Amsterdam's main station: Location map
Amsterdam Centraal is the Dutch capital's main station, located right in the heart of Amsterdam, easy walking distance from most of the city's sights and hotels. The impressive station building was designed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers and completed in 1884. Cuypers also designed the Rijksmuseum, the similarity is not coincidence. You can read more about the history of Amsterdam Centraal Station and its construction at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam_Centraal_station.
Amsterdam Centraal taken from the 6th floor of the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel. Note the tram platforms on both sides of the forecourt (Tram 2 for the Rijksmuseum & Van Gogh Museum goes from the platforms on the left). The cream building on the right houses the GVB ticket office selling GVB bus, metro, tram tickets. Larger photo.
Finding your way around the station
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Main hall. You walk through the main entrance (in the centre of the photo below) into the station's main hall. Which isn't that big, as city station main halls usually go. There are a couple of NS (Dutch Railways) information desks here to help with any questions, and plenty of yellow NS ticket machines. If you want to buy a ticket from a staffed counter, see here.
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Ticket gates. On the far side of the main hall you'll see a row of automatic ticket gates controlling access into the main passageway under all the tracks. Dutch domestic tickets operate the gates automatically and if your international ticket has a QR barcode this should also work to open the gates when held against the scanner. The QR codes on Eurostar, ICE & Nightjet tickets and on Interrail & Eurail passes all work these gates. If your ticket doesn't work the gates, ask a member of staff to let you through.
Tip: Some facilities such as the luggage lockers and first class lounge are inside the gateline, but if you arrive on an ICE or Eurostar train you should find that the QR barcode on your ticket will work the gates for the rest of the day, letting you in & out as much as you like. Interrail & Eurail pass QR codes will also let you in and out as much as you like.
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Passageway under the tracks. Once through the ticket gates, a broad passageway lined with retail outlets takes you under the tracks. This is the main passageway, with escalators up to each platform on the left and stairs up to each platform on the right. The main hall is at street level, the main passageway under the tracks is a little lower than street level, the platforms are one level up from both.
There is another passageway (the IJpasage) without any ticket gates if you need to get from one side of the station to the other without a ticket.
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Platforms. Platforms are numbered 1 to 15, with platform 1 on the city side of the station and platform 15 on the far side. All are 'through' platforms where trains can leave in either direction except for platform 1 which is a dead-end bay platform.
Two trains can use each platform at a time, so each platform has an 'a' end to the left (northwest) and a 'b' end to the right (southeast) so if your train leaves from (say) platform 14b it means the southeast half of platform 14. It is all clearly signed.
Departure screens all over the station show you which platform your train will leave from. IC & ICE trains to Germany typically use platform 2 but often use other platforms. Eurostar (formerly Thalys high-speed trains to Brussels & Paris and the IC trains to Brussels typically use platform 13, 14 or 15. But always check the screens!
Tip: If catching an international train with a reserved seat in a specific car, the platform departure indicators show the train formation and where each car will stop along the platform. Zone letters A to N are displayed along the length of the platform (not to be confused with the 'a' end and 'b' end of the platforms), if you are reserved in (say) sleeping-car 176 from Amsterdam to Zurich, it will show you that car 176 will stop in zone C, so stroll along the platform to zone C. This saves you running up and down like a headless chicken when the train comes in.
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There's a station plan linked from mijnstation.nl/en/amsterdam/at-this-station (please tell me if this link stops working).
Amsterdam Centraal main entrance. Pause a moment to look up. The right-hand tower has a clock, the dial on the left-hand tower shows the wind direction.
1. Walk through the main entrance.
2. ...into the main hall. There is a staffed information kiosk here, and escalators down to the metro.
3. Go through the long line of ticket gates in front of you into the passageway under all the tracks. Dutch tickets work the gates, so do the QR codes on Eurostar, ICE & Nightjet tickets and Interrail & Eurail mobile passes.
4. The passageway is a little lower than ground level (as there's a gentle slope down) with the tracks above. You go up steps or escalator onto the relevant platform.
5. Platforms are numbered from 1 to 15. 1a is the northwest end of platform 1 and 1b is the southeast end, and so on for all platforms.
This shows platform 2 on the left and platform 4 on the right, looking northwest. There are only in fact 11 platforms because tracks 3, 6, 9 & 12 are 'centre roads' which don't have a platform. Platform 1 is a bay platform, so the first long through platform right next to the station building is platform 2.
Standing on platform 7, looking southeast.
Online departures information
See www.rijdendetreinen.nl/.../amsterdam-centraal for a real-time list of upcoming departures, showing the platform number, type of train and any delays or alterations. Handy to open on your phone when you're there!
Domestic & international ticket offices
There are plenty of ticket machines around the station, with a touch screen & English language facility, it's quickest & easiest to use those for domestic tickets. You can also make Dutch domestic journeys simply by touching in and out with a contactless bank card.
Main ticket office:
The main staffed ticket counters (both domestic and international) are located at the western end of the main station building, on the ground floor - in other words, walk in through the station's main entrance, turn immediately left and keep on walking along that passageway until you reach the ticket counters at the very far end of the building.
Remember that Dutch train tickets cost an extra €1 when bought from a staffed counter or ticket machine instead of buying online or using a contactless bank card.
International tickets & reservations: The NS International counters in the main ticket office are open morning till evening 7 days a week, for exact opening hours see www.nsinternational.nl. NS International charge a booking fee for buying tickets from a staffed counter, €1.50 per ticket for tickets to Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany, €7.50 per ticket for tickets to all other countries, so it's better to book online at www.nsinternational.nl if you can (or for IC tickets to Belgium or Luxembourg, use the yellow self-service machines).
Second ticket office:
There is a smaller ticket office on the north (IJmeer) side of the station with several domestic & international counters, it's in a retail unit in the IJhal, the small concourse along that side of the station. From the main station hall, walk through the IJpasage (the passageway under all the tracks without any ticket barriers) and turn left when you get to the other side. If the counters in the main ticket office are busy, you may find these less so!
Above, the smaller domestic & international ticket office on the far (north) side of the station, marked OV Service & Tickets. The photo is taken standing in the IJhal, looking at the ticket gates at the entrance to one of the passageways under all the tracks to the south side of the station.
Self-service ticket machines
The yellow ticket machines located all around the station are the easy way to buy Dutch domestic tickets or international tickets for IC trains (but not Eurostar high-speed trains) to stations in Belgium, Luxembourg & also Aachen & Cologne. They have a touch screen, an English language facility and they accept coins, MasterCard & Visa cards.
Left luggage lockers & ATMs
There are ATMs in various places around the station.
There are left luggage lockers if you need to leave your bags. The lockers are on the ground floor at the eastern end of the main station building. Walk in through the main station entrance, turn immediately right, walk along that passageway a little way until you come to another set of ticket gates. You'll see the baggage area just inside the gateline - any ticket valid that day (the one you arrived on, or the one you will leave with) will let you in & out of the ticket gates as much as you like. If you have an IC, ICE, Nightjet or Eurostar ticket or Interrail/Eurail mobile pass, the QR barcode should work the gates.
It costs €7 for a small locker (90cm x 45cm x 40cm) or €11 for a large locker (90cm x 60cm x 40cm), for the first 24 hours. You can pay by debit or credit card, but not cash. The locker area is open from 05:00 until 00:45. Maximum deposit 72 hours.
How to use the lockers at Amsterdam Centraal:
Find an open empty locker of the right size, put your bag in it and slam the door. You then go to the adjacent control panel, switch it to English on the touch screen and follow the instructions to pay for the locker with a contactless bank card. My UK-issued credit card worked fine. It prints a receipt with your locker number and a barcode.
To reclaim your bags, go to the same control panel and scan the barcode on your receipt, your locker will pop open.
There's also a private left luggage facility in the city at Damrak 247 which accepts cash, see www.lockerpoint.com.
First class lounge
If you have a 1st class international ticket or a 1st class Interrail or Eurail pass you can use the NS International first class lounge at the western end of platform 2. Eurostar business premier qualifies for lounge access, but not standard premier. Follow signs for NS International Lounge. Open 7 days a week, check www.nsinternational.nl for opening times.
The lounge offers complimentary unlimited tea & coffee, charging points & free WiFi. One complimentary soft drink or bottle of water. Beer, wine and snacks to buy. You can pay to access the lounge if you don't have a first class ticket, prices can be found at www.nsinternational.nl although I'd suggest using the Grand Cafe 1e Klas as your VIP departure lounge instead, see the section below.
Food & drink
There are plenty of places to eat & drink at Amsterdam Centraal including Burger King on platform 2, a Starbucks & a Wagamama. There are minimarkets where you can stock up for the journey, including a Hema mini-market on the left just inside the ticket gates in the main passageway under all the tracks.
Grand Cafe 1e Klas - recommended
For somewhere classy, historic & quiet for a beer, coffee or meal before your train I recommend the beautifully retro Grand Cafe 1e Klas (restaurant1eklas.nl), open from 09:30 to 23:00 every day of the week, located in what was originally the 1st class station restaurant. It makes a great VIP waiting room, for the price of a coffee - and you get to meet Elvis, see the photos below.
They serve lunch & dinner and the food is excellent, I highly recommend the prawns in olive oil starter and the Flanders stew, browse the current menu at restaurant1eklas.nl. If you enter the cafe from the station side you'll see Restaurant 1e Klasse in beautiful architectural tiling above the entrance door.
To reach the cafe from the main station entrance hall, look for an easy-to-miss set of stairs in the far right-hand corner of the main entrance hall, to the right of the row of ticket gates in front of you. The cafe is one floor up, at platform level. You'll see some historic tiling, the cafe is located in the former 1st class restaurant.
To reach the cafe from the platforms, go to platform 2. The cafe has an entrance on platform 2b (the eastern end of platform 2) which has been fitted with an automatic ticket gate, see the photos below. Simply scan the barcode on your ticket to open the gate and access the cafe.
The beautifully retro Grand Cafe 1e Klas. Larger photo.
Elvis is in the house! Above left, Elvis the cockatoo on the bar at the Grand Kafe 1e Klas. Above right, a Dutch uitsmijter, the perfect lunch, a sort of deconstructed omelette with ham & cheese. Or how about a Wiener schnitzel? For dinner, prawns in olive oil and the Flanders stew hit the spot.
The entrance to the Grand Cafe 1e Klas on platform 2. Note the ticket gates between platform & cafe.
Cafe, 2e Klas
The class system is alive and well at Amsterdam Centraal! Just before you reach the Grand Cafe 1e Klas having gone up the steps from the main hall, you'll see a more basic self-service cafe, marked Wachtkamer 2e Klasse (2nd class waiting room) - and the surroundings are still grand enough. However, although the Grand Cafe 1e Klas opens until late, this more basic coffee place only opens until around 18:00.
Walking to the sights
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Dam Square at the very centre of Amsterdam is just 9 minutes walk from Centraal station (750m), see walking map. You basically walk out of the station and keep going straight ahead of you along the main street.
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Anne Frank's House is 18 minutes walk from Centraal station (1.5 km), see walking map.
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The Rijksmuseum is a 31-minute 2.5 km walk, see walking map, or use tram 2 to Museumplein.
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The Van Gogh Museum is a 36-minute 2.9 km walk, see walking map, or use tram 2 to Museumplein.
Metro, tram & taxi
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Amsterdam Centraal has two sets of tram platforms on the forecourt, either side of the main entrance. It has a metro station below ground.
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You can simply touch in and out on any bus, tram or metro with a contactless credit or debit card, the fare will be debited from your account at the end of the day. There's no need to buy tickets or set up an account, just tap in and tap out with your bank card on the bus or tram contactless card reader or the metro ticket gates. Easy!
For one or two metro/tram/bus rides, one-way tickets are fine, good for 1 hour. For 3 or more rides in any one day you should buy a Day Ticket, good for unlimited rides on GVB metro, tram, bus and ferries for the whole day.
You can buy one-way and day tickets at the GVB ticket office just across the forecourt and to the left from Centraal Station's main exit, see the photo below. It's open from morning to early evening 7 days a week, see www.gvb.nl/en for exact opening hours.
You can also buy tickets from the conductor on board most trams, the conductor sits in a service kiosk just inside the tram entrance doors.
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For Amsterdam metro & tram information see www.gvb.nl/en.
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For Amsterdam Zuid station, take metro line M52 from Centraal Station, final destination Zuid.
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For the Rijksmuseum & Van Gogh Museum, take tram 2 from Centraal Station to Museumplein tram stop, every few minutes, journey time 22 minutes. Tram 2 leaves from the platform nearest the station building on the right-hand side of the forecourt as you walk out of the station. The tram ride through Amsterdam is an experience in itself.
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Taxis: Taxis are usually plentiful outside the station. Taxi fare calculator: www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Amsterdam-Netherlands.
A tram outside Amsterdam Centraal. Tram 2 to Museumplein for the Rijksmuseum & Van Gogh Museum leaves from these tram platforms. You board by the centre doors, and leave by end doors. Remember to touch in with a ticket or contactless bank card as you board and touch out as you leave.
The GVB ticket office for metro/tram/bus tickets, across the forecourt and to the left from Amsterdam Centraal's main exit.
Hotels in Amsterdam
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Book your accommodation in Amsterdam early as it can be difficult to find rooms at short notice in peak season, the better & cheaper rooms quickly sell out. You'll also find prices vary significantly even at the same hotel, depending on the season and what's going on in the city.
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The ultimate Amsterdam landmark hotel
The Grand, now the Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam is arguably the most famous hotel in Amsterdam. From around €300 per night upwards for a double room, 5 minutes walk from Dam Square and 10 minutes walk from Centraal Station.
For something smaller, cheaper but equally special, try the Canal House boutique hotel, 15 minutes walk from the station.
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Mid-range to top end
The Park Plaza Victoria Hotel gets great reviews and is very convenient as it's on the corner across the road from Amsterdam Centraal station. Some rooms are in the historic part and some in a more modern annexe. In a similar price bracket, try the Kimpton de Witt Amsterdam Centre, 6 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal and also with excellent reviews.
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Mid-range
The Hotel Luxer is cheaper, from around €109 upwards per night, and also just 7 minutes walk from Centraal station with great reviews. Also try The Times Hotel, Hotel Tourist Inn or Daily Rooms Hotel. Or the Hotel Sebastians, around €115 per night, equally well located 10 minutes walk from Centraal station, another hotel which gets great reviews.
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Cheapies
There are many cheap hotels, including many near the station, but very few get outstanding reviews. For ones that do, try the floating boat hotel AmiciA (formerly Friesland), around €45 per night 15 minutes walk from the station or the Rembrandt Hotel from €80, 10 min walk from Dam Square though 20 minutes walk from the station.
The view as you walk out of the station. The Damrak is straight ahead of you, into the heart of the city. The Park Plaza Victoria Hotel is on the corner to the right of the Damrak, with a dome above its (former) front door.
Useful links
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Rijksmuseum, www.rijksmuseum.nl.
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Van Gogh Museum, www.vangoghmuseum.nl. Entry by time slot, book in advance.
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Anne Frank's house, www.annefrank.org. Entry by time slot, book online in advance as it gets fully booked well ahead in summer.
Keep your eyes open
You'll find all sorts of historic details around this beautiful station dating from 1884.
Amsterdam Zuid
Amsterdam Zuid is a secondary station in the financial district some way south of Amsterdam city centre. Its platforms sit sandwiched between the 3 eastbound and 3 westbound lanes of the A10 motorway which produce a constant traffic drone. Amsterdam Zuid is not one of my favourite stations!
At the moment, you shouldn't need to go here. But from December 2024, the Brussels-Amsterdam Intercity trains will be diverted to Zuid instead of Centraal. Longer term, there are plans to massively develop the station to become the terminal for Amsterdam's international trains, with the A10 motorway put in a tunnel and covered with greenery. It may then all look wonderful, but currently it's underwhelming (I'm being polite here).
How to transfer between Zuid & Centraal
Metro line M52 links Amsterdam Centraal with Amsterdam Zuid every few minutes, just 5 stops taking 9 minutes. The metro is fast and modern, it accepts contactless bank cards so just touch your card on the ticket gate reader and the gate will open, do the same at the other end and your bank account will be charged. Metro line M51 also links Centraal and Zuid, but via a slightly longer route. Heading from Centraal to Zuid you want M52 towards Zuid. Heading from Zuid to Centraal you want M52 towards Noord. At Zuid, the metro is above ground, the metro platforms are alongside the mainline NS platforms. For metro information see www.gvb.nl.
Station overview & facilities
The tracks run on a raised viaduct, station facilities are in the passage way under the tracks, with lifts and steps up to each platform. There's a Starbucks and a minimarket just outside the entrance, and several newsagent kiosks, but facilities are limited. There's a Wagamama restaurant not far from the north side entrance. The best facility is the metro to Centraal.
This is the main entrance on the northern side of the tracks, the side facing Amsterdam city centre.
A dingy underpass runs under all the tracks from the north side entrance to the south side entrance, with lifts/steps/escalators up to each platform. Entering from the north side, the ticket gates for the GVB metro platforms are just inside the underpass, the gates for the NS mainline platforms are beyond those.
The platforms and tracks are raised above ground level. The metro is also above ground here, the metro platforms are alongside the mainline Netherlands Railways platforms. This photo is taken from the metro platforms on the north side, looking south towards the NS mainline platforms.
Amsterdam Zuid metro platform with a M52 metro to Centraal Station about to leave.