The Amsterdam Airport Express Bus (Connexxion line 397) offers a convenient and direct transfer from Schiphol Airport to the city center of Amsterdam.
You will find in our travel guide all the important information, such as departure times, travel times, stops and our tips for buying tickets.
Airport Express Bus 397: Fast and cheap connection to the city center
The Airport Express Bus is operated by the Dutch public transport company Connexxion.
That is why you will sometimes find the term Connexxion 397 for the Airport Express Bus 397.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is located approximately 18 km (11 miles) from downtown Amsterdam. The Airport Express bus runs 24/7.
The transfer time from the airport to the city center depends on the bus stop at which you want to get off. An average trip takes about 30 min.
You can find more information below, where we have listed all stops with travel times.
In addition to travel time, the frequency of service is also important for passengers.
During the day (5 a.m. – midnight) the bus runs every 7–10 minutes. This means only short waiting times at the bus stop.
At night (midnight – 5 a.m.) the bus N97 – Niteliner N97 – serves the airport transfer. It runs every 30 minutes and serves more stops. Therefore, it has a longer travel time.
The Airport Express Bus 397 also offers space for strollers and wheelchair users. At peak times, the bus can be significantly fuller.
Currently, a ticket for a one-way trip costs €6.50.
A return ticket costs €11.75. With this ticket, you save €1.25 compared to buying 2 tickets for a single journey.
If you buy your ticket online before your trip, you save yourself the hassle of searching for the ticket machines, queuing and having to deal with foreign language problems.
You can buy your tickets for the Amsterdam Airport Express Bus – at no extra charge – online via this English language website before your journey.
No cash is accepted on the bus for security reasons. Therefore, it is convenient to have the right ticket already in your pocket.
The bus ticket for a one-way trip on the express bus 397 costs €6.50 (2024). With an online ticket, you don’t have to buy a ticket from a machine after the flight. This saves time and stress.
Most visitors use the well-developed public transport system in Amsterdam to discover the city.
It’s easy with the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket”. This ticket includes the transfer by bus 397 + multi-day ticket for metro, bus and tram. You can also buy the Amsterdam Travel Ticket online:
If you would like to use the well-functioning local transport during your stay, we recommend that you also purchase a day ticket for the metro, tram and city bus.
Here you can find all stops of the line 397, travel times may change slightly due to the traffic situation.
Many hotels and accommodations are close to the stops
In the map above, you can see the stops of the airport express bus.
Line 397 was planned for the transfer Schiphol Airport ↔ Amsterdam city center. That’s why many travel destinations and accommodations are located in the vicinity of the stops.
You will find the stop directly in front of the central main entrance, “Schiphol Plaza”.
The bus stop “Schiphol Airport” is located directly in front of the main entrance to the terminal.
Interchanges for local public transport
Here you will find some popular hotels like Hilton Amsterdam, The Alfred Hotel or the Apple Inn Hotel.
Several important art museums are located around the spacious Museumplein.
Leidseplein is a central, famous square in the center of Amsterdam. It is a popular nightlife area with many restaurants, bars and cafés and the theatres “De Balie” and “Theater Bellevue”.
The “Leidseplein” stop is located in the city center of Amsterdam.
The Elandsgracht bus stop is a transfer hub for regional and local transport on the corner of Elandsgracht and Marnixstraat. It is located on the west side of the center of Amsterdam.
At the terminus you can change to numerous local transport services. If you have already bought the right ticket online, this will save you time and stress in Amsterdam. (Image: © The STB)
Airport Express buses have free Wi-Fi and charging options for smartphones and more.
The buses have a deep entry. So you can easily take your luggage and possibly a pram with you on the bus.
There are scanners at the entrances and exits of the bus. These scanners check the validity of your ticket or the QR code on your cell phone when you get on and off.
Don’t forget to present your ticket at the scanner when boarding and alighting.
Tickets are checked by scanners on the bus. All passengers must present their ticket or smartphone QR code when boarding and alighting.
On our interactive Amsterdam map, you will find the bus stops marked with an orange bus symbol. This way you can easily see at which bus stop, for example, your accommodation is located.
If you buy your ticket online before your trip, you save yourself the hassle of searching for the ticket machines, queuing and having to deal with foreign language problems.
You can buy your tickets for the Amsterdam Airport Express Bus – at no extra charge – online via this English language website before your journey.
No cash is accepted on the bus for security reasons. Therefore, it is convenient to have the right ticket already in your pocket.
2 Buy ticket for bus 397 and day ticket / multi-day ticket for public transport in Amsterdam online
Most visitors use the well-developed public transport system in Amsterdam to discover the city.
It’s easy with the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket”. This ticket includes the transfer by bus 397 + multi-day ticket for metro, bus and tram. You can also buy the Amsterdam Travel Ticket online:
Besides the bus, there are also alternatives for travelling to the city centre or the surroundings of Amsterdam.
More information in this travel guide:
Yes, the bus line “Connexxion 397” or also called “Amsterdam Airport Express Bus” offers a cheap and direct connection from Schiphol Airport to the city centre of Amsterdam.
You can find all the important information in our online travel guide, such as stops, departure times, journey times and our tips for buying tickets.
Bus 397 of the Connexxion bus company runs frequently:
During the day (5am – midnight) the bus runs every 7-10 minutes. This means little waiting time at the bus stop.
At night (24.00 – 5.00) the bus N97 – Niteliner N97 takes over. It runs every 30 min and serves more stops. That is why the journey time is longer at night.
The Amsterdam Airport Express Bus 397 offers a cheap and direct connection from Schiphol Airport to the city centre of Amsterdam.
Currently, (2024) a one-way ticket costs €6.50. A return ticket costs €11.75. So you save €1.25 with this ticket compared to buying 2 one-way tickets.
For more tips on the Airport Express Bus and how to save time and money when buying tickets, see our travel guide.
The bus stop at the airport is directly in front of the central main entrance, “Schiphol Plaza”. In our travel guide, you will find a map with all the stops.
You will also find information on journey times, current ticket prices (2024) and tips on buying tickets.
The journey time with the Connexxion Airport Express Bus 397 from the airport to the city center is approx. 30 minutes.
You can find more information about stops and ticket prices in our Amsterdam online travel guide.