Amsterdam AMS Airport to City Center: Train, Bus or Taxi

Here is the whole choice in one table. The sections below explain each row.

Time: train vs bus vs taxi

The train is the fastest way from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal, at 17 minutes with no change, according to NS, the Dutch railways. NS runs 141 trains a day on this route. In the daytime, I amsterdam says a train leaves eight times an hour, so you rarely wait long.

Line 397 is also direct, and Connexxion says it leaves every 10 minutes. Connexxion prints no journey time for the ride, so check the live timetable on the day. One other page shows 25 minutes but is labelled TEST, so this guide leaves that figure out.

A taxi has no official time either. The ride depends on traffic and on where your hotel is. How far is it? Schiphol, NS and I amsterdam print no distance in kilometres, and I amsterdam describes the train as a 14 to 17 minute ride. Schiphol's taxi price list covers rides of 10 to 20 km. Schiphol, the airport operator, is the one that would publish the exact distance, and its pages did not show one when we tried on 2026-11-02.

Key Takeaway For one adult going to Amsterdam Centraal, the NS train is both the fastest and the cheapest ride: 17 minutes, from €5.50.

Cost: train vs bus vs taxi

The train is the cheapest way for one adult, with an e-ticket from €5.50 one way in second class, says NS. A single-use chip card from a machine adds €1.60, according to NS's 2026 price list. Buy the e-ticket in the NS app before you go to the platform and you skip that fee.

Pro Tip NS says an e-ticket avoids the €1.60 single-use chip card surcharge, so buy it on your phone while you wait for your bags.

A single on line 397 costs €6.50, and a return ticket starts at €11.75, according to Connexxion. The single ticket cannot be refunded. You can pay with an e-ticket, with a debit or credit card on the bus, or by checking in with a contactless card, but not with cash.

A taxi from Schiphol to the city center typically costs €35 to €55, and the meter can reach about €75, says I amsterdam. Schiphol lists €40 to €80 for one to four people and €55 to €100 for five to eight people on rides of 10 to 20 km. At these single fares, four adults pay €22 on the train and €26 on the bus. For four people with bags, a taxi starts to look fair.

A tour is a separate cost and is not a way to get from the airport. The tours near the end of this guide start at €10 to €17.31 per person. For the rest of your budget, see the 2026 Amsterdam Travel Cost Study for hotel, meal and drink prices.

Where it leaves: train vs bus vs taxi at Schiphol

Each ride leaves from a different spot, and you need to know which one before you leave the baggage hall. The train station sits directly beneath the terminal, says I amsterdam. Schiphol says trains to Amsterdam leave from track 3. Ticket machines stand near the baggage belts in Arrivals 1, 2 and 3 and at Schiphol Plaza.

The bus leaves from stop B17. Exit Schiphol Plaza and walk to the right, says Connexxion.

Taxis wait at the official stand in front of Schiphol Plaza, stop A1, and you do not need to book. Uber and Bolt use the app pick-up point at stops E1 to E6, according to Schiphol's taxi page. Shared Schiphol Travel Taxis carry up to eight people, but extra stops make the ride longer.

Is the airport easy to navigate, and is it big? The official pages used here give no size or walking times. What the pages do show is simple: the station is under the terminal, and the bus and taxis leave from Schiphol Plaza.

Where it arrives: Centraal vs Museumplein vs your door

The train ends at Amsterdam Centraal, the bus ends near the museums, and the taxi ends at your hotel. Many trams start in front of Centraal, with one stop on the east side and one on the west side, says I amsterdam's tram page. On GVB's tram 2 timetable, the trip between Centraal and Museumplein takes 17 minutes.

Line 397 stops at Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum and Leidseplein with no change, says Connexxion. That makes line 397 the simpler ride when your hotel is in the Museum Quarter. Two hotels there are Hotel JL No76 and Hotel Fita, both on Jan Luijkenstraat. Check the walk from the bus stop on your map before you book. If your day starts at the Rijksmuseum, the guide to the Amsterdam museums covers it.

Not sure which area suits you? The guide on where to stay in Amsterdam compares the areas, so you can pick the stop that is closest to your bed.

The best airport ride is the one that ends closest to your bed.

Late at night: train vs bus vs taxi

You can still reach the city center after midnight by train, bus or taxi. Schiphol says fewer trains run after 9 PM, and trains between Schiphol and Amsterdam Central run every night. NS tells you to check its journey planner for the exact night times.

The night bus N97 runs once an hour, says Connexxion. I amsterdam says the N97 night bus follows the same central route as bus 397, and Connexxion says line 397 runs every 10 minutes by day. Neither prints a first or last departure time. Connexxion would publish those times in its timetable search for lines 397 and N97, and the Schiphol bus page was blocked when we tried it on 2026-11-02. The 9292 journey planner shows live departures. Unofficial sites disagree, so do not rely on a time you read elsewhere. Look up the live timetable on the day, and plan a taxi if your bags land after the last bus. The taxi stand needs no booking, so a taxi works at any hour. Schiphol calls its stand in front of Schiphol Plaza official taxis with fixed rates, according to a search excerpt of its page. I amsterdam says a metered taxi in Amsterdam starts at about €4.15. Drivers must use the meter and give you a printed receipt, according to Schiphol.

A late flight can also put a tour you booked for the next morning at risk, so read the cancellation terms on each listing.

Rental car vs public transport

A rental car is the wrong choice for the city center, because of the low emission zone and the parking prices. The zone covers everything inside the A10 ring road, and diesel cars with Euro 4 or lower may not enter, says the City of Amsterdam. Diesel cars with Euro 5 or higher have full access, and no sticker is needed. Ask the rental company which class your car has.

Street parking in the Centrum district costs €5.37 to €8.05 an hour, says the city. The Park and Ride lots at the edge of the city charge €13 for the first 24 hours if you arrive Monday to Friday before 10:00. Otherwise they charge €6 per 24 hours. You get that rate only if you go on by public transport.

Rent a car only for trips outside the city, such as the day trips from Amsterdam. Pick it up on the day you leave the city, not the day you land.

Which way to take from Amsterdam AMS airport to city center

The train is the best way from Amsterdam AMS airport to city center for most people. It is the fastest, the cheapest and the easiest to buy. Use this list to check your own trip.

• Going to Centraal or a hotel near it: take the train.
• Staying in the Museum Quarter or near Leidseplein: take bus 397.
• Travelling with four or more people and bags: take a taxi.
• Landing after midnight: take the train or the N97 if they run, or a taxi if not.
• Visiting only outside the city: take a rental car.

The honest limit of the train is its last stretch. It ends at Centraal, so a hotel near Museumplein still needs a tram, a walk or a taxi.

After you land: tickets and a first cruise

No tour replaces the ride from the airport, so book a tour for your first afternoon, not for the transfer. Doing the airport ride on your own costs from €5.50. Tours start only once you are in the city.

For the days that follow, Amsterdam public transport explains trams, metro and ferries. The GVB public transport ticket on GetYourGuide starts at €10 per person and has free cancellation. GetYourGuide rates it 4.18 from 47,872 reviews, and Distribusion Technologies GmbH sells it for GVB. The listing shows Amsterdam Centraal as the location and gives no group size. It covers GVB trams, buses, metro and ferries, but the listing says it excludes the NS train and regional buses such as Connexxion's, so buy your airport ride separately. GVB's own Amsterdam Travel Ticket costs €20 for one day and covers travel to and from Schiphol.

A canal cruise is an easy first activity after a flight, because you sit down and the city passes by. The guide to an Amsterdam canal cruise compares the boats. The comfortable canal cruise with an audio guide starts at €13 per person and lasts 60 to 75 minutes, depending on where you board. GetYourGuide rates it 4.3 from 3,153 reviews, and Stromma Netherlands runs it. The audio guide plays over the speakers in English and Dutch, so bring your own headphones for other languages. The meeting point depends on the option you pick, and the listing gives no group size. It is not suitable for wheelchair users, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours ahead.

The canal cruise with unlimited drinks starts at €17.31 per person and lasts 1 hour. Flagship Amsterdam runs it in English, and GetYourGuide rates it 4.49 from 27,225 reviews. The listing has four meeting points, depending on your option, and it says the cruise is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments. Cocktails, hard liquor and tips are not included.

The Best Travel Destinations' count of GetYourGuide listings for the Amsterdam area in October 2026 found 380 of 386 with free cancellation, which helps when a flight lands late. Both cruises above let you cancel up to 24 hours ahead, as the listings state. If you would rather go on your own, the train and a walk to the canals cost far less, but you get no audio guide or host. A cruise gives you a seat, a set time and a free cancellation window. Walking gives you freedom and costs nothing. Both cruises show their ratings as GetYourGuide prints them, and the cards below list meeting points and group size from the listings.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.