We have a 9-hour layover on our way from the US to Croatia in mid-July. We land at 11:15am on a Friday and depart at 8:25pm to Split. I think we have time to spend a few hours in Amsterdam (we’ve never been and will certainly plan a trip to spend more time in the future)
I’d appreciate advice on storing bags, transport to downtown and what I a “must see”.
Thanks!
You indeed have plenty of time to go into time. To help you estimate how much time you have, you should provide a bit more details. Did you buy this on 1 ticket? Do you have check in luggage? If so, will that be checked thru to your final destination?
The website of the airport has all the details https://www.schiphol.nl/en/at-schiphol/services/luggage-storage/
Since you will be transferring from a non-Schengen flight to a Schengen flight, you should pick the locker location before security!!!
The easiest way to get to central Amsterdam is to take the train. The train station at Schiphol is located underneath the airport. You pay by tapping your credit card in and out.
As with regards to what to see, it depends on your interests. There are no must sees, because different people have different interests and likes and dislikes. If you tell us a bit more about your interests we can give you specific advice. Or you can read the information on the Amsterdam tourist office; https://www.iamsterdam.com/en
You could do a canal boat guided tour - you can pick up one of the Lovers boats just outside the main train station in Amsterdam.
I would consider taking the bus from Schiphol to Leidseplein. From there you can walk to all the museums and/or walk many of the canals. This will give you very good overview of what Amsterdam is like. Central Amsterdam is very small and has an excellent tram system and you can see a lot in 4-5 hours. Have a great trip.
Several recent posts on this topic that may be helpful including links to logistics. The airport can be incredibly busy, do not skimp on giving yourself enough time to get to your next flight. And since you will be jet lagged, be gentle on yourself and don't try to do too much.
Thanks all for the information.
A few more details - We are on 1 ticket with a long layover (not by choice). I haven't decided if we'll check bags or carryon. If we check, do we have to collect our bags to go through immigration and recheck to final destination? That's what happens when we land in the US if our first stop isn't home.
I saw the other posts, they were traveling outbound to non-Schengen flights and/or back to US. Since we are going to a Schengen country, and flying business class on Delta/KLM, how early should we be back to the airport? Hoping not the full 3 hours early. We will monitor the available links when we are there.
Hopefully flying business we will sleep and not have too much jet lag. That being said, we don't want to schedule anything that needs advance tickets in case travel plans go awry... no need to start vacation stressed to make an appointment! We enjoy history and experiencing the food and culture. Given the timing, I think a nice early dinner would be fun (gluten-free options). The canal boat tour also sounds interesting - are they readily available?
Thanks!
Since you’ve booked this on 1 ticket, your luggage will be checked thru to your final destination. Upon arrival at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, you will have to go through passport control because you will need to enter the Schengen zone. When you return to the airport to catch your flight to Croatia, you will only need to go through security. There will be no passport control because you’ll be flying to a destination within the Schengen zone.
Since you’re flying KLM business class, you will be eligible for Sky Priority. This means you can use the dedicated Sky Priority security checkpoints. This should save you considerable time. That being said, I would aim to be back at the airport no later than 7 pm.
Canal cruises are readily available all over the city. Some depart near the central train stations, other depart from in front of the Rijksmuseum.
