My wife and I are leaving for vacation in Greece tomorrow night. We leave ORD at 6 pm and arrive in AMS at 9:15 am. We have a layover until a 5:05 pm flight on Luf to MUN and then connecting to flight arriving in ATH at 10:30 pm.

I have never done this before and wondering how safe are we in terms of time leaving the airport and going to Amsterdam during the airport. What time should we leave the city to get back safely to the airport to make our 5:05 flight on Luf? Do we have to get back by 3:05, meaning we have to leave the city by cab at 2:30? If so, and assuming it takes a little time to clear customs, is it worth venturing out? I am thinking we could not make it out of the airport until 10 or so and might only have a 4 hour window. Plus, we would probably have to find a bag check at the airport.

Should we just stay at the airport because this is tighter than it appears because of this being in between international flights? Any advice would be welcome.

Thank you in advance.

You will have plenty of time. Take the train into Amsterdam Centraal Station. The trip takes maybe 15 minutes. Cheap too. The station is right in Schipol. Cabs take too long and are expense. As long as you leave Centraal 2.5 hours before your flight, you should be fine. Got to the Rijkmuseum. Plenty to see and the promenade outside is a wonderful place to grab lunch (if the weather is nice).

Heck, many people would deliberately try to set up what you've got to get a day in AMS just to hit the windows or coffeeshops (oops, I mean, the museums...). Train links to the airport are frequent and excellent and take around 25 minutes, and from Centraal Station you can walk to a number of things (including the infamous Walletjes).

Going the other way, there's also Utrecht, a wonderfully walkable and charming sort of city. Dutch customs is normally efficient. By all means, go for it.

Quite familiar with ATH as well, if you need any help.

Any sightseeing trips for ATH would be appreciated. We are spending the first day there until flying to Mykonos and the last day after flying in from Santorini.

Thank you for the suggestions on Amsterdam. Since we only have a 4 hours window any other places we should hit or areas to hang out and eat? Does the train leave directly from the airport to the central station or do we have to walk outside? I am excited about Amsterdam, just worried about timing? By the way should we check in with Luf before we leave for the few hours (we will already have our boarding pass)?

Thanks.

What he said... ^

JB123:

You will leave the airport, but it is all covered. Just follow the signs outside of customs. Then go to the station and get a day return ticket (I think it's a wee bit cheaper than two singles). See www.schiphol.nl or www.ns.nl (both have english versions).

Once you get to Centraal Station, you could in theory walk wherever you want to. That's the lovely thiing about A'dam - it's a very walkable city.

It sounds naff, but you could start off with a canal boat tour, IIRC there is a launch near the station. It's a good overview of the city and you'll probably want to gather yourself after your flight.

There is, of course, the Anne Frank House on Prinzengracht. There is also a good pancake house next to it too! You could head to Leidseplein and have a rijstafel at Bojo's (my fave) www.bojo.nl (though I don't know if they are open for lunch).

And again, walk, walk, walk. It's supposed to be a lovely, sunny weekend, so enjoy! You could go into a stuffy museum, but enjoy a sunny day. Stop for a 'koffie verkerd' and a huge slice of Dutch apple pie. There are coffee shops and then there are 'coffee shops' . Hint: If there is a Bob Marely flag, apple pie isn't the only thing on the menu

A cab back to the airport? A CAB back to the airport??

Once you take the inexpensive train from the basement of the airport to the Centraal Station, you will be in love with this inexpensive and reliable transportation.

Please don't take a cab to the airport in AMS.

And, remember to check your cabin luggage at the airport, even if it is a back-pack. Watch out for your wallet and passport as well.

To add to what others have said..

You should be able to get your LH BP in ORD; if not, get it when you arrive in AMS. This way the only thing you'll have to do when you are finished in town is take the train back to the airport, go through security, and board your flight. Your bags will be checked all the way through to your final destination.

Remember that you won't have to go through immigration on your flight to MUC so IMHO you should be absolutely fine arriving 60+ minutes before your return flight (I would think 60 minutes would be plenty of time, but if you want to play it safe you could give yourself 90.. but all you need to do is go through security and walk to the gate. Easier than doing it in the US because you don't have to take your shoes off). Trains run about every 20 minutes, and the trip takes 15-19 minutes. There are return trains at 15:29, 15:35, and 15:43. For detailed train schedules, go to http://www.ns.nl. English is an option on the main page.

Depending on how much carry-on luggage you have, consider storing it in a locker or at baggage storage at Schiphol so you don't have to carry it around town with you. Landing at 9:15, you should easily be able to get the LH boarding passes, go through passport control, use the ATM to get Euros, buy a roundtrip train ticket, and be at Centraal station by 10:30 or so. This will give you more or less 5 hours to explore the city.

Taking a boat tour is a good way to get a quick overview of the city. Walk out the front of Centraal station and head straight towards Dam Square. As you walk down the street, past the McDonalds and touristy hotels, you will see a number of boat companies on your left. I recommend selecting one of the city tours with a LIVE guide as opposed to pre-recorded commentary. This should take 1-2 hours. With the rest of your time, I recommend walking around the Jordaan, the historic area in the west of the central city. It is beautiful to stroll among the canals. You can stop to grab a bite to eat, see the Anne Frank house if you desire, or travel further south to the musuemplein where you'll find the Van Gogh and Reijksmuseum. If you end up near the Musuemplein, there are a number of trams that will take you directly back to Centraal station (saving you the walk if you are short on time). It is really easy, and ask questions -- almost everybody speaks English!

Have fun and do try some fries with mayo!

Also, there are several immigration points - if the line is very long walk back up to the deparature hall and duty free area and look for the other sign for exit/immigration desk. This can save you 20 minutes or more. You can check schiphol.com for the exact location.

if you can I would suggest checking in for the next flight or even get your boarding passes before you leave greece. You can take a train to central station and there is plenty to do. If you only have a few hours you need to make a decision. I live in A'dam and take a bike around town, like the locals. But if you are only here for a short time, I would take the train to central and then consider a cab to what you want to see.

Thanks to everyone for all of the tips. I will report back when we return. You really made a difference because I started to think that we might not have time to stroll around.

Thanks again.

Since this really isn't UA-specific and so that you can get wider input, I'm moving to TravelBuzz.

cblaisd
Moderator, United