3 Hours in Amsterdam
January 7th, 2009 by wktd
Just remember you can not bring in fresh cheese or meat into the US, you will have to eat it on the plane.
I have often brought back a ball of Gouda and declared it when entering the USA. Packaged cheese is OK. Meat not.
I would grab a cab and hang out in Dam Square. I know its 7am but the airport is only 20 minutes and you'll get to see something of AMS. I think you can take the tram to and from the airport too.
I must respectfully disagree with the advice to leave the airport given that you have less than 4 hours to make the turn-around, and you must clear customs, perhaps explain your unusually short stay, check in, and pass back through security. I have been to Amsterdam four times in the last two years, and while I think very highly of the city and the Dutch people, and generally am in favor of making the most of a layover there, I must advise you under the circumstances to decline.
There is no tram service to the city center. There is a direct train running from the station right underneath Schipol to Centraal Station, however. The trip is inexpensive and will only take 20 minutes each way (and frequency is often). Even so, you just don't have enough time to risk missing the return flight. Even if you were familiar with Schipol, the train service, and Amsterdam proper, heading into town would probably be ill-advised. As a first-time visitor, the city center can be very disorienting, so stay at the airport.
Fortunately for you, Schipol IMHO is the best airport in the world. The train station in the "basement" is incredibly convenient. There are plenty of shops and restaurants. Take advantage of your duty free status. Schipol also has a fantastic airport observation lounge if you enjoy plane watching. So stay in the airport (unless you can change your return flight painlessly to give yourself more layover time) and plan on returning to Amsterdam again in the future so you can spend some time in this wonderful city.
Clear customs, then do some shopping. In three hours if you are a moderate shopper you won't even have time to hit all the stores, there are zillions of them. Indeed, keep an eye on the clock, three hours can go by very quickly and you don't want to miss your plane shopping.
[QUOTE]I'll be in AMS on trhe 23rd. I arrive by KL 618 (NW8618) on the 23rd and leave at 11:10 for DTW. Maybe we can meet.
Sounds good. send an email and we'll confirm.
CO_Bulkhead....did you mean this weekend the 7th or next weekend the 14th? I'm going CDG via DTW-AMS on the 21st NW#8618 and return the 23rd with a 3+ hour layover in AMS NW#35 to IAD. Tell me what I can expect on the transatlantic flights? These will be my 1st.
Thanks in advance.
I'll be in AMS on trhe 23rd. I arrive by KL 618 (NW8618) on the 23rd and leave at 11:10 for DTW. Maybe we can meet.
I would have thought that if you have only hand baggage, you could go to a transfer desk and check in.
Pat
Finally, I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned the wonderful observation platform at Schipol. It's on top of the terminal and it affords a great view of the airplanes. Just follow the signs!
You could take a train (which is 5.50 roundtrip) and go into Amsterdam, and hang out at Dam Square, but the risk is not making your flight or clearing customs on the way back. I would not leave the airport. There is so much to do there. Stay at the airport as suggested above and have fun. It's a great, world-class airport that few airports can match for shopping.
Thanks in advance.
Hi,
I have been to AMS hundred of times, and have left the airport even though I had just 1h lay-over.
After debording the plane, it takes you about 10min to immigration, then 5min through customs. You won't have any luggage anyway, so no problem there.
Get yourself a train ticket, every 10 min goes the train and it takes you 20 min.
Check-in before you go to town!
AMS is a great airport, however, in 3h I would go into the city-center. Have a coffee (in a coffee-shop?? :-) and leave the city center 1-1,5h before Departure. The trains to the Airport always leave from platform 13, the last one at Amsterdam Centraal (main train station). When you fly with KL, take on of the little airport maps out of the in-flight magazine, so you know your way around.
Again, AMS is a great airport, but the city-center is so close that it would be a shame if you missed out on that. 3h total are enough for that, believe me.
Have fun, don't smoke too much...
A word of caution. The last time I was in Amsterdam (12/02), I allocated 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to Schipol from Centraal Station and still missed my flight due to a problem with the trains. Missing a transatlantic flight can cause a bigger headache than missing a return flight to the UK. Bear in mind, the airlines close check-in much earlier on international returns than they do, say, on domestic flights in the USA. Again, I highly recommend that you don't leave Schipol given the amenities available at the airport and your unfamiliarity with Amsterdam.
Excellent with Gran Marnier....which is also very cheap there.....
"So how long are you going to be in Holland?"
"About three hours."
"Why are you here for such a short time?"
"The airline is giving double frequent flier miles for the trip, and I wanted to get some tulips for my wife."
"You flew all the way here for points?"
"They all count as base miles..."
"Well, if that's what makes you happy, then..." (head shaking with disbelief)
You should be fine -- if you can live with a little puzzlement from the Dutch customs folks. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
Best bet for whiling time away: grocery store in corner of the shopping area. Between the beer selection, great candies and yummy stroopwafels, I had plenty to load into my roll-aboard. If it wasn't 7am, I'd go for some frites with mayonnaise from stand next to the grocery.
Schipol is a large and interesting enough airport for just wandering around. Clearing customs should be no big deal, and doing so will allow you to explore the train station and other outer areas. But checkin/security coming back in might take a bit of time.
The duty-free shopping is pretty good, or so people more knowledgeable than I have told me.
There is no tram service to the city center. There is a direct train running from the station right underneath Schipol to Centraal Station, however. The trip is inexpensive and will only take 20 minutes each way (and frequency is often). Even so, you just don't have enough time to risk missing the return flight. Even if you were familiar with Schipol, the train service, and Amsterdam proper, heading into town would probably be ill-advised. As a first-time visitor, the city center can be very disorienting, so stay at the airport.
Agreed, AMS is more than an interesting airport on its own merit.
You also might want to check out the Flyertalk Airports Forum and look in the AMS forum for much more additonal inforamtion on AMS.
There is a supermarket at AMS that sells some good meat, cheese, bread to make a sandwich if your ailine meals have not been good. Just remember you can not bring in fresh cheese or meat into the US, you will have to eat it on the plane.
Dutch beer is good too! Business class lounge has nice draft (I think you can use it if you belong to NW lounge program).
3 hours should go by fast-- a great chance to stretch your legs between the flights. One think I enjoy doing is walking through the concourses and watching flights leaving for different places: this flight to Ghana, that flight to Malaysia, another flight to Lima-- kinda makes you feel like a world citizen. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif I really enjoy AMS-- I think you'll have a good flight.
Do you know if your flights from DTW to AMS are operated by KLM or by NW? KLM operates the 7:00pm flight from DTW to AMS, and the 2:20pm flight from AMS to DTW-- judging by the arrival/departure times you list, I'm guessing you're on NW both ways.
Good luck! Have a great trip!! And welcome to the board. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
I have been to AMS hundred of times, and have left the airport even though I had just 1h lay-over.
After debording the plane, it takes you about 10min to immigration, then 5min through customs. You won't have any luggage anyway, so no problem there.
Get yourself a train ticket, every 10 min goes the train and it takes you 20 min.
Check-in before you go to town!
AMS is a great airport, however, in 3h I would go into the city-center. Have a coffee (in a coffee-shop?? :-) and leave the city center 1-1,5h before Departure. The trains to the Airport always leave from platform 13, the last one at Amsterdam Centraal (main train station). When you fly with KL, take on of the little airport maps out of the in-flight magazine, so you know your way around.
Again, AMS is a great airport, but the city-center is so close that it would be a shame if you missed out on that. 3h total are enough for that, believe me.
Have fun, don't smoke too much...
Doc
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