Schiphol Amsterdam Airport
Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam (with code AMS) is the main airport in the Netherlands. It is located 15 km (20 minutes by train) southwest of Amsterdam. In 2012 it ranked fifth in the world largest international passenger traffic and fourth in Europe (16th in the world) in total number of passengers.
The airport consists of one large terminal, split into three main halls for departure – 1, 2 and 3 – and each of them is split into several zones with exits (gates) for boarding on the airplanes. Hall 1 housed zones B and C, which have a total of 35 gates. In Hall 2 areas D and E are located, which mostly serves flights of KLM and Delta to the United States. Hall 3 consists of zones F, G, H and M with 35 boarding gates. Schiphol airport is the main base of KLM and Delta Air Lines, but it operates traditional airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Astana, China Southern Airlines and others, as well as some low cost airlines such as Easy Jet, Vueling, Flybe and Germanwings.
Services
Storage of Luggage
The airport offers a service for storing your luggage in lockers located in many places around the terminal against a price which varies according to the size of the bags - from € 6 for 24 hours for small bags and backpacks, to € 9.50/24 hours for luggage, and € 11.50 / 24 hours for very large suitcases. Payment can be performed only by card. You can leave your luggage in special baggage depot in the basement, where the fee is fixed at € 7/24 hours and can be paid in cash. The maximum storage time under these conditions for both options is 7 days.
For moving the luggage at the airport there are free baggage carts, and on request one can use a help from a porter.
Other Services
Schiphol Airport offers 24 hour medical care, pharmacy, and special places where you can take care of your baby if you are traveling with it. One can find offices of different banks that offer conditions for the return of VAT, ATM, machines for currency exchange, and exchange offices. In certain area of the airport there is free wireless internet and at salon 2 one can find a post office. On the territory of the whole airport there are places from where you can call, send sms or use the Internet. Besides the various shops, bars and restaurants, you can find duty free shops, and an around-the-clock supermarket. You can request for a duty free purchase online in advance.
There are facilities for disabled people also – relevant parking lots, toilets, lifts, telephone, etc., as well as carts and assistance upon arrival.
Transportation to the City
By train
It is comfortable, fast and cheap. In the central hall of the terminal under Schiphol Plaza there is a railway stop, from where direct trains leave to the Amsterdam Central Station in every 15 minutes. The price to Amsterdam Central Station, which is located very close to the city center, is € 3.90/direction. Also, there are night trains to Utrecht, Leiden, The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam. You can also use the high-speed train Thalys, which serves major European cities. Machines and ticket counters can be found in the halls for luggage and at Schiphol Plaza. Please note that tickets purchased from a counter are with € 0.50 more expensive.
By Bus
From the airport you can use the 197 bus, which departs every 15 minutes from platform A7 in front of hall 2 for arrivals. The price is € 2.38 if you buy it in advance and € 4 if bought from the driver.
By a Shuttle Bus to the Hotel
A lot of hotels offer a free transportation from and to the airport and are part of a paid service, called Connexxion Schiphol Hotel Service, which will take you to more than 100 hotels in and around Amsterdam for an average price of €16 for one direction. For information about tickets, you can check hall 2 for arrivals.
By Car
Near the airport the A4 highway passes, which connects Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. If you want to rent a car, you can take advantage in advance from the assistance of our consultants in every office of Usit Colours or you can search the services by many companies offering this service directly on the airport, including Avis, Hertz, National Car Rental, Budget and Sixt.
By Taxi
This is the most expensive and often slower variant due to the traffic jam. Taxis can be found as you exit the terminal at Schiphol Plaza. The travel time ranges from 25 to 60 minutes, and the price can be more than € 50 for one direction.
