Amsterdam, Netherlands - How to Take Train From Airport to City Center

[@ems9097]

Super helpful and oddly relaxing haha! Thank you :)

[@WalkingSerenity]

You're welcome

[@mybonesclack]

Thank you so much for this video

[@WalkingSerenity]

You are so welcome!

[@stephenkhan454]

defo helpful ... cheers bro

[@WalkingSerenity]

Glad it helped

[@007Bocicica]

thanks

[@WalkingSerenity]

You're welcome

[@veritasrising]

Valuable and concise direction video. Thank you so much 🙂

[@WalkingSerenity]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lindawolf481]

Great video. Thanks

[@WalkingSerenity]

@lindawolf481: I appreciate it! Was there anything specific in the video that you found helpful?

[@TheNikolett83]

Where did you validate your ticket?

[@UnitedRobloxian]

You see a scan machine, it will be yellow and on a small pole. At the exit there is a ticket gate.

[@WalkingSerenity]

Thanks for the info

[@WalkingSerenity]

Sometimes the streets and buildings do speak for themselves

[@weeardguy]

The validators he's walking towards at the 2:51 mark ;) (The sleek poles in the middle of the yellow band). I get the feeling he forgot, but don't worry, many, many tourists forget and conductors usually don't care.

[@Sophie_kent]

Thank you. Can you use that train ticket for rest of the day ?

[@UnitedRobloxian]

So it depends. If you bought an ov-chipkaart or a "daluren dagkaart'' you can use NS trains for the rest of the day. Note: Daluren means that you can use it on Monday - Friday between 16:00 and 9:00. and on the weekends the whole day. An ov-chipkaart needs to have a balance loaded on. Remember to validate the ticket at the ticket posts!

[@WalkingSerenity]

Thanks for the info

[@hazrijamaludin7343]

Can i use wise card to use public transport such as train from airport to city center?

[@fedup7675]

yes! as of 31/01/23 you can check-in and out with bank cards just like an OV-chipkaart, accepted card types are mastercard and visa. as far as i know wise uses visa type, so it should work, but its best you check.

[@hazrijamaludin7343]

Great thanks

[@WalkingSerenity]

Thanks for the info

[@heidibeechuk9203]

Is there a designated place for luggage? Thanks

[@WalkingSerenity]

@heidibeechuk9203 Did you find a designated place for your luggage on the train?

[@heidibeechuk9203]

@@WalkingSerenity I haven’t gone yet. I was needing to take the train from airport to Rotterdam and wanted to know about luggage and safety.

[@samjenkins4155]

How long is the train ride? I have a four hour layover to n AMS and would like to see something during that time.

[@WalkingSerenity]

Depends

[@weeardguy]

Four hours is a bit tight to be honest, but it is doable. It all depends on the train you take. Intercity Direct trains (ICD for short) offer a direct option from Schiphol to Amsterdam CS without any stops in between, but the service is rather slow (tight curves) and often faces delays (upfront, hardly ever on the last stretch) (or even cancellations), but will get you there in 14 minutes. Many Sprinter services call at Amsterdam CS as well and only stop at Amsterdam Lelylaan and Amsterdam Sloterdijk in between, and take 4 minutes longer. Most important thing: plan ahead! Disruptions can happen anytime and anywhere and if you plan a different modality to get to the airport, that's always a good idea. Many buses from the stations closest to Schiphol go to Schiphol as well, should the need arise.

[@halfdohm]

Thanks. If I want to go to Sloterdijk instead of Centraal, do I just buy a ticket to the station I want?

[@weeardguy]

Yes ;) Be aware though (just a bit of preparation up front): Amsterdam has many stations within the area. Many unofficial travel-apps (google and whatever) do NOT mention full station names and list stations as 'RAI' 'Sloterdijk', 'Bijlmer Arena' and such, while in reality the official name is 'Amsterdam RAI', 'Amsterdam Sloterdijk' and 'Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena'. To find these stations on the ticket machines, start by selecting the letters 'AM' first, as this will list ALL stations within the Amsterdam area. Pressing the R (for 'RAI'), S (for 'Sloterdijk') or B for Bijlmer Arena will not get you anywhere. If you have a wireless enabled bank card that's accepted (and the majority is) you can always tap in directly at the validators (the sleek looking thingies in the middle of the yellow band he's walking to at the 2:51 mark). This saves you a euro per ticket for using the machines (which is ridiculous, I know) and saves you the hassle of buying a ticket. Downside is that you should not forget to tap out at your destination (which is not that hard within the Amsterdam area as almost all stations have barriers) ánd that it sometimes does not work flawless compared to regular tickets.

[@WalkingSerenity]

@halfdohm Did you manage to get your ticket to Sloterdijk?

[@WalkingSerenity]

@weeardguy Have you encountered any issues with the wireless bank card method?

[@halfdohm]

@@WalkingSerenity No issues. The train system in the Netherlands is outstanding.

[@arnoldpalthe3915]

When you want to go to the train, just follow the signs..........Whoever thought this up is a true genius.

[@WalkingSerenity]

@arnoldpalthe3915: Haha, right? Simple directions can make such a big difference! What’s the best sign you’ve ever followed on a trip?

[@antarasarkar12]

Hi! Does this train stop at Amsterdam RAI? I need to get off there.

[@harlanchinn8121]

You need to get onto the No.51 train that will take you to the RAI. We stayed in the Museumplein or museum district when attending a trade show at the RAI.

[@WalkingSerenity]

Thanks for the info

[@weeardguy]

@@harlanchinn8121 Be aware that the 51 is a metro operated by GVB, and NOT a train by NS. Usually many trains call at Amsterdam RAI as well, but trackworks can happen which could render this station not serviced by trains at any given moment. The NS-website will tell you this if you plan your journey there.

[@arnoldpalthe3915]

@@weeardguy only so-called Sprinters stop at Amsterdam-RAI

[@weeardguy]

@@arnoldpalthe3915 I know, but what I meant is that you get 4 trains per hour in both directions during the regular hours, with trains that terminate at 2 different stations and it is not just 1 single service operating this station.

[@lautrufend]

I heard that in 2024, Amsterdam public transport now accept contactless payment (such as credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, etc) with no need for a ticket. Is that true for this particular train?

[@WalkingSerenity]

I'm not entirely sure, but I'll look into it

[@RealConstructor]

Yes, you can pay with debit card, credit card, smartwatch and cellphone (Google Pay and Apple Pay) in almost the whole country. At the end of this year it is available in the whole country. You do it by keeping your card, watch or phone in front of the check in kiosk, wait until you see a message on the display of the kiosk where you checked in. Do the same after you leave the train, mostly these check out kiosks are in the station hall or on the platform. When you take a bus, the check in kiosk is at the entrance next to the driver and for check out at every exit. Don’t forget to check out or you will pay the maximum tariff. For the subway it can be at the platform gates or on the platform if there aren’t platform gates. Check in and check out kiosk are yellow (I believe) with an OV-chip icon on it, white background with pink sign and a small display above.

[@weeardguy]

Yes, but be aware that (unlike civilised countries) there's NO price-cap at all. You pay the full fare for every single journey you make this way. Daycards and such can not be loaded or coupled to your card. If you plan on using public transport a lot, the disposable tickets could be the cheaper option.

[@oswaldomirandajunior4422]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@RealConstructor thanks a lot, but how to know if I will pay for first class or second class using my debt card ? Are the kiosks different for first and second class?

[@arpitkhannaa]

Thankyou boss

[@WalkingSerenity]

You're welcome

[@maltesetony9030]

You didn't validate your ticket!

[@WalkingSerenity]

Good eye

[@transitcaptain]

Now you can just tap with your credit card

[@WalkingSerenity]

@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460 Have you tried using your credit card to tap in?

[@transitcaptain]

@@WalkingSerenity not personally, but other people have and it worked fine

[@j.vanderson6239]

Taking first class is a waste of money

[@WalkingSerenity]

@j.vanderson6239: I get that! First class doesn’t always live up to the hype. What do you prefer instead?