Schiphol is one of the easiest major airports to leave. The train station sits directly under the terminal, the city is barely 15 minutes away, and you can pay by tapping a card. Still, there are four real options and the right one depends on your luggage, your budget and where exactly you are staying.
Here is each one compared honestly, with 2026 prices.
The train (the default answer)
For most people, take the train. The station - Schiphol Airport - is directly beneath the airport plaza, a short escalator ride from arrivals.
- Journey time: 14 minutes on the Intercity, 17 on the Sprinter, to Amsterdam Centraal
- Frequency: every few minutes during the day, 24 hours a day (hourly overnight)
- Cost: around €7 for a single second-class ticket to Centraal in 2026
You can simply tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gates - tap in at Schiphol, tap out at your destination. No ticket machine needed. If you prefer a paper ticket, buy it from the yellow NS machines or the service desk; there is a small surcharge for the disposable chip card.
One tip: not every Amsterdam visitor wants Centraal. Trains from Schiphol also stop at Amsterdam Zuid, Amsterdam RAI and other stations. If your hotel is in the south or near the Museum Quarter, getting off earlier can save you a tram ride back.
The 397 Airport Express bus
The Connexxion 397 Airport Express runs from outside the terminal to the Museum Quarter and Leidseplein area.
- Journey time: about 30 minutes
- Frequency: every 7-15 minutes, roughly 05:30 to midnight (the N97 night bus covers the gap)
- Cost: about €6.50 single, €11.75 return in 2026
The bus makes sense if you are staying near Leidseplein, Museumplein or the Vondelpark - it can drop you closer than the train plus a tram. The driver sells tickets but takes cards only, no cash. Otherwise the train still wins on speed.
Taxi and rideshare
A taxi or an Uber/Bolt is the door-to-door option, worth it with heavy luggage, a group, or a young family.
- Official taxi: metered, but most offer a set price. Expect roughly €40-50 to the centre; the city caps the fare around €47.
- Uber / Bolt: typically €35-55 depending on demand, plus an airport pick-up surcharge
Use the official taxi rank outside arrivals - ignore anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride. Journey time is 25-40 minutes, but can be much longer in morning or evening rush hour, when the train will simply beat a car into the centre.
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket
If you plan to use city transport heavily, the Amsterdam Travel Ticket bundles the airport transfer (train and bus 397) with unlimited GVB tram, metro and bus travel. It costs roughly €20 for one day, €27 for two, €34 for three. It is convenient, but do the maths - if you mostly walk, paying per journey with a contactless card and its daily cap is often cheaper.
Quick decision guide
- Travelling light, staying central - train, every time
- Staying near Leidseplein or the museums - 397 bus, or train then short tram
- Heavy bags, a group, or late at night with kids - taxi or rideshare
- Planning lots of tram use over several days - consider the Amsterdam Travel Ticket
A few practical notes
- Follow the "To trains" / "Schiphol Plaza" signs from arrivals; everything is on one level.
- Trains can be busy at peak times - second class is fine, first class rarely worth it for 15 minutes.
- Heading back to catch a flight, allow extra buffer: trains are reliable but rush-hour platforms get full.
- Your OVpay contactless tap works for the train and the GVB transport in the city, but they are billed as separate fares - the airport train is an NS journey, not a GVB one.
For nine out of ten visitors, the answer is simply: walk down to the station, tap your card, and you are in the centre before you have finished your coffee.
Once you are in town, our guide to getting around Amsterdam by tram, metro and bus covers the city network in full. Schiphol is also the gateway to easy day trips from Amsterdam by train.
