So you have a multi hour layover in Amsterdam, but don’t want to be cooped up in the airport? Good for you the capital city of Netherlands is a short train ride from Schiphol airport.
There are kiosks all over to easily buy roundtrip train tickets to Amsterdam Central Station. For 9 EUR adult and 2.50 EUR child you’ll be on your way.
If you don’t want to drag your luggage through the city, the airport has a convenient bag drop off. For a fee based on weight you can store your belongings for up to 24 hours.
If you are traveling in the morning and just looking for a quick breakfast, All Stars Steakhouse is a great spot. Its a 4 minute walk from Central Station. The English breakfast and Swedish style pancakes are top notch and be sure to add a bowl of chips (french fries) to the order.
From here you have a ton of options including the Anne Frank House and Amsterdam Cheese Museum both a 20 minute walk. The Van Gogh Museum a 36 minute walk but 10 minute or less Uber ride.
The heart of Amsterdam is Dam Square, a mere 10 minute walk from Central Station. This is where you’ll find a ton of attractions, from canal rides to exploring the national monument. If shopping is what you are after than Kalverstraat is the place for you. This is a famous shopping street that runs less than half a mile from Dam Square.
Don’t worry about exchanging your money for Euros as most places accept credit/debit cards and automatically converts the prices for you. If you don’t want to mess with the hassle of using your debit card outside of your country, you may want to look into TranferWise. This is an easy to use service not only to send money abroad but also use their debit card to pay for transactions domestically or internationally.
When heading back during the day there are trains that depart to Schiphol airport every 10 minutes from platform 14a or platform 15. Note: Night trains leave from a different platform.
Let us know in the comments your favorite attractions to see while on layover in Amsterdam.
