination on the board and on the train.

Some trains run straight to Centraal and some stop at a station or two on the way. If you're groggy from an overnight flight, here's the rule the original version of this page gave and it still works: if you aren't sure you're at Centraal, you aren't. Centraal is the big covered station where nearly everyone gets off.

Fares

• Second class, one way: €5.50
• First class, one way: €9.90
• Children 4-11 traveling with an adult can use a €2.50 Railrunner ticket

Those are the 2026 NS fares as listed by Rijden de Treinen. NS raised ticket prices by an average of 6.5% on 1 January 2026 (NS), and prices go up most years, so check the NS app for the exact fare on your travel date.

How to pay

The easy way is OVpay: tap your contactless debit card, credit card or phone on the reader at the station gate to check in, and tap the same card again at Centraal to check out. No app or advance purchase needed. Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and V PAY cards work (I amsterdam). Each traveler needs their own card or phone, and you have to use the same one to check in and out.

Don't forget to check out. From 2026, NS charges up to €33.30 if you tap in and never tap out (you can claim the difference back through NS customer service, but it's a hassle you don't need).

You can also buy an e-ticket in the NS app or at the ticket machines in the station, which take cards. The old advice on this page, that most North Americans couldn't use the machines and had to queue at a window, is out of date.

How often do trains run?

All day, several trains an hour make the trip. Through the small hours there's still a night train roughly once an hour, so a 2am arrival doesn't mean a taxi.

From Centraal to your hotel

Trams leave from right in front of the station. GVB trams, buses and metros also take OVpay, and GVB caps what you pay at €10.50 per day when you tap in and out with a bank card, however much you ride. Our Amsterdam public transportation guide covers how the trams work, and getting around Amsterdam covers bikes and everything else.

Bus 397: the Amsterdam Airport Express

This is the option most first-timers don't know about, and it's a good one if your hotel is in the south or west of the center. Connexxion's Amsterdam Airport Express (line 397) leaves from bus stop B17: walk out of Schiphol Plaza and turn right. It runs to Museumplein (for the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum) and Leidseplein, ending at the Elandsgracht bus station, with no changes.

• Single: from €6.50
• Return: from €11.75
• Payment: e-ticket online, a card on board (no cash), or tap in and out with OVpay
• At night: the N97 Niteliner covers the route, and 397 tickets are valid on it

The ride takes longer than the train, and road traffic can slow it down, but it saves you a tram transfer if you're staying near the museums or Leidseplein. Our list of hotels near Leidseplein and hostels near Vondelpark are all within reach of its stops.

What happened to the hotel shuttle?

Earlier versions of this page recommended the Connexxion hotel shuttle, a shared minibus that dropped people at city-center hotels. That service no longer runs. Private transfers exist, but for most people bus 397 or the train plus a tram does the same job for far less.

Taxis from Schiphol to central Amsterdam

You can get a taxi from the official rank outside arrivals to anywhere in the city. Street-hail and rank taxis in the Netherlands are metered and capped by law. For 2026 the maximum rates for a regular car (up to four passengers) are a €4.31 starting fee, €3.17 per kilometer and €0.52 per minute. The drive to the center is roughly 20 km, so at those rates a normal ride lands somewhere around €70 to €85, more if you hit traffic. Drivers can charge less than the maximum, but don't count on it.

The upside is that the price is per car, not per person. For a group of three or four with a lot of luggage, and a hotel far from Centraal, it's not a terrible deal.

Only in town for a layover?

If you have a long connection, the train makes a quick trip into the city realistic. Our Amsterdam layover guide explains how to pull it off, and if you need a bed close to the terminal, see hotels near Schiphol Airport.

Schiphol to Amsterdam FAQ

Can I use my US or Canadian credit card on the train?

Usually, yes. Contactless Visa and Mastercard cards work at the OVpay gates, and the NS ticket machines accept cards. If your card isn't contactless, buy an e-ticket in the NS app.

Is the I amsterdam City Card valid on the airport train?

No. The City Card covers GVB trams, buses and metro in the city, not the NS train from Schiphol. The separate Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket does include NS trains in the region, so it can cover the airport run if you're buying one anyway. See our I amsterdam City Card page.

Is a taxi faster than the train?

Rarely. The train takes about 15-20 minutes to Centraal and doesn't sit in traffic. A car only wins if your hotel is far from any station and you have a lot of bags.