Amsterdam Centraal Train Station: A 5-Step Guide

Here is the whole visit in one table. The steps below explain each row.

Step 1: Find Amsterdam Centraal train station and its two sides

Amsterdam Centraal train station is the main station in the middle of the city, on the edge of the IJ, the wide waterway on the north side of the centre. It has two sides. The city side faces the old centre, and the water side faces the IJ.

The city side is where you catch the tram. I amsterdam says there are two tram stops outside the front of Central Station, one on the east side and one on the west side. The same site says the metro has five lines and that all of them pass through Amsterdam Central Station. The metro runs from 6:00 to 00:30, says I amsterdam.

Need to leave a bag? NS rents lockers at Amsterdam Centraal. A small one costs €10 for the first 24 hours, a large one €16 and an XL one €25. From day 2, a small one costs €15 a day, a large one €22 and an XL one €35, says NS. A small locker is 45 cm high, a large one 60 cm and an XL one 95 cm, and all are 85 cm deep. You pay at the screen next to the lockers, and the printed receipt is your key. You can only open a locker once, so pack before you pay. NS says a lost locker card costs an extra €15, and it may empty a locker after three days. Eurostar says the lockers are open from 05:00 to 00:45. It also lists a car park, a bike park, bike rental, GWK Travelex exchange offices, shops and restaurants at the station. NS says its travel planner shows whether toilets are open and their hours. NS says staffed toilets at major stations cost €1.10, but that page does not name Centraal. I amsterdam says tickets come from yellow station machines, and most take cards only. No official page gives the number of lockers, machines or toilets at Centraal.

The water side is where the free ferries leave. The I amsterdam ferry page says ferries across the IJ are free, and you do not need a ticket before boarding.

Trams, metro and ferries together make up the city's wider system. The guide to amsterdam public transport explains tickets and contactless payment for all of them.

Key Takeaway Amsterdam Centraal has a city side with trams, the metro and a 10-minute walk to Dam Square, and a water side with free ferries to Amsterdam-Noord.

Step 2: Come in from Schiphol Airport by train

The NS train from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal takes 17 minutes with no change, according to NS, the Dutch railways. Schiphol is the airport's own train station. Schiphol says trains leave from track 3 and run about 8 times an hour in the daytime. Fewer trains run after 9:00 PM and at night, but Schiphol says trains between Rotterdam, Schiphol and Amsterdam Central run every night.

A one-way ticket in 2nd class starts at €5.50 on the NS route page. A single-use paper chip card from a machine adds €1.60 to a one-way ticket, says NS. The NS e-ticket avoids that extra charge, so buy it on your phone before you go to the platform. Foreign contactless Mastercard, Visa, Maestro and V PAY cards work at the gates, says NS. Vivid, Paysafe and Revolut digital cards do not.

Pro Tip Buy the NS e-ticket on your phone before you board at Schiphol, because a paper chip card from a machine adds €1.60 to the €5.50 fare.

I amsterdam says Eurostar, ICE and Nightjet sleeper trains leave from Amsterdam Centraal. It says you check in with a card, phone or online ticket at the turnstile, and you must check out with the same one at your destination. According to NS International, a ticket with a square barcode needs no check-in, so you scan the barcode at the gate. Do not scan a PDF, because the gate may not open. Do not use an OV-chipkaart for an international trip. Schiphol also lists contactless payment. You can check in and out with a debit card, credit card or phone at the yellow card readers at the top of the escalators and lifts in Schiphol Plaza.

Connexxion sells the bus 397 single ticket for €6.50 and says it stops directly at Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum and Leidseplein. Pick the bus if your hotel is near the museums, because it saves you a tram ride. Pick the train if your hotel is near Centraal or you want the fastest and cheapest way in.

No train operator publishes fixed platforms at Centraal for international trains. For Eurostar to London, Eurostar says not to look for a platform number on the station screens. Follow the signs to the UK Terminal, about a 3-minute walk from the main entrance. Arrive 20 minutes early, because ticket checks close 30 minutes before a Standard or Plus train. For other trains, according to Seat61 (not an official source), high-speed trains often use platforms 13, 14 or 15, and ICE trains to Germany often use platform 2. Seat61 says platforms are often confirmed only 10 to 15 minutes before departure, so read the board.

Heading onward by rail instead? Read the guides to the Amsterdam to Paris train, the train from Amsterdam to London, the Amsterdam to Cologne train and the Amsterdam to Copenhagen train.

Amsterdam sits in front of its Centraal station, and the water sits behind it.

Step 3: Exit Amsterdam Centraal and ride on

You exit Amsterdam Centraal by choosing a side: the city side for most sights, the water side for the ferries. Eurostar names the two sides the main entrance (Centrum zijde) and the waterfront (IJ-zijde). I amsterdam says the free ferries leave from the rear of the station, on the IJ side, and the Buiksloterweg route runs through the night. Two tram stops sit outside the front, one east and one west. No official page publishes numbered exits or an exit map, so follow the station boards for the side you need.

From the city side you can walk to the main sights. The Royal Palace says that from Amsterdam Central Station it is a 10-minute walk. The Oude Kerk says it is an 8-minute walk from Central Station. For museums, see the page on Amsterdam museums.

Tram numbers changed this year. GVB, the city transport company, says tram 12 no longer goes to Centraal Station since the timetable of 29 March 2026. Tram 24 now ends at Centraal after it passes Museumplein and Leidseplein. Tram 2 also links Centraal and Museumplein, and the GVB line page shows 17 minutes between Museumplein and Centraal.

Old maps and blog posts still send you to tram 12. If one tells you to take it, look for tram 2 or tram 24 instead.

Step 4: Choose a first outing from the station

The easiest first outing from Amsterdam Centraal is a canal boat or the free ferry to A'DAM Lookout, and you do not need a tour for the ferry. Both start within a short walk or ride from the station.

The Best Travel Destinations' count of GetYourGuide listings for the Amsterdam area in October 2026 found 70 canal cruises among 386 listings. For help comparing them, read the guide to canals amsterdam.

Want a short boat ride? The one-hour canal cruise starts at €12.49 per person and has an audio guide in 19 languages. Its title names "CS", short for Centraal Station, as one of its starting points. The cruise itself lasts 1 hour. The listing shows 4 meeting points, and the one you get depends on the option you select, so check the option before you book. GetYourGuide shows a rating of 4.3 from 22,431 reviews, and Tours & Tickets runs it. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. Wheelchair users are listed as not suited, and you should be there 15 minutes ahead. Boarding takes time, so the whole trip can take up to 90 minutes in peak season. The listing shows no group size and no hotel pickup.

For a longer ride under cover, the 75-minute classic canal cruise starts at €14 per person. It runs on a covered boat with panoramic windows and an audio guide in 20+ languages, and Blue Boat Company - Gray Line Amsterdam runs it. It shows 3 locations, depending on your option, so check which one you pick. The rating is 4.4 from 21,002 reviews, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. Food and drinks are not included unless you choose the snack option, and there is no live guide. GetYourGuide lists no group size and no hotel pickup. The boat is wheelchair accessible if you ask the operator after booking.

For a view, take the free F3 ferry from behind the station. A'DAM Lookout says to take the free F3 ferry on the IJ side towards Buiksloterweg, then turn left and walk along the water. The I amsterdam ferry page says this route runs throughout the night and that you rarely wait more than a few minutes. You can cross for free, and the ferry is open only to walkers and cyclists. The A'DAM Lookout ticket with one drink starts at €21 per person, with a 4.6 rating from 5,301 reviews. It is an official ticket run by A'DAM Lookout, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. It includes one drink at the Panorama restaurant or Rooftop Bar. The lift takes you up 20 floors in 20 seconds, and the time on your ticket is the opening time, so you can stay as long as you like. No set ticket length, group size or pickup is listed; you meet at the Lookout on Overhoeksplein 5. The Over the Edge swing and VR ride cost extra, and people with epilepsy are listed as not suited.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.

Going on your own costs nothing for the ferry and the walk, while a ticket adds a seat, an audio guide and a set start. A tour is the wrong choice if you only want to cross the IJ. The ferry is free, and you can walk to the A'DAM Lookout entrance yourself. A boat ticket is worth it when you want the audio guide and a seat out of the weather. All three tours show free cancellation, and GetYourGuide's own page is the source for every rating above.

Step 5: Stay safe at night and find a bed near the station

Theft is the main risk around Amsterdam Centraal, at night and in the day. The UK government says pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common around Amsterdam Central Station. It says thieves often work in groups on trains and trams to and from Schiphol and Central Station, with one person distracting you while another takes your bag.

None of the official pages read for this guide rates the station for safety at night, and no crime figures are quoted here. Plan around the advice instead. The UK government also says to avoid quiet, dark alleys late at night, not to fall asleep in public or on public transport, and to keep your drink in sight. I amsterdam says to keep valuables, especially your phone, under close watch and to be wary of a stranger who bumps into you or asks for directions. Call 112 in an emergency. The non-emergency police number is 0900-8844. I amsterdam says you can report a theft online or at a police station by appointment. Keep your luggage in sight, says the UK government.

The UK government also warns about people who say they are police and ask for cash or cards. To check an officer, call 0900 8844.

After midnight your options change. The metro stops at 00:30, but the F3 ferry runs through the night. GVB sells a night bus single ride for €5.70 in 2026, and it is not covered by the 1-hour ticket.

If you want a bed close to the station, two hotels fit different plans. The Ambassade Hotel sits on the Herengracht canal, with canal-view rooms and a 5-minute walk to the Flower Market. The Sir Adam Hotel is on Overhoeksplein in Amsterdam-Noord, a 2-minute walk from the A'DAM Lookout, and one free ferry ride from the station. The Ambassade suits a stay in the old centre, but no page read gives its walk to Centraal. I amsterdam lists hotels right at the station, including the Ibis Amsterdam Centre on Stationsplein and the DoubleTree by Hilton on Oosterdokseiland, a short walk away. No official page rates the area as a good base or lists hotel prices. The facts that help are these: every metro line stops at Centraal, two tram stops sit out front, and Dam Square is 10 minutes on foot. The Sir Adam suits the Lookout, and the F3 ferry runs all night if you return late. For other areas, see the guide on where to stay.