Current prices, journey times, and a clear recommendation for each situation.
Take the train. €5.90, 17 minutes, every 7.
You do not buy a ticket in advance - tap your contactless bank card or phone at the yellow OVpay gate and go. The bus (line 397) costs €6.50 and only makes sense if you are heading straight to Museumplein or Leidseplein. A taxi almost never makes financial sense unless you have a specific reason.
| Option | Price | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | €5.90 | 17 min | Tap in with a contactless card or phone at the yellow OVpay gate (€5.90). Paper ticket from NS machine: €6.20. Runs every 7 minutes by day, less frequent late at night. |
| Bus 397 | €6.50 | 30-45 min | Runs to Leidseplein and Museumplein, which the train does not. Tap in with OVpay or buy a ticket on board. Costs more than the train - only worth it if those areas are your direct destination. |
| Taxi (metered) | €45-60 | 40-60 min | Same roads as the bus, same traffic. Fair use: late at night with heavy luggage to somewhere the train does not reach. Use the official Schiphol taxi stand, not street touts. |
| Shared shuttle | €15-25 | 60-90 min | Makes multiple stops. Only worth it for door-to-door service. Book in advance, not at the airport. |
Two NS train types serve the route: the Intercity (IC) and the Sprinter. Both call at Amsterdam Centraal and both cost the same via OVpay. The Intercity has fewer intermediate stops; on this short route the difference is two or three minutes. Take whichever comes first on the platform.
Most travellers want Amsterdam Centraal: the main hub for trams, the metro, and the ferries north across the IJ, and walking distance from the historic centre.
If you are staying in the south, near Museumplein or in the Zuidas, get off one stop earlier at Amsterdam Zuid. It is about 11 minutes from Schiphol and connects straight to metro line 52, which runs north through De Pijp to Centraal. Considerably closer than going all the way to Centraal and doubling back.
Since 2023, OVpay covers trains and buses across the Netherlands - no separate OV-chipkaart or paper ticket for most journeys. Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, or phone at the yellow reader when you enter and again when you exit.
If you forget to tap off, you are charged the maximum fare for the route (€20+). It recalculates and refunds automatically over a few days if your card is registered. If your card does not support contactless, buy a single ticket from the NS machines in the terminal - they take most cards and cash. The one-way price to Centraal is €6.20.
All GVB metro and tram services use the same OVpay tap-in as the train. The one metro line most visitors need is line 52, the Noord/Zuid line: Amsterdam Noord through Centraal, Rokin (a stop from Dam Square), Vijzelgracht, and De Pijp, on south to Zuid and the RAI. Faster than the tram if you are heading south. The key trams from Centraal:
The regular train runs from around 5am to 1am. After 1am the night bus takes over - it does not go to Centraal directly, stopping at Leidseplein and a few other points; check the GVB night bus map before you land if you arrive after midnight. For late arrivals with luggage going somewhere off the night-bus network, a taxi from the official Schiphol stand is the better call.
The prices and frequencies above are what we found when we last checked (June 2026), and NS adjusts both from time to time. For the live departure board and the current fare, use NS or the all-operator planner 9292. For trams, the metro and the night bus once you are in town, GVB has the live times; for the airport bus 397 and other airport transport, check Schiphol's own travel pages.
No. It runs frequently and needs no booking. Just tap your contactless card or phone at the gate.
Yes. Both the NS Intercity and the Sprinter stop at Centraal from Schiphol. The journey takes 17 minutes and both cost the same via OVpay. Take whichever leaves first.
Centraal for most visitors - best onward connections, walking distance from the sights. Zuid if you are near Museumplein, De Pijp, or the Zuidas; it is about 11 minutes from Schiphol and connects straight to metro 52.
Bus 397 goes there directly (€6.50, about 30-45 min). Train to Centraal then tram 2 or 12 south is usually quicker and slightly cheaper overall.
Most central hotels do not, because public transport is so convenient. If yours does, it will almost certainly be slower and dearer than the train. Ask the price before you commit.