Amsterdam International Airport, called "Schiphol", is one of the five largest and busiest air harbors in Europe. The annual number of passengers that they pass is about fifty million people. At the same time, about a third of them follow international destinations. As of today, its route network has 313 direct connections. The main air carrier here is the Dutch company KLM.
General Description
Amsterdam Airport, the diagram of which is located below, was opened in 1916. It is located in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in a southwesterly direction from the Dutch capital, at a distance of ten kilometers from its center. Currently, Schiphol is one huge terminal, consisting of three large halls. The construction of the last of them was completed twenty years ago. The airport is divided into two floors. On the lower level there is a large hall, arrivals halls, as well as railway ticket offices and access to passenger platforms. Departure halls and check-in counters are located on the second floor.
The airport has five main runways. In addition to them, there is another one designed for small aircraft flights. It should be noted that plans are now being actively discussed regarding the further expansion of the air harbor building and the construction of the seventh runway. Schiphol is located at an altitude of three meters below sea level. The height of the control tower is 101 meters, which was a world record at the time of its construction in 1991.
Halls and piers
As mentioned above, the Schiphol terminal consists of three halls. All of them are interconnected by transitions. Special piers depart from each of the halls, which are marked in English letters. At the same time, "B" and "C" are intended for servicing flights to the countries of the Schengen zone, and "E", "F" and "G" - for non-Schengen destinations. Piers "H", "M" and "D" are mixed. In many ways, it will help to figure out the necessary direction, even for those passengers who are traveling through Amsterdam airport for the first time, the arrivals and departures board.
Taxi and transfers
The easiest and at the same time the most expensive way to get from the airport to the city and back is a taxi. The real innovation in this mode of transport was the use of electric vehicles. The best option would be to book a car on the official Schiphol website. In this case, the car will be served inspecified time directly to the airport in Amsterdam. After that, the passenger does not need to think about how to get to the desired destination. The situation is similar with the transfer order. It is more profitable when traveling with a large family or company. The main thing to remember is that it must be booked at least four hours in advance.
Railway at the airport
Traveling around the Dutch capital by public transport is a little more difficult, but much cheaper. The railway station is located directly on the territory of Schiphol. Trains that go to the city center depart from the first and second platforms. The interval of their departure, as well as the travel time, is twenty minutes (at night they run every hour). Tickets can be purchased both at the box office and in special machines. Moreover, in the second case, their cost will be slightly less. Trains in the direction of the other two major cities in the country - Rotterdam and Breda - depart every half hour. Traveling here should not be a problem even for those people who first came to Amsterdam airport. The board located at the station, as well as the official website of the Dutch Railways, will tell you which train to take.
Bus transport
The platform from which buses leave towards the city center is located directly opposite the "Schihol" and is called "A7". Driving time to the city center is about thirty minutes. At the same time, when buying a ticket directly from the driver, you will have to pay 4 euros,while with a chip card, the fare will be 2.35 euros. It is best to use this mode of transport when traveling to the southern part of Amsterdam.
Infrastructure
Amsterdam airport is simply imbued with a metropolitan atmosphere. On its territory you can meet representatives of almost all world nations. This air harbor is constantly being improved. Currently, among the services provided to customers, one can note a children's room, many restaurants, cafes and six hotels with different levels of comfort (from "economy class" to "five stars"). In addition, there are even such unusual facilities for an airport as a marriage registration office and a prayer hall. The seating areas are quite comfortable and equipped with TVs.
Every passenger who got to the airport of Amsterdam, with a ticket, has the opportunity to make purchases in the world-famous chain of stores called "See Buy Fly". Here you can find various goods and souvenirs, the number of items of which exceeds 140 thousand.
Check-in and baggage transportation
According to Schiphol's rules, when traveling within Europe, passengers must arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure to complete the check-in procedure. As for international flights outside of Europe, in this case you need to arrive three hours before the time indicated on the ticket.
Arriving at Amsterdam Airportpeople have the right to use wheeled trolleys free of charge, which are designed to carry luggage. By weight, it is limited in three categories. In particular, passengers with economy class tickets can take with them things with a total weight of no more than twenty kilograms. For customers traveling in business class, this value is thirty kilograms, and for those who have first class tickets - forty kilograms. At the same time, it should be noted that the rules of transportation do not stipulate the allowable dimensions of baggage, and the restrictions relate exclusively to its weight.
Waiting for a flight
In order for passengers to somehow pass the time while waiting for departure, the Amsterdam airport provides a number of entertainment under one roof, they are quite easy to find. The main and most interesting among them is the branch of the State Museum, located directly on the territory of the airport. It presents original versions of some works performed by Vermeer, Rembrandt and other Dutch masters. In addition to it, slot machines and casinos are very popular.
Hotels
As noted above, there are several hotels in Schiphol and nearby, the services of which can be used in the event that for some reason the flight is delayed, or it is necessary to wait some time before the transfer. The most famous hotel at Amsterdam Airport is the Hilton. In addition to it, five more hotels operate on the territory of the air harbor.
Awards
During its history, Schiphol has won over a hundred different prizes and awards. The most significant of them was the title of the best air harbor in the world, which he was awarded seven times. In addition, in the period from 1988 to 2003, for fifteen years in a row it was named the best European airport. As of today, the Skytrax rating for it is four stars. In addition to it, only five air harbors of the planet can boast of such a rating.
