How To Spend A Layover in Amsterdam

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Anyone else dreaming of their next European getaway? I know I am! Last week I posted our first honeymoon recap, so I’m excited to share more highlights from our adventure. 

Our route to the Maldives was a long one, but since we were so excited to start our honeymoon, we were pumped for the long journey leading up to our relaxing destination. We drove 1.5 hours from Banff to Calgary, flew from Calgary to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Paris, Paris to Maldives, and then took a seaplane from Male to our hotel. It took us around two days to get to the Maldives, but we had a ton of fun on the journey by adding in stops! The route to the Maldives is always long, but scheduling in a few long layovers was a lot of fun, created some of the best memories,  and added to the highlights of the trip! 

(Note: our route home was much shorter from Colombo to Doha to Dallas, so I always recommend booking the longer route on the front end when you’re excited to get there)

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WHY I LOVE LONG LAYOVERS

I love booking with trips with extended layovers, because it allows you to visit a new city that’s separate from your final destination. I’ve booked extended layovers on previous trips for a day or overnight exploring in Madrid, Berlin, and attempted to do this in Shanghai (due to a language barrier, I went through the wrong customs and spent 12 hours waiting in the airport overnight. Fail.) If you have time on your trip to add in a long layover, I highly recommend it! 

If you decide to book a long layover, make sure to calculate the distance between the airport and the city or places you hope to visit to make sure you can leave and return on time. We had a 5-hour layover in both Paris and Amsterdam – but the airport in Paris is ~45 minutes to an hour from the city center, so we didn’t want to risk missing our flight to the Maldives and waited it out in the terminal lounge. 

Amsterdam is one of the easiest cities for scheduling a long layover, since the airport is super close to the city center. If you have the option to fly through Amsterdam, definitely plan a long layover!  Since this was my second time to Amsterdam, it was super fun to pop in for a quick visit and get some fresh air outside of airport terminals. 

Tip: booking flights with long layovers can also be cost-effective! Read more about booking long layovers and tips for affordable flights to Europe here.

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HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED

We had a 5-hour layover, and I would say this is the minimum amount of time you would need to leave the airport comfortably and stress-free. As much fun as it is to explore on a layover, missing your next flight wouldn’t be worth it. 

To play it safe, factor in at least one hour to depart the airport and at least one hour for check-in when you return – and the time between is your outing time frame. You will need to go through customs when you leave the airport and enter security again when you return, so keeping a safe buffer of time is always a good idea. 

Also keep in mind, your incoming flight may be delayed and could change your layover exploration plans – but since our flight was on time, it worked out perfectly!

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TIPS FOR LEAVING THE AIRPORT

Unless you plan to rent a locker at the train station OR the Schiphol Baggage Depot (~$10 for 24 hour luggage storage at the airport), you will bring whatever you have with you on your outing.

Since we planned a lot of stops on our honeymoon, we each checked one bag and brought a small tote/laptop bag as our carry-on to avoid dealing with our wheeling carry-ons on the layovers. Our large bags were checked all the way to the Maldives, so this made our outing a lot less cumbersome. 

Also, I highly recommend bringing a beauty touch-up kit for when you arrive. I accidentally checked mine, so big sunglasses were a must after a long overnight flight!

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SHOP MY BEAUTY TOUCH-UP ESSENTIALS:

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HOW TO GET TO THE CITY

Amsterdam is one of the easiest cities to plan a long layover, since the Amsterdam Schiphol airport is in the center of the city. As soon as you exit customs, you will see the train station and won’t need to worry about finding a taxi. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The ticket to Amsterdam Central is 10 euros one-way or 17 euros for the day pass (what we did), but if you buy a day pass make sure you don’t lose it or you will have to buy another. Learned from experience. The ticket machines are in the train station, so you can buy these when you arrive. 

The airport has a train that goes directly into the city and takes about 20 minutes, and the trains run every 15 minutes. 

When you exit the train station at Amsterdam Central, the city center is to the right. It’s a quick and easy walk, so I definitely recommend doing this! We visited early in the morning so a lot of places were still closed, but we still loved taking in the views, exploring along the canal, having coffee and pastries at an outdoor cafe, and getting a taste of Europe before landing in Asia the next day. 

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SHOP MY TRAVEL LOOK:

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WHAT TO DO IN AMSTERDAM

When you’re exploring a city on a layover, keep in mind you can’t see all of the tourist spots on your layover. Pick one or two, and use the outing as a taste of the city and an excuse for fresh air – rather than a full tourist day with an overbooked schedule.

Amsterdam is definitely slower in the morning, so a lot of the major attractions were still closed when we arrived. It is such a picturesque town, so simply strolling the cobblestone streets along the canal taking in the colorful architecture is a fun experience in itself!

On our outing, we explored the city center, toured the Red Light District, and visited Dam Square where we saw the Royal Palace and Nieuwe Kerk (“New Church”). Biking is huge in Amsterdam, so don’t be surprised when you see hundreds of bikers as soon as you exit the station. Bike tours are very popular, so this is a great way to see a lot of the city in a short time span. 

A lot of the main tourist attractions are within walking distance of the train station, so keep reading for our suggestions on what to visit on your extended layover: 

• Red Light District (5 minute walk) – While the Red Light District may sound a little seedy, it’s actually really interesting which is why it’s such a popular spot for tourists to visit. There are tons of museums, great restaurants, The Rembrandt House, and of course the fascinating (yet slightly confusing) experience of the actual Red Light businesses.
• Dam Square (5-10 minute walk) – Here you will find the Royal Palace, Nieuwe Kerk or “New Church”, Amsterdam’s main shopping street The Kalverstraat, and Bijenkorf department store. There are tons of souvenir shops throughout this area as well if you want to commemorate your visit with a local trinket.

If you plan to visit one of the museums or experiences below, be sure to buy your tickets online in advance. The lines can get pretty long, so it’s best to purchase in advance to stay on schedule. 

• The Anne Frank House (15 minute walk) – The Anne Frank House is an amazing experience and I loved touring it a few years ago with my girlfriends, but it does shift your mindset a lot after you enter and view the house firsthand. If you’re looking for an upbeat experience on your layover, I recommend saving this for your next visit when you have more time.
• Amsterdam Museum (15 minute walk) – The best museum for learning about the history of the city. Click here to read what exhibitions are showing during your visit.
• Rembrandt House (15 minute walk) – Tour the historic house where painter Rembrandt lived and explore his famous works throughout this museum
• Van Gogh Museum (3o minute walk or quick tram ride) – Stop by this Dutch art museum to view the works of Vincent Van Gogh and his contemporaries in the city
• Rijksmuseum (30 minute walk or quick tram ride) – Close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum is a Dutch museum dedicated to the arts and history in Amsterdam.
• The Heineken Experience – Take an interactive tour and tasting through Heineken’s historic brewery

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IF YOU HAVE 4 HOURS OR LESS

If you’re traveling in a city like Paris and have a lot of time, but not enough to leave the airport – check out the hotel options like the YOTEL where you can rent a room for a minimum of 4 hours to nap, shower, get comfy, and avoid the airport chaos. We tried to do this, but unfortunately they were closed due to the pandemic – but it’s an affordable and easy option to make a long layover more enjoyable! 

Also, join a travel program for access to the lounges. We have a few different memberships, and this makes layovers so much better! Free wine, snacks, and wifi? Yes, please. 

In fact, the Amsterdam airport train station had tons of restaurants and shopping, so if you have a little time before you head back through customs, explore this for a change of pace.

We had such a great time exploring Amsterdam on our layover, and we hope these tips will help you next time you’re mapping out your travel itinerary through Europe! Stay tuned more travel tips and honeymoon recaps to come!