Layover in Amsterdam

Its a little dicey leaving the airport with less than 4 hours. Especially on the way back to the states there will be an additional security gauntlet to pass through even after you've gone through Schipol security and passport control. I used to do it years ago with a 6 hour layover, but that was the good old days.

hi, im not sure how your flight/gate will be, but im using Schiphol Airport (AMS) as my hub for travels. Anyway, on my last trip, they did a change to me. They put the security screen right at the boarding gate so the only people needed to be screened were the passengers for that flight. In MY Opinion (imo) i think it was really nifty and thinking outside of the box and imo, i thought it went faster. if i remember correctly (iirc), it took about 30~45 minutes to get into town by bus. You can take the train too and its a faster and will put you at the central train station. of course it will depend on what you want to do or see in Amsterdam. for what its worth (fwiw) Schiphol is a nice airport, so you maybe able to spend your time there and burn up 4 hours real fast. happy trails.

I don't see how you can do this. Seem the best you could make it in to town would be 2:30. The boarding will close before 5:10, probably by least 1/2 hour earlier. Even with Schiphol screening at the gates as opposed to a huge central line, you'd need to be in line at the gate by 4:30, which means a train leaving no later than 4:05, which means getting back to the station before then...How much can you do in 1 hour while worrying about being late and missing the flight?

In order to make a quick journey into the city, you need a minimum of five hours between flights. Sadly it won't work for you:( Good news is there is lots to do at Schipol Airport including a branch of the Rijks Museum, a small library, great shopping, spas and comfortable lounges.

There is lots to do in Schiphol, museum, library, restaurants, shopping. Do a computer search for Schiphol and you will see the amenities.

You don't have time for that, period. Your plane touches down 1:40 and it take-off again 5.10. That doesn't include taxiing to gate, security etc. A tip: Rijksmuseum now has a neat section beyond security gates out there. Enjoy your time there.

Yup, not enough time. Spend your time at the airport. As others mentioned, there are some nice things to do, and a Google search will point you in the right direction. Have fun!

I wouldn't try. Schipol does have a Rijksmuseum annex at the airport that you will have time for.