Schipol is arguably the most important transportation hub in Europe. There is a train station below the airport, so once you are through the arrival hall and into the main part of the airport, you can go down a ramp and be on the train platform. Why didn't they do this in the US? From the airport Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other parts of Holland are accessible.
PICTURES: These are not the best pictures of Schipol, but you'll get the idea:
Train Tickets Window | To The Train Tracks | Grocery Store in Schipol
Where to smoke after you get off the plane
If you smoke, then after 10+ hours on a flight you are ready for a cigarette. In the good old days at Schipol Airport, you could show your passport to the immigration folks, and immediately after that you could smoke while waiting to pick up your bags before going through customs.
The gool old days ended around 1998-1999 when Schipol became a (mostly) smoke free airport. Not that this is a bad idea, it just makes it harder to smoke.
I do appreciate both sides of the argument, but if you are one who does want a cigarette, then as soon as you get off the plane and before you goes through passport control you may be in an area of the airport with restaurants and bars. You can smoke in a few places, just keep your eyes open. Some flights arrive in such a way that you won't get to smoke until you get outside.
So you're there ... what now?
You are at Schiphol Airport. This is the busiest airport in Europe, and handles huge amounts of freight and passenger traffic. Between Schipol Airport and Rotterdam harbor, I believe about 30-40% of goods imported into Europe pass through Holland.
Schipol is is a modern, well designed airport. It was built between Amstelveen and Hoofdorp, but is like a city unto itself. There is really an amazing variety of services available, including a 24-hour grocery/market. One time I was in Amsterdam at 4am, and I really wanted some CoolBest orange juice. I rode the train to the airport and went to the grocery store there, because they were the only people open at that late time.
Schipol has a nice web site in English with good information and more pictures in addition to mine. Check it out after reading this:
So if you live anywhere near me you just flew about 10 hours to get to Amsterdam. Also if you're like me, you rode in Tourist class and are tired and cramped. After getting past immigration, picking up your luggage, and passing customs inspection, there are still some things to handle before leaving the airport.
When you are ready to leave you can take a taxi into Amsterdam for about $30-35 tip included. I'm not sure if you have to tip the cabbies, but I do if they have some interesting information. If you followed My #1 Travel Tip you don't have so much luggage and may be better off taking the train into town. It's much cheaper.
What to do at the airport:
- Train tickets to Amsterdam
- Phone cards (smart cards)
- Strippenkaart
Take a look around and notice the wide variety of things to do and see at Schipol Airport. There are numerous restaurants on both sides of security. A observation deck area is normally open. There is a Schipol information center, and Internet access was planned but not implemented the last time I looked.
If you have some extra time, arrive a few hours early at the airport and people watch. Those with too much money can stay at a Hilton or Sheraton Hotel attached directly to the airport.
