Amsterdam airport used to be highly rated but now, after recent expansions, its just another clogged up busy airport with little to differentiate it from many others. And it has some striking bad points.
One positive feature is there is only one terminal building (unlike, say Heathrow which ... Read review
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Advantages: good train connections Disadvantages: Badly located security/passport checks delay getting to boarding gates
Amsterdam airport used to be highly rated but now, after recent expansions, its just another clogged up busy airport with little to differentiate it from many others. And it has some striking bad points.
One positive feature is there is only one terminal building (unlike, say Heathrow which has four), but that’s an advantage only for those changing planes at Amsterdam. There are long treks between the various parts of the airport and ... ...
Those flying into Amsterdam mingle with departing passengers until they reach the escalator down to immigration and the baggage hall. EU passports are speedily processed and baggage soon appears. Leaving the customs hall you enter a maze of shops, constructed in such a way that you have to walk a dogleg through them. Past them on the right are the railway ticket offices. Entrances to the platforms below the concourse have sloping moving walkways ... more
Amsterdam airport used to be highly rated but now, after recent expansions, its just another clogged up busy airport with little to differentiate it from many others. And it has some striking bad points.
One positive feature is there is only one terminal building (unlike, say Heathrow which has four), but that’s an advantage only for those changing planes at Amsterdam. There are long treks between the various parts of the airport and cumbersome security checks.
After once clean lines and open spaces of the airport have been lost to shops and bars which have been slotted in any space. Long straggled out bunches of travellers morosely tramp miles down corridors. The airport has managed to keep its clean colour scheme of white tiles and clear yellow signage.
Those flying into Amsterdam mingle with departing passengers until they reach the escalator down to immigration and the baggage hall. EU passports are speedily processed and baggage soon appears. Leaving the customs hall you enter a maze of shops, constructed in such a way that you have to walk a dogleg through them. Past them on the right are the railway ticket offices. Entrances to the platforms below the concourse have sloping moving walkways you can take your baggage cart on. You can get a train to anywhere in Holland - and further. The Netherlands train system is fast, frequent, efficient, clean and easily understood. It takes about 20 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal and trains run every 15 minutes. There are good connections Note:- if you're going to Amsterdam you can buy your strippenkart along with your rail ticket. At time of writing, the train to Amsterdam Centraal costs 6.50 NLG (£1.90) and a strippenkart giving seven tram rides in Amsterdam costs 12.50NLG (£3.64).
When you depart you can use moving walkways to push your baggage all the way up to the departure hall.
Things are not so good after check-in. I have never thought that Amsterdam duty free offered good bargains. Now shops have two prices, the lower one is for people leaving the EU. But if you're going to the UK you'll have to pay the higher price - unlike Heathrow where duty free prices are available to all travellers.
When your flight is called and you start walking to your departure gate you come to immigration desks. These are slow, as the officer types something into a terminal for each passenger. It can take over five minutes to get to the front of the queue. But your delays are not over. Further down the corridor are security checks. There is a sign 15 metres in front of the x-ray machines, but the queue stretches back so far people at the back of line can't read it.
And if you want to move from one part of the airport to another you have to pass through passport controls and security checks. So although its one terminal in theory, in practice its not. You may decide to spend some time in the casino, but be aware of the time it takes to get there and back since you must queue up for security and passport checks in both directions.
Sign posting for business class lounges is useless, as the signs just say business lounge without naming the airline. British Midland lounges are on the right wall as you enter the duty free lounge from BM check-in. British Airways is to the left and upstairs. And remember you'll have to pass through immigration and security after leaving lounges when your flight is called.
I prefer to be processed through security and passport check before I enter the duty free and waiting areas. Then I know there is nothing to delay me when it's time to board the plane. I hate Amsterdam Airports system; it's bad for the blood pressure.
In summary, Amsterdam Airport is average. Its good points are its great rail connections and ease of getting to them, bad points are the cumbersome placement of security and passport checks.
Advantages: Shopping, other activities Disadvantages: Distance from one gate to another in some cases
Schiphol airport in Amsterdam is truly an amazing airport.
I travel regularly with KLM and the three reasons why I do is firstly the airline is great, secondly because of their Frequent Flier Programme (Flying Dutchman) is probably the best in the world and thirdly because of the great pleasure I have of stopping over in Schiphol airport.
This is one airport you wouldn’t mind being in if your flight was delayed.
I usually take the international ... ...get into Schiphol airport at least two hours before my onward connecting flight, so that I have as much time as possible there.
Many may find this airport huge and confusing but to me everything is very simple and easy to understand and finding your gate is not at all difficult. The signs and directions are easy to understand but sometimes the walk from one gate to another is rather long, due to the size of the airport and especially if you've arrived ...
vinodgm 10.06.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Amsterdam - Schiphol (AMS)
Advantages: High turnover of passengers, but doesnot feel as stress out as London or Paris airports Disadvantages: Lots of missing baggage lieing somewhere
I now travel via Amsterdam when ever possible as its by far the nicest and easiest to use out of all the Europe hub cities including Heathrow and Gatwick.
The first time I flew was to Amsterdam and found using the airport scarey the first time. However I didnot get lost and found the airport very easy to navigate. One thing that worried me was understanding the Dutch language, but this was no problem at all as most people in the Netherlands speak ... ...in English.
Amsterdam Schipol airport is located about 15 miles away from the centre of Amsterdam. Schipol is connected with the central station in Amsterdam with a rail station beneath the terminal building. Travelling time is about 25 minutes and cost about 7 Guilders which is less than £2 pounds. The service is very good with a double decker train ever 15 minutes so overgrowding is not usually a problem.
Schipol Airport is home base to the Dutch ...
bazza1603 15.03.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Amsterdam - Schiphol (AMS)
Advantages: Superb facilities, Generally friendly, Only one terminal Disadvantages: It seems to go on for miles, Some prices are horrific!
I was lucky enough to spend 6 hours at Schipol airport when I was coming back from Amsterdam, although this was due to my own mistake in getting the return flight time mixed up, I certainly wasn't left unhappy.
The first thing you notice about the airport when you get there is the layout. It seems to be laid out so well, with you being able to walk straight off of the trains and into the airport. Unlike the journey over, where you have to get the ... ...The airport is also deceptively big. You may think it is small when you arrive, but you just need to wait until you find that your departure gate is a 20 minute walk away from the main terminal area.
Going through the airport in stages...
I found the security to be fairly heavy-handed although they did have a sense of humour. I've never been asked to take my belt and shoes off before when being paraded through the X-Ray machine with my luggage. ...
death2mullets 27.10.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Amsterdam - Schiphol (AMS)
Advantages: Excellent International Hub Disadvantages: Could walk miles
...from Leeds/Bradford to Munich via Amsterdam with KLM, I knew Schipol was huge having been there before, but this occasion was my first experience as a transfer passenger.....
having been given 45 mins bewtween connecting flights I was a little concerned at leaving Leeds 30 mins late, I was told not to worry as the flight would dock at D6 and my Munich flight was going from D78 ' virtually next door to each other' I was reassured...... it was about ... ...shopping.
I would recommend Amsterdam as a great hub for on going transcontinental flights, just make sure that you are allowing plenty of time for the flight transfer, I would go for a couple of hours at least...time to relax, have a drink, do a bit of shopping, and take it all in..
Schipol a great International airport, but potentially you could walk miles if you are a transit passenger, make sure you don't have to carry a lot, and your footwear ...
Dalesman 13.07.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Amsterdam - Schiphol (AMS)
Advantages: Location, good range of connecting flights Disadvantages: Smoking area very small
I have been to Amsterdam Schiphol airport several times, both on trips to Holland and as a venue for a connecting flight to the US.
It is a large, well laid-out airport which is easy to navigate and the staff are courteous and friendly. Strange though it may seem, there is a casino within the airport (I've never seen one in any others - has anyone else?) and the largest number of moving walkways I've ever seen (I managed to 'play' on them for around ... ...morning while on my own - I had a great time, but I've no idea what those around me thought!).
There is only one smoking area which is not very large, but is easy to spot as it is so crowded and lots of snack/coffee vendors throughout the airport.
The shopping is reasonable, with more than one store selling electrical wares, books and confectionery at reasonable prices for airport goods.
I recommend Schiphol for those catching a connecting flight, ...
Saltire 19.01.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Amsterdam - Schiphol (AMS)
Prices
Is it worth visiting?
Transport links
Family Friendly
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Amsterdam - Schiphol (AMS)"
Advantages: Amazing hotels, gambling, city that never sleeps Disadvantages: Gambling
This travelogue was written during my stay in Las Vegas in November 1996. I went there with some colleagues to attend the annual COMDEX exhibition and these are the thoughts that I had during the stay there.
The journey begins
Our journey didn't exactly start the way I wanted it to start. When we came to Sola airport (the airport here in Stavanger), we found out that our plane to Amsterdam had been canceled. Because of the cancellation we had to go to Oslo first, then Amsterdam, New York and then to Las Vegas. We ended up traveling for about 24 hours and we arrived in Las Vegas at 3 am in the morning. I sat down a bit at the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam to watch the people go by. It so funny to see all the different characters that walk around. You got your old Japanese male who looks a bit worried while he is smoking his ...
gard 28.06.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Las Vegas
![At The Foot Of My Rival [Digipak] - New Amsterdams (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/283/At_The_Foot_Of_My_Rival_New_Amsterdams_The__6893283.jpg)
