What’s the difference between a taxi and a private driver in Amsterdam, price-wise?
A taxi runs a meter, capped in 2026 at a €4.31 start plus €3.17 a kilometer and €0.52 a minute, so short hops are cheap and slow rides grow; a private driver fixes one price per car before you set off. At AmstelCab that is a €50 Business Class minimum inside Amsterdam, €90 from Schiphol into the city, or €65 an hour with the car waiting — the taxi wins a 3 km hop, and on the airport run the two come close.
Last updated:
Fixed prices per car: the airport run
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €90 | E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €125 | V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €140 | S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Mercedes-Maybach (Ultra), Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €250 | Maybach S-Class · up to 2 passengers, 2 bags · confirmed by dispatch, not instant |
By the hour: €65 in Business Class, minimum 2 hours (€130). 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.
How the two are priced
| Taxi from a rank or the street | Private driver (AmstelCab) | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Meter: start + per km + per minute, capped by law | One fixed price per car, agreed at booking |
| A 3 km, 10-minute hop | at most €19.02 on the meter | €50 minimum in Business Class |
| Schiphol → central Amsterdam | Meter; about 24 km to Dam Square | €90 fixed, meet & greet included |
| Waiting | Up to €59.41 an hour, only if agreed before the ride | Free for the first 60 minutes at Schiphol (15 elsewhere), then pro rata at €65 an hour |
| Extras such as lifting suitcases | A supplement only if agreed beforehand | Luggage help included |
| A car that waits all evening | Not how taxis work | €65 an hour, minimum 2 hours |
Taxi figures are the 2026 national maximums from the Dutch government; a taxi may charge less.
Choosing on price
For a short ride across town with no luggage, take the taxi or the tram; our minimum fare is not designed for a three-kilometer hop. For the airport, the meter and the fixed price are in the same range, and the fixed price adds a name sign in the arrivals hall, luggage help and waiting time.
For a group, count cars, not people: one van at a fixed price replaces two taxis. And for an evening or a day, hourly hire keeps the same car waiting, which a taxi does not do.
Related questions
Is a private driver always more expensive than a taxi in Amsterdam?
No. On short hops, usually yes; on the airport run the two come close; for a group in one van, the fixed price often comes out lower than two metered taxis.
Do private drivers charge for waiting?
AmstelCab includes the first 60 minutes at Schiphol and 15 minutes elsewhere; after that, waiting is billed per minute at the hourly rate of the class, €65 an hour in Business Class.
Can a taxi give me a fixed price instead of the meter?
Yes. Dutch rules allow taxi drivers to offer a fixed price, as long as it is agreed before the ride starts.
Sources
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch government) — “Wat zijn de tarieven voor een taxi?”: 2026 maximum taxi tariffs (checked September 24, 2026)
- Rijksoverheid — “Kwaliteitseisen taxi en taxichauffeur” (maximum tariffs apply to ranks and street hails; a booked taxi agrees its price in advance) (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.