Centraal Station

This card is valid on all means of transport everywhere in the Netherlands. Locals do not use paper tickets to use public transport but they use a card called Chip-card or OV-card. You can do so through our Amsterdam airport transfer webpage. Also the tourist boats that provide canal cruises depart on the city side. With one card you can visit most tourist destinations without other tickets and also use all what is central nervous system depression forms of public transport.

National rail

A second, narrower and longer but similar roof on the north side of the station was completed in 1922. In 1920, the East Wing of the station (the lower end of the building) was demolished and replaced by “The East”, a postal service building designed by Cuypers’ son Joseph. The waterways would soon be replaced by tramways and cars as the primary modes of transport in the city. The visitors were charged 0.25 guilders to see the station; in the first two days after the opening, several dozens of thousands paid. Nevertheless, the building of the Central Station in front of the open harbour was forced through by the railway department of the Ministry of Transport in The Hague, and the Home Secretary, Thorbecke.

Buying train tickets at the Amsterdam Central Station

Amsterdam Central Station is the largest railway station in Amsterdam. The main driver of Monday’s fall was a signal from Japan’s central bank that a rate hike was more likely. If you depart from the station, arrive 15 minutes earlier and set aside some time for the transfer to the platform. Nonetheless, stay alert about your luggage and as on any train station in the world beware of pickpockets. Entering the station, you may inquire about the number of the platform you need at the Information desks set inside at the entries to the station.

• The opening of the central station marked the city’s transition from a waterfront city to an inland city, spurring further redevelopment activities in the city centre which included the realignment of streets and the filling up of canals.
• For unlimited public transport for tourists we recommend an Amsterdam city pass.
• The train station at Schiphol is located directly beneath the airport, and you can buy tickets from the ticket machines or counters located in the arrivals plaza.
• It is here that the busses depart to other Dutch cities.
• In the early 1980s, the central hall and middle tunnel were considerably widened and modernized.
• Taxis and city busses will bring you closely to the station, but the most convenient are city trams, which stop just in front of the station building.

What to do in Amsterdam in two days with the City Card

It’s the hub of the city’s metro, tram lines, and bus networks, and is also a terminal for several ferry services. It’s a major international railway hub and is used by 162,000 passengers a day, making it the second-busiest railway station in the country after Utrecht Centraal. Taxis and city busses will bring you closely to the station, but the most convenient are city trams, which stop just in front of the station building. All city busses, trams and metro to all areas of Amsterdam are there, including the bus lines to the north of the city. Unless you plan to travel by city ferry to the north of Amsterdam or by bus to other cities you should exit into the Centre (Centrum) side of the station. You have to validate this ticket at the entry to the platforms area on each train station (chip-in) and signal the end of your trip leaving the platforms area of the station (chip-out).

How to get from Amsterdam to Copenhagen by train

Since 1997, the station building, underground passages, metro station, and the surrounding area have been undergoing major reconstruction and renovation works to accommodate the North-South Line metro route, which was opened on 22 July 2018. It features a Gothic, Renaissance Revival station building and a cast iron platform roof spanning approximately 40 metres (130 ft). Amsterdam-Centrum is the inner-most borough and historical city centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands, containing the majority of the city’s landmarks. The trains are operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the Dutch national railway company.

Underwater bicycle parking

• The station building was completed in 1884, but the commission to Cuypers did not include the roofwork of the platforms.
• This means that there are 21 places where a train can be positioned for passenger access, with scissors crossings in the middle enabling trains to pass each other.
• You can find a great range of smaller stores on the cosy adjoining shopping streets of Haarlemmerdijk and Haarlemmerstraat.

Or have a rummage at Spui for rare, second-hand and out-of-print books on Fridays and affordable local art on Sundays. A flea market and farmers’ market in one, Noordermarkt is a haven for delicious, organic produce, including honey, cheese and homemade cakes, as well as antiques, books and vintage fashion (Monday mornings and Saturdays). Nieuwmarkt is the place to go for locally-grown fruit and veg on Saturdays, and in the summer, you can haggle for vintage bargains on Sundays. Locals and savvy visitors gather on sunny days to enjoy the funky vibes, good music and home-cooked BBQ food.

Amsterdam Central Station services

Eijmer, a civil engineer with the private railroad company Staatsspoorwegen. Therefore, the station did not yet feature its distinctive station roof. The construction of the station was delayed because of the instability of the soil, which set back the completion of the work by several years. Like many other structures in Amsterdam, the station was built on wooden piles (8,687 pieces).

Metro services

For that reason, as well as for the fact that it became increasingly clear that the national government wanted the station to be built at the city’s waterfront effectively separating the city from the IJ lake, the plan was highly controversial. As with the Rijksmuseum, the station’s overall architecture reminded many contemporaries of medieval cathedrals. In the other, it would be built in the open harbour front allowing for the station to be connected to the existing main lines in the area to the west and the south, but also to a projected new northern line. Due to the length, each platform may serve two trains, while one embarks from side “a” of a platform and the other, from side “b”. Amsterdam Centraal has the second longest railway platform in the Netherlands with a length of 695 metres (2,280 ft).

To add central to a word list please sign up or log in. Due to the completion of the Stationseiland project and the implementation of the Entree plan, the station has had two indoor bicycle parking station and two station bicycle parking stations around the station since 2023. Just behind the station is the EYE Film Institute Netherlands, easily accessible with a free ferry. Tram routes 2, 12, 13 and 17 call on the west side (Westzijde, Platform B) of the square, the other routes call on the east side (Oostzijde, Platform-A). From Amsterdam Central Station, one can travel by train to most major destinations in the Netherlands and surrounding countries. This means that there are 21 places where a train can be positioned for passenger access, with scissors crossings in the middle enabling trains to pass each other.

Railway services

Also inter-city busses depart from the terminal on the waterfront. Trams serve the main city area while busses go farther to the outskirts of the city. For unlimited public transport for tourists we recommend an Amsterdam city pass. These themed walking tours have been put together by the city’s best guides, encompassing fascinating topics like the LGBTQI+ history of Amsterdam, maritime trade and sustainability or the romantic stories hiding behind some of the city’s most iconic buildings.

From the train station, you can take the escalators or lifts up to the airport’s arrivals and departures halls. From Amsterdam metro, bus stations, taxis, ferries, trams, to car and bike rentals. Learn how to get from the airport transfer to the Amsterdam CS station, around the city, and back to Schiphol. The new bus terminal had been recently added at the back of the station – on so called Ij-zijde (Ij Lake Side). The station has 15 platforms, additionally often divided into “A” and “B” parts. The main entry tunnel as well as the two other tunnels lead you to the station platforms.

Glide past the city’s historic offerings on one of the famous canal cruises, witnessing 16th-century churches and iconic drawbridges like the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) from a new angle. You can find a great range of smaller stores on the cosy adjoining shopping streets of Haarlemmerdijk and Haarlemmerstraat. Or, for independent boutiques and vintage finds, head to some of the centre’s more alternative shopping districts, including De Negen Straatjes (9 Streets), Haarlemmerbuurt or the Spiegelkwartier. For a hidden surprise, step into the glass elevator, which will take you to Blue Amsterdam – a restaurant with spectacular city views and a menu packed with burgers, light bites and salads – perfect to refuel between shopping. Nearby, hit Kalvertoren on Kalverstraat – one of the busiest retail thoroughfares lined with the most prominent Dutch and international brands. For luxury shopping, there’s no better place to start than De Bijenkorf and Magna Plaza, two iconic department stores which tower over Dam Square.

The inauguration of juxtaposed controls in the station subsequently took place on 26 October 2020. On 4 February 2020, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, and the UK Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, announced that juxtaposed controls would be established in the station. In addition, two new passageways were created enabling the hosting of larger retail stores, geared towards passengers who have more time to spend at the station. The three passenger tunnels underneath the station were upgraded and provided with convenience stores and kiosks. It includes the construction of a fourth station roof and a station hall with space for shops and restaurants. Due to several setbacks, some at the Amsterdam Centraal building site, the line was fully completed in 2018.

The train journey from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport usually takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the specific train service. From there, you can easily walk, take a tram, taxi, or bike to your final destination within the city. The train journey from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal takes approximately minutes. Just follow the signs for “trains”. You can also use an OV-chipkaart, a reusable smart card, to pay for the train.

The Amsterdam Centraal Railway station is located in the heart of the Dutch capital, on the IJ waterfront. On this website, you will find everything you need on travel times, on buses and trams, tips on bike rentals, and more. Get the Word of the Day every day!