Layover at Schipol?

You can take the train leaving directly from the airport and reach Amsterdam’s Centraal train station in the city center in 15 minutes. There are train ticket machines in the airport near exits for the train platform.
Be aware the lines at Schipol are still lengthy with reports that even as of today it took more than 4 hours for some passengers to get through the Schipol gauntlet. Apparently the security screeners were being paid hourly bonuses until recently. With the bonus gone so are a lot of the staff with the resulting back-up at the security checkpoint.

Plenty of time! There are trains going to Amsterdam Centraal every few minutes from Schiphol. Amsterdam Centraal has lockers (Schiphol probably has them too) so you can put your carry-on bags in there and enjoy the city!

Thank you!! Since KLM couldn't change my flight to Krakow, it looks like I'm spending some time in Amsterdam!

I'd ask when you are traveling? I'd watch the current thread on issues at Schiphol to see what the wait time is like to get back IN the terminal. If crowds are diminished and staff increased I'd do it but if they are still having staffing issues, I'd stay in the airport if you are traveling soon. There is a Rijksmuseum outpost there, small but interesting. There is a Yotel hotel if you want to rent a room for a few hours. There are lounge chairs upstairs on the mezzanine level near the Starbucks.

In normal times going into town is doable. Now? ummmm....maybe, maybe not. People were needing to be to the airport 4 hours before a flight. That means leaving Central Amsterdam 4.5-5 hours before your flight.

Here is the link to the current thread. People are continuing to post their experiences so I'd book mark it to keep track if you are going soon.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/netherlands/schiphol-is-still-a-mess

A forum poster has added 2 articles today to the thread I linked above. Click on the link and scroll down to the bottom of the thread. They are back to having 4 hour long lines to check in. It seems the workers were given bonuses that lasted thru July and August but those have expired and people are apparently job seeking elsewhere.

If you are going thru Schiphol any time soon please review all the current information on wait times to get in to the terminal to check in for a flight, pass thru security, etc.

We did a week in Amsterdam last month.
A cab ride to the city is 50 euros, but you could take the train.

Still, considering the risk of lines at checkin and security, I would advise against going into the city.

Hi Grin; quite a few years ago we found a kiosk at the airport that offered a tour of Amsterdam in a minivan and we only had 4 hours; it was great way to spend that wait time!
Don't know if this is till available but check it out.

Jean

A post under “Schipol is Still a Mess” by someone who had a flight from Schipol on 9/13 said the Schipol Airport website advised them, for their specific flight, to get to the airport 2 hours prior to their flight. To be safe, they arrived 3 hours prior and missed their flight.
The lines actually took 4 hours. Keep very up-to-date on conditions as you near your travel before deciding if going into Amsterdam is wise.

The OP has a 7 hour layover. He/she indeed might want to get back 4 hours prior to the flight but there is still enough time to walk around Amsterdam.

I am changing my advice. As much as I hate to say it, I would stay at the airport.

https://ils.development.thepointsguy.com/news/amsterdam-cancels-flights/

Continental, that is an interesting article from The Points Guy. I knew flights had been capped over the summer but had not read this part that there will be a reduction in flights for next year.

"The passenger cap at Schiphol is currently set at 67,500 and expected to increase to 69,500 in October before being reduced by the Dutch government in 2023 to just 60,000 in order to curb air pollution."

And in NORMAL times 7 hours would be fine for visiting Amsterdam....just not something I would chance right now. Just the hassle of standing in line to re-enter the terminal would be awful for me!

I can speak with personal experience on this exact question, in case you have not already traveled.

Do not leave the Schipol airport. I repeat: Do NOT leave the airport.

We had a 7-hour layover at Schipol two Saturdays ago. We naively thought we'd leave the airport and walk around the city for two hours and then return to the airport with ample time to go through security.

We were wrong. We walked around the city as planned and returned to the airport. We then spent three hours in the security line, which snaked through the airport and outside. We believe the line was over a mile long. (When we got to the security checkpoint, I was astounded by their leisurely pace and the number of employees just standing around, but perhaps I don't have a full understanding of the situation.) The ONLY reason we made our flight was because it was delayed over an hour. Even then, it started boarding as we reached the checkpoint, and we sprinted through the airport and barely made it onboard.

I repeat: Do NOT leave the Schipol airport.