Getting from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam by train
Find the airport station, choose a useful stop and pay for your journey without relying on an old headline fare.
The train is a useful first choice from Schiphol if you are staying near Amsterdam Centraal or another station on the route. You do not need to book a private transfer just to reach the city. Start by checking which station is closest to your accommodation.
Find the station before buying a ticket
After collecting your bags, follow the train signs into Schiphol Plaza. The airport's train guide shows that the platforms are below the terminal, reached by escalators or lifts.
The usual journey to Amsterdam Centraal takes about 14–17 minutes. That is the time on the train, so leave room for passport control, baggage collection and finding the platform. Read the departure board before going downstairs, even if an older guide gives a particular platform number.
Centraal is not the best stop for every address. A place near Lelylaan, Sloterdijk or Zuid may be easier to reach another way. Put the full accommodation address into a journey planner and compare the final walk as well as the train ride.
Choose one way to pay
For an ordinary adult journey, you can often use a supported contactless bank card or phone. NS explains the payment rules: check in before boarding, travel in second class and check out with the same card or device.
At Schiphol, look for the yellow readers on the Plaza level before you descend to the platforms. At your destination, remember to check out, including at a station with open gates.
A phone and the physical card linked to it are separate payment methods. Pick one and keep using it for the whole journey. Each traveller needs their own valid ticket or payment method.
If you buy an e-ticket instead, follow its instructions. Do not also tap your bank card at a reader, as that can start a second, separate journey.
Check late-night and onward travel
Night services and engineering work can change the easiest route. Check the departure for the time you expect to leave the airport, rather than the flight's scheduled landing time.
Price the journey in the current NS planner. A fare quoted for a previous year is not a reliable budget for your trip. Add any tram, metro or bus journey from the station to your room.
Our OVpay guide explains how to check your charges and deal with a missed check-out.