How to Get from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam: Every Option, Priced (2026)
Every way from Schiphol to Amsterdam with the price, the journey time and the catch, drawn from the AfterYouLand Amsterdam guide and checked against the operators.
Cheapest and fastest is the same ride: the NS train at €5.50 a person, about 15 to 17 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal from under the terminal. Door to door is a taxi at about €55 on the meter, or a pre-booked transfer with the fare set when you book.
Kiwitaxi, booked before you fly. The driver waits at arrivals with a name sign, and the price is fixed when you book. Affiliate link: AfterYouLand may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
1 The options, compared
NS train to Centraal.
The default for almost everyone: from under Schiphol Plaza every few minutes by day, hourly at night, and the cheapest seat on this page.
Bus 397 Airport Express.
Best for the south side, via Museumplein and Leidseplein to Elandsgracht, with an open return at €11.75 and payment by card on board.
Taxi.
Metered from the official rank outside Schiphol Plaza only. Uber and Bolt leave from the marked zones and usually run €40 to €65.
Pre-booked transfer.
A driver waits in arrivals with a name board and the fare is fixed against traffic, which is the calm way to land late or grouped.
Fixed price, agreed before you land. The alternative is Welcome Pickups, linked in the Amsterdam guide.
2 Late night and first trains
Trains run hourly at night, per the guide, so the cheapest route is also an all night route, just a thinner one. Build in the wait, and tap in and out with OVpay as usual.
There is no sharp first train problem at Schiphol: the service runs through the night hourly and builds to every few minutes by day. The first decision is frequency, not existence.
3 Groups and luggage
The train wins on price at every group size here: even four train fares total €22 against about €55 for the car. The taxi case on this route is luggage, a late hour and a door at the end, not the maths.
Luggage: Schiphol has one terminal and the station sits directly underneath, so the train involves no inter-terminal transfers. The walk at Centraal is the only haul. With more than one large case each, the taxi earns its premium.
4 Where you board
NS train
The station sits directly under Schiphol Plaza. Arrivals feed into the Plaza, and the platforms are two escalators down. Tap in and out with OVpay or use an e-ticket, because a paper ticket adds a €1.60 surcharge.
Bus 397
The Airport Express leaves from the bus stops outside the terminal for Museumplein, Leidseplein and Elandsgracht. Pay by card on board, and keep the open return at €11.75 in mind if your hotel sits on that south side route.
Taxi and pre-booked
Official taxis use the rank outside Schiphol Plaza only, never a tout who approaches you inside. Uber and Bolt pick up from the marked zones. A pre-booked driver waits inside arrivals with a name board.
5 Questions
About €55 on the meter from the official rank outside Schiphol Plaza. Uber and Bolt from the marked zones usually run €40 to €65. Never take a ride from a tout inside the terminal.
The NS train at €5.50 a person, about 15 to 17 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal from the station under Schiphol Plaza. Tap in and out with OVpay, because a paper ticket adds a €1.60 surcharge.
About 15 to 17 minutes by NS train to Centraal. The bus 397 takes about 25 to 35 minutes to the south side stops, and a taxi takes about 25 to 40 minutes by road.
Yes, hourly through the night, per the guide. By day the trains to Centraal run every few minutes, so the night service is thinner but it never stops completely.
For the south side, yes. Bus 397, the Airport Express, runs via Museumplein and Leidseplein to Elandsgracht for €6.50, with an open return at €11.75. For Centraal and the canal ring, the train is faster and cheaper.
6 Sources
- Schiphol Airport: airport layout. Last verified October 2026.
- NS: train fares and the paper ticket surcharge. Last verified October 2026.
- Connexxion: Bus 397. Last verified October 2026.
All prices and journey times are taken from the AfterYouLand Amsterdam guide, checked in October 2026.
First night in Amsterdam.
Where you stay changes this trip. The canal ring suits Centraal and the train; Museumplein suits bus 397 and the museum days. The guide scores the first night areas and names its hotel picks.
See where to stay in the guideThis page is the transfer chapter of the full guide: the Amsterdam first hour guide covers landing, money, data and your first night.
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