the busiest airports in the world. Jet2.com, Easyjet and other low-cost carriers serve
Schiphol, providing a fairly economical way to city-hop to Amsterdam from other spots in Europe (list LCC flights). As Amsterdam is a very popular destination, the cheapest
tickets may be gone, and in that case a traditional carrier might be cheaper. So it pays to check a number of airlines before booking, to get the best deal. The former national carrier for the Netherlands is KLM, now merged with Air France. With partner Northwest Airlines they offer worldwide connections. The US, Asia and Europe are particularly well served at Schiphol.
Using other airports than Schiphol could prove cheaper in some cases, as some budget airlines fly to Eindhoven and Rotterdam Airports. Then buses and trains can be used to get to Amsterdam. A taxi is not advisable: from Rotterdam to Amsterdam a taxi would cost €130, and from Eindhoven even more.
From Eindhoven Airport take a local bus (Hermes bus 401, 23 minutes, about four times per hour, €3.20 on board or €1.80 using a 15 strippenkaart) to the train station, from there take a train to Amsterdam (1:20 hour, four times per hour, single €16.80). Alternatively, take the express bus directly from the airport to Amsterdam central station, which takes 1: 45 or 2:15 hours depending on the time of day. This service goes quite infrequently, see their website for a schedule. The ticket price is €18.50 for a single or €32.50 for a return
By Train - Most trains arrive and depart from Amsterdam Centraal Station (with one
extra 'a' in Dutch), located between the old centre and the IJ waterfront. Other train
stations are Duivendrecht, Bijlmer-ArenA, Amstel, Muiderpoort (all southeast), RAI, Zuid-
WTC (both south), Lelylaan and Sloterdijk (both west). Schiphol airport also has its own
train station, which functions as a major hub within the Netherlands. It has at least seven
trains an hour to Amsterdam Centraal, with additional trains going to other Amsterdam
stations.
Direct trains run to Brussels connecting with Eurostar trains to London St Pancras and
Ebbsfleet (Kent) in England.
By bus - Most international bus services are affiliated to Eurolines, which has a
terminal at Amstel Station (train station, metro station 51, 53, 54, tram 12). One bus per
day is usually the maximum frequency on these routes. There are other international bus
services, but they are often aimed at very specific markets, e.g. Polish migrant workers.
There are almost no long-distance internal bus services in the Netherlands, and none to
Amsterdam.
By car - The western part of the Netherlands has a dense (and congested) road
network. Coming from the east (Germany), the A1 motorway leads directly to Amsterdam.
On the A12 from Arnhem, change at Utrecht to the A2 northbound. From the south
(Belgium), the A2 goes directly to Amsterdam: the A16 /A27 from Antwerp via Breda
connects to the A2 south of Utrecht. From The Hague, the A4 leads to Amsterdam. All
motorways to Amsterdam connect to the ring motorway, the A10. From this motorway,
main roads lead radially into Amsterdam (the roads S101 through S118).
By sea - The maritime Passenger Terminal Amsterdam is close to the city centre, but
is only for cruise ships. The nearest ferry port is IJmuiden (ferry from Newcastle upon
Tyne). There are also ferry terminals at Rotterdam Europoort (ferry from Kingston Upon
Hull), and Hook of Holland (ferry from Harwich). More information, timetables and ticket
prices for these ferries is available at Ferries To Amsterdam.
