Amsterdam Central Station (Dutch: Amsterdam Centraal)
Travel guide: map, local transport (metro, tram, bus), tickets, lockers, parking …
Amsterdam Centraal Central Station is the largest station in the city of Amsterdam, with approximately 200,000 travelers per day.
It is centrally located and for many visitors it is the gateway to the city.
You will find in this guide all the important information for passengers, such as: General map, info on how to continue by local transport, tips on buying tickets, lockers, cheap parking and much more.
The famous station building was extensively renovated in 2018 and is a listed building. (picture: travelguide.amsterdam)
Arrival in Amsterdam: continue your trip with local transport (metro, streetcar, bus…).
Amsterdam Centraal train station is well connected to local transport. Many passengers arriving at Amsterdam Centraal station use metro, streetcar, ferry or bus to get to their destination.
Hub of local transport
Amsterdam Centraal station is not only the most important station for regional and long-distance traffic. It is also a hub for local transport:
- 4 of the 5 metro lines stop at the station’s metro station
- the central bus station “Busstation Amsterdam Centraal” is part of the station building. It is the main bus station for city and regional bus lines in Amsterdam.
- Numerous streetcar lines stop at Stationsplein, the square in front of the station building.
- On the north side of the station is the IJ ferries terminal.
Metro, trams, ferries, buses… you can start right at Amsterdam Centraal Central Station. With the right ticket, using public transport in Amsterdam is easy and cheap.
Public transport – ideal for discovering Amsterdam
For visitors to the city, public transport is the No.1 mode of transport.
Parking in the city center is expensive and all sights and museums are easily accessible by metro, streetcar or bus.
Amsterdam public transport tickets: Which ticket option is best for me?
Whether single trip by e-purse or OV card, day ticket, “I amsterdam Card” or “Amsterdam Travel Card”, here you will find detailed information & current ticket prices. So you can quickly and easily find the right ticket for your Amsterdam stay.
If you briefly inform yourself before your trip, which ticket fits best for your purposes, this will save money, time and stress abroad.
Our tip – if you don’t want to deal with the fare system and ticket machines:
The single-day or multi-day tickets that are available for the public transport system in Amsterdam are typically the best choices for visitors.
These tickets allow unlimited use of the Metro (subway), GVB bus system, trams, as well as ferries for the entire period of validity (1 – 7 days).
These tickets are rather inexpensive for a European metropolitan city. For 2023 fares range between €5.85 and €9 a day, depending on period of validity.
You can purchase the ticket online before your trip via the website of the authorised GVB ticket seller without having to pay a surcharge (click here). This means you no longer have to deal with ticket machines and fare systems abroad. This saves time and nerves – after all, there are better things to do in Amsterdam …
Metro / subway at Amsterdam Centraal station
The station has its own stop for the metro. It is called “Centraal Station”.
The metro network of Amsterdam has a total of 5 lines. Four lines stop at the station’s stop.
The stop “Centraal Station” is the terminus of three metro lines:
- Metro line 51 (Amsterdam Centraal – Isolatorweg)
- Metro line 53 (Amsterdam Centraal – Gaasperplas)
- Metro line 54 (Amsterdam Centraal – Gein)
In 2018, the new line 52 (Noord station – Zuid station) was opened, which also has a stop at Centraal station.
The “Centraal Station” metro stop is located directly under Amsterdam Station (Image: Johan Wieland, CC BY-ND 2.0 license)
Amsterdam Central Station has its own metro stop. Accesses are in front of or directly in the station building.
→ Download: ap / plan: metro lines in Amsterdam / route map (250 KByte)
- The stop “Centraal Station” is located in the upper right corner of the map.
- Access to the metro station is only possible with a valid ticket.
Streetcar / Tramway
Amsterdam Cetraal station has two streetcar stops, “Stationsplein (Station Square)” in front of the main entrance of the station and “Westseite (Westzijde)”.
A total of 9 streetcar lines serve these two stops.
The station has two streetcar stops (image: travelguide.amsterdam)
Streetcar lines 2, 11, 12, 13 and 17, which leave the station via Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in the direction of Leidseplein or Rozengracht stop at “Westzijde”.
Bus station “IJzijde” (IJ side)
Until the new IJzijde bus station was built, the bus stops for local and regional transport were scattered all around the station. Not easy and comfortable for passengers.
New central bus station “IJzijde”
With the large new building on the north side directly on the IJ embankment, this has changed. Now almost all bus lines, whether from the city’s public transport company GVB or also from the bus companies EBS and Connexxion stop at the central bus station “IJzijde”.
The 24 stops are not permanently assigned to specific bus lines. They are allocated dynamically. An electronic display at the entrance of the bus station shows passengers the current stopping place of the bus lines.
“IJzijde” – bus station and ferry pier (image: M.Bußman)
Important national and international train connections
There are numerous national and international train connections to Amsterdam Centraal.
Here are some important train connections for visitors to the city:
| Train Name | Company | Destination | via | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICE 100 | Nederlandse Spoorwegen; Deutsche Bahn | Basel | Arnhem – Oberhausen Hbf – Duisburg Hbf – Düsseldorf Hbf – Cologne – Sieburg/Bonn – Frankfurt Airport – Mannheim Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf – Offenburg Hbf – Freiburg Hbf – Basel Bad | |
| Intercity 77 | Nederlandse Spoorwegen; Deutsche Bahn | Berlin (Ostbahnhof) | Amersfoort Centraal – Deventer – Hengelo – Bad Bentheim – Rheine – Osnabrück Hbf – Hannover Hbf – Berlin Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof | |
| Eurostar 9100 | Eurostar | London St Pancras International | Rotterdam Centraal – Brussel-Zuid – Lille-Europe | |
| Thalys 9300 | Thalys | Paris Gare Du Nord | Schiphol Airport – Rotterdam Centraal – Antwerpen-Centraal – Brussel-Zuid |
How do I get from Amsterdam Centraal station to Schiphol Airport?
In addition to long-distance connections, there is also a direct connection to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. The airport has its own train station “Schiphol Airport”, which is located directly under the terminal building.
→ More information in this travel guide:
Travel time, ticket prices, online tickets, …. for the train from Amsterdam Centraal ↔ Schiphol Airport.
→ More information in this travel guide:
Airport transfer (Airport Express bus, train, cab,…) incl. travel times and current prices (2023).
Lockers at Amsterdam Centraal station
Luggage lockers are available in the main building.
Lockers – prices for 24h (2023)
For a small locker you currently (2023) pay €8, for a large locker €12.00 for the first 24 hours.
Opening hours: daily from 05:00 h – 01:00 h
Book luggage storage online
Where should I put my luggage if I arrive early in Amsterdam, for example, but can’t move into my accommodation until around afternoon?
A well-organized luggage storage can therefore save a whole vacation day.
There are also many possibilities to store your luggage outside the train station.
There is a simple solution to this problem. You can book luggage storage online befor your trip via this website (click here). his works similar to booking a hotel.
The advantage compared to the lockers at the train station: With an online reservation there is no “We are unfortunately fully booked…””.
Map / Plan: Amsterdam Centraal Station
Here you can find our interactive map.
If you zoom in more, you will find all stores, restaurants in the station but also e.g. a detailed map of the platforms.
If you zoom out further, you can explore the surroundings of the station.
How much does a train ticket to Amsterdam cost?
Many visitors travel to Amsterdam by train. Unlike Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam Central Station is centrally located in the city center. Since there are many high-speed connections to Amsterdam, the travel time is short. In addition, train travelers do not have the costly problem of finding a parking space in Amsterdam.
ICE, Eurostar, Thalys – many high-speed connections run through Amsterdam Centraal – if you book early, tickets are cheap (image: E.d.Redelijkheid, CC 2.0 Licence)
Prices for a train ticket to Amsterdam
For several years, the ticket price is determined by supply and demand. Popular and much booked travel times are more expensive than rarely booked connections.
With a little luck, you can travel from Berlin, Paris or London to Amsterdam from €19.90 (one way, 2nd class).
With Amsterdam Centraal as your destination, you will end up in the middle of the city. Additional travel time, such as for an airport transfer, is not necessary when arriving by train.
1 Book early
Book as early as possible, then it is well possible to still catch a cheap ticket price. About 3-4 months before the travel date, in our experience, prices increase.
2 Book online directly at SNCF Europe
Convenient and easy is the booking at the European portal of the French national railroad SNCF (even without departure station in France).
3 Cheap travel days
Cheap travel days for Amsterdam are usually Saturday, Tuesday or Wednesday. The remaining days tend to be used more by commuters and business travelers.
Amsterdam Centraal station offers many national and international train connections. In most cases you can find the cheapest tickets online (Image: Billie Grace Ward, CC 2.0 License)
Popular accommodation around the Amsterdam train station
Due to the central location, many travellers look for their accommodation near the train station.
Another advantage is that if you return home early, you can sleep longer as the walk to the station is not far.
Accommodation prices are generally very high in Amsterdam.
| Name | Description | Single room price from | Link |
|
A-Train Hotel |
Hotel for railway fans – opposite the station and with railway look furnishings. | 180 Euro | Pictures, reviews, availability, prices |
|
Hotel Library Amsterdam |
good price / performance ratio | 146 Euro | Pictures, reviews, availability, prices |
|
Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam |
274 rooms, modern furnishings, central location | 240 Euro | Pictures, reviews, availability, prices |
|
Houseboat Westerdok |
Bed & Breakfast houseboat near the station – a unique experience | 180 Euro | Pictures, reviews, availability, prices |
|
THIS HO(S)TEL |
This popular hostel offers inexpensive, clean rooms with en suite facilities. | 139 Euro | Pictures, reviews, availability, prices |
Amsterdam public transport tickets: Which ticket option is best for me?
Whether single trip by e-purse or OV card, day ticket, “I amsterdam Card” or “Amsterdam Travel Card”, here you will find detailed information & current ticket prices. So you can quickly and easily find the right ticket for your Amsterdam stay.
If you briefly inform yourself before your trip, which ticket fits best for your purposes, this will save money, time and stress abroad.
Our tip – if you don’t want to deal with the fare system and ticket machines:
The single-day or multi-day tickets that are available for the public transport system in Amsterdam are typically the best choices for visitors.
These tickets allow unlimited use of the Metro (subway), GVB bus system, trams, as well as ferries for the entire period of validity (1 – 7 days).
These tickets are rather inexpensive for a European metropolitan city. For 2023 fares range between €5.85 and €9 a day, depending on period of validity.
You can purchase the ticket online before your trip via the website of the authorised GVB ticket seller without having to pay a surcharge (click here). This means you no longer have to deal with ticket machines and fare systems abroad.
This saves time and nerves – after all, there are better things to do in Amsterdam …
Frequently asked questions in this travel guide – FAQ 2023
Does Amsterdam have a main train station?
Yes, the main train station of the Dutch capital Amsterdam is called “Amsterdam Central Station”. It is located in the city center and is also a hub for local transport. More information and tips about it in our travel guide.
Is the main station Amsterdam Centraal located directly in the city center?
Yes, the main train station of the Dutch capital Amsterdam “Amsterdam Central Station” is located in the city center. It is also a hub for local transport. More information and tips about it in our travel guide.
How much does a train ticket to the central station "Amsterdam Centraal" cost?
For some years now, it has also been true for the railroad that the ticket price is determined by supply and demand. Popular and much booked travel times are more expensive than little booked connections.
With a little luck, you can travel from Berlin, Paris or London to Amsterdam from €19.90 (one way, 2nd class). In our travel guide, you will find tips on how to book a cheap ticket.
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