First time in Amsterdam — how do I get from Schiphol to my hotel?
Choose by where the hotel is. If it is a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal, the train from underneath Schiphol Plaza gets you there in about 15 to 20 minutes; for any other address, take a metered taxi from the official stand in front of Schiphol Plaza or book a car ahead whose chauffeur meets you inside the arrivals hall, which with AmstelCab is a fixed €90 per car in Business Class to anywhere in Amsterdam.
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Schiphol → your Amsterdam hotel, fixed per car
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, Schiphol → your Amsterdam hotel | €90 | E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, Schiphol → your Amsterdam hotel | €125 | V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, Schiphol → your Amsterdam hotel | €140 | S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Mercedes-Maybach (Ultra), Schiphol → your Amsterdam hotel | €250 | Maybach S-Class · up to 2 passengers, 2 bags · confirmed by dispatch, not instant |
Booked less than 12 hours before landing: €99 in Business Class. Prices are per car, not per person, with 9% Dutch VAT included, and the same day and night. Booked less than 12 hours before pickup: +10%. At Schiphol the first 60 minutes of waiting are free, elsewhere 15 minutes; after that waiting is charged per minute at the class's hourly rate (Business €65 an hour). Free cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
The three ways in, for someone who has never been
| Option | What you do after baggage claim | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Train to Amsterdam Centraal | Walk into Schiphol Plaza, get a ticket and go down to the platforms beneath it; about 15–20 minutes to Centraal | Hotels near Centraal, light luggage |
| Taxi from the official stand | Follow the taxi signs and floor stickers to the stand in front of Schiphol Plaza; pay the meter at the end | Any address, no advance plans |
| Pre-booked car | Look for your name on an iPad at the doors of your arrivals hall; the chauffeur takes the bags | Any address, a fixed price, help with luggage |
What is included in the price
- Flight tracking from the moment you book: an early or late landing moves the pickup, at no extra cost
- Your chauffeur inside the arrivals hall your flight feeds into, holding an iPad sign with your name (or a company name, or no name)
- A message or call from the chauffeur around landing, so you find each other quickly
- Luggage carried from the hall to the car, which waits in the Privium section at the front of P1, a covered walk of about two minutes
- The first 60 minutes of waiting at Schiphol
- Water and phone chargers (iOS and Android) in the car; English-speaking chauffeur and 24/7 dispatch
Your first 30 minutes after landing
- Passport control and bags. As a US citizen you register in the EU’s Entry/Exit System on your first entry; allow time for it.
- Through customs into your arrivals hall. Schiphol has one terminal; Arrivals 1 to 4 sit side by side on the ground floor.
- Pick your option. Signs point to the trains beneath Schiphol Plaza, the taxi stand in front of it and the app pick-up point.
- Have the hotel’s full address ready. Street, house number and hotel name; canal addresses have an odd and an even side.
Related questions
Which option is easiest if I have never been to Amsterdam?
The one with the fewest decisions after a long flight: a pre-booked car with your name on a sign. The train is simple too, but only if your hotel is right at the station you arrive at.
How do I know which arrivals hall I will come out in?
Your flight decides it; you just follow the exit. If you booked a pickup, dispatch reads the hall from Schiphol’s flight information, so the chauffeur is already at your doors.
Is it OK to take a taxi without booking?
Yes — use the official stand in front of Schiphol Plaza and ignore anyone offering a ride inside the terminal, as Schiphol itself advises.
Sources
- Schiphol — “Taxi to or from Schiphol airport” (Internet Archive copy of July 6, 2026) (checked September 24, 2026)
- European Commission — Entry/Exit System fully operational (April 10, 2026) (checked September 24, 2026)
Book it, or ask dispatch first
Book online in a few minutes (no account, no app), or send your flight number and address on WhatsApp and dispatch replies in English, 24 hours a day.