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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
The Netherlands' primary international hub below sea level.
- ›Schiphol sits approximately 3.35 metres below mean sea level, among the lowest elevations of any major airport.
- ›The airport's name originates from the Dutch words meaning 'ship's hole', referencing a historic naval battle site reclaimed from water.
- ›A branch of the Rijksmuseum is located airside, offering rotating displays of Dutch Golden Age artworks.
- ›Schiphol was one of the first airports in Europe to implement a single-terminal concept for seamless passenger flow.
- ›The airport handled a record approximately 71.7 million passengers in 2019, making it the third busiest in Europe that year.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, opened in 1916 on a drained lakebed called the Haarlemmermeer polder, is one of Europe's busiest and most consistently well-regarded international hub airports. Operating entirely as a single integrated terminal complex, it serves as the primary hub for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and handles over 60 million passengers in peak years. Its below-sea-level location and distinctive layout of numbered piers make it both an engineering curiosity and a model of efficient passenger flow.
- Departures 1, 2 and 3 — Three departure halls feed into a unified terminal structure with connected piers (B through H), handling all Schengen and non-Schengen flights under one roof.
- Pier H (Non-Schengen) — Dedicated pier for intercontinental and long-haul departures, featuring premium lounges and gates for wide-body aircraft.
- Pier M (Budget/Charter) — Separate satellite pier primarily serving low-cost carriers and charter operations with more basic facilities.
- Amsterdam Centraal Station direct rail link via NS Intercity (approx. 15–20 minutes, trains every 10 minutes)
- Connexxion and regional bus services to Amsterdam suburbs and nearby cities
- Taxi and ride-hail services from designated ranks outside Arrivals
- Car rental desks from Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Sixt and Budget in the Arrival hall
- Schiphol Travel Taxi shared shuttle service to Amsterdam and surrounding regions
- Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (on-site, connected to the terminal)
- citizenM Amsterdam Airport
- NH Hotel Schiphol Airport
- Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel (connected to terminal complex)
- Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Inside the terminal, travellers will find a wide range of options from Dutch pancake cafés and Heineken brand bars to international chains such as Burger King, Starbucks and Wagamama, particularly concentrated in the landside Schiphol Plaza and airside pier lounges. The Rijksmuseum satellite branch near Lounge 2 offers a cultural pause alongside coffee. Outside the airport, the town of Hoofddorp a few kilometres away has a broader selection of Dutch restaurants and local eateries accessible by bus.
- Factor extra time for non-Schengen security and passport control, especially during peak morning departure banks.
- The free AirportShopping trolley service and signposted transfer routes make connections manageable, but allow at least 50 minutes for tighter transfers.
- Buy your NS train ticket or load your OV-chipkaart before reaching the platform to avoid queues at the station below Schiphol Plaza.
- The airport has a small Rijksmuseum exhibit airside — a worthwhile stop if you have a long layover and won't make it into Amsterdam.
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Stay, Eat & Explore: Amsterdam
Canals, bikes and golden-age art
- •Rijksmuseum — Rembrandt's Night Watch and the Dutch Golden Age.
- •Van Gogh Museum — The world's largest Van Gogh collection.
- •Anne Frank House — The secret annex — reserve online weeks ahead.
- •Canal Cruise — See the 17th-century ring from the water.
- •Jordaan — Boutique-lined lanes, brown cafés and Noordermarkt.
Getting around: Trains reach Schiphol in 15 minutes; trams, metro and OV-fiets bikes cover town. Rent a bike — it's the Dutch way.
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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, known informally as Schiphol Airport, is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is located 9 kilometres southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province of North Holland.
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