Amsterdam Airport (AMS)

The terminals at Amsterdam Airport

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one airport building, and the departures are in the areas 1, 2 and 3, with the gates from B to H and the lounges 1, 2 and 3. The airport's own map shows the whole layout, with the shops, the toilets, the transport and the services marked on it.

Because it is one building, moving between the departures areas is a walk rather than a change of airport. The train station is directly below the terminal building: take the escalator or the lift downstairs and board the train.

Getting to and from Amsterdam Airport

The train station is directly below the terminal building, and a train runs eight times an hour between Amsterdam Central and Schiphol, taking 14 to 17 minutes. The airport's own page says that is usually faster than going by car or by taxi.

Many cities in the Netherlands have direct train connections to Schiphol: you can travel from Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leiden, The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam 24 hours a day, often without changing trains. The airport advises checking the latest travel information in the NS Travel Planner before you leave, and its pages also cover the bus, the taxi and the car.

What happens when you arrive at AMS

Keep your passport and any form you filled in on the plane with you the whole way, from the aircraft door to the exit.

The airport's own pages cover the check-in, which you can do online or at Schiphol, the hand and the hold baggage, the security check and the passports and the travel documents. You can also book a free security timeslot, to skip the queue and go through security at your chosen time.

Amsterdam Airport with children

The Kids Playground is on the first floor of Lounge 2, after security, on the way to the gates from D1 to D57 and to the E, F, G and H gates. It is open every day, 24 hours a day, the admission is free, and it is next to the food court, so you can eat while the children play. There is also plenty of seating to watch them.

If you need help, the airport can assist you right up to your seat in the aircraft, whether you are departing, arriving or transferring. You request the assistance through the airline you booked with. And leave the passports and the children's documents in your carry-on bag, not in the checked luggage.

Plan your stop at Amsterdam Airport

The airport is busy, and it says it pays to be well prepared to avoid delays, so check the check-in, the baggage and the security pages before you travel. And check with the embassy or consulate about the documents your family needs for the entry rules of every country on your route.

Sources

• Official page of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on the train: the station under the terminal building, the eight trains an hour to Amsterdam Central, the journey of 14 to 17 minutes and the direct trains from the Dutch cities. — schiphol.nl (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official page of the airport on preparing for the flight: the hand and hold baggage, the free security timeslot, the check-in, the passports and the travel documents. — schiphol.nl (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official page of the airport on the Kids Playground: where it is, the hours and that the admission is free. — schiphol.nl (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official page of the airport on the assistance, which is requested through the airline you booked with, and on the hidden disability lanyard. — schiphol.nl (checked 21 October 2026)