My wife and I are starting a 15 day Rhine River cruise in April. We decided to add on a couple of days in Amsterdam before our tour starts. Because this add on does not involve the tour, the tour company will not arrange our transfers from the airport to our hotel. We are looking for suggestions as to how to get to our hotel from the airport. We have thought about the train and tram systems but since our community does not have much in the way of public transportation, we are not experienced “public transportation people”, and we not sure how that will work out. We are both in our 50’s and we will be toting luggage. We have no idea about the costs related to taxis and/or shuttle services. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
The train from the airport to Centraal station costs 3.60 euros and takes 20 minutes. There is also a Connexxion shuttle bus that will take you directly from the airport to the neighborhood you hotel is in for 12 euros. A taxi will cost over 50 euros depending on traffic. Where is your hotel located? Is it in walking distance of the train station? If you have a lot of luggage then use the shuttle bus or splurge for the taxi.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Schipol airport has some of the best, quickest, easiest-to-use connections via public transportation to the city it serves in all of Europe. Reaching the city center could not be easier by rail or tram, and nearly everyone speaks English.
Posted by
OP
Chino Hills, Ca, USA
2 posts
We are staying at Dikker & Thijs Fenice Hotel. They said that we will need to take the tram from Central Station. It is to far to walk with luggage. We wouldn't mind doing the trains and trams. We are just worried about having to tote our luggage on the train and trams and having to haul all of it long distances to do all of that.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
That hotel is too far to walk with luggage, but easy to reach by via the trams in front of Centraal Station. If you just have one piece each, take trams 1,2, or 5 to the Prinsengracht stop. It's fairly straight forward. A good compromise would be to take the train to Centraal, and then to taxi to the hotel, It's a short journey and should only cost a few euros. If you can handle the train/tram journey, you'll have mastered the basics of public transport in Europe, everything else will be a breeze:)
Posted by
San Luis Obispo, CA
6 posts
We took a train and tram combination to our hotel in Amsterdam last September and it worked fine. Getting the train in the airport was easy though our credit cards wouldn't work in the automatic ticket machines and we had to go the counter. The hardest part for us was figuring out which tram to take. It was a Friday afternoon at 5 pm and VERY crowded at the train station. With the tram number information from the previous poster you won't have any problem.
Actually the most difficult part for us was the reverse trip to the airport. The tram was easy but finding the right platform in the train station was harder and didn't seem to be well marked. Pay attention as you leave when you arrive.
Posted by
Edmonton, AB, Canada
668 posts
Been there. We did that in 2006 - we are in our 60s. The train is down an escalator from the airport arrivals level and well marked. Get you ticket and get on the train, they run frequently. Outside the station there is a large square with a lot of tram stops. If you have a lot of luggage - hopefully you heed Rick's advice and do not - one of you stay with the luggage while teh other locates the right place for the tram, then both of you go to the tram and get on. Again, all the lines rune frquently. There are pleces on teh tram where the seats are set up to accommodate luggage, strollers, etc.
Enjoy your cruise. It is a very relaxing way to see the countryside - and no packing and unpacking.
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
We took the train from the airport - very easy to do. However, when we got to the Amsterdam train station, we decided to taxi to our hotel. Unfortunately we got a taxi driver who drove us around in circles and charged us way more than he should have. The people in our hotel (this was about 4 years ago) said they had been having problems in the city with some drivers, so this is something to watch for.