I arrive in Amsterdam at 7am next Tuesday, and depart for FCO at 12:15. Does anyone know if this is enough time to get away from the airport and into town? I'm not really imagining anything other than a chance to stretch out, maybe have a snack, and whet my appetite for a future visit. Any suggestions or comments? Thanks--Pam

We did a run into Amsterdam during a layover in 1993. We had six hours and it was quite easy....we had time for a canal cruise, a visit to the Anne Frank house and a short stroll. However, with the increased security that is in place now, it may be more difficult. There was no problem getting to and from downtown by train.

Jim Zurer
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We're flying into Schiphol in March before we continue onto Linate, but we're not planning to go into town. Not enough time. But I do have a question about the airport. A couple of years ago we flew into Zurich on our way to Venice, and we had the incredible pleasure of being able to take a shower in the airport for the price of something like 5 Swiss Franc. It was really refreshing to be able to do that after that long Trans-Atlantic flight.

Does anyone know if Schiphol has similar facilities?

In 2001 we had a 8 hour layover in amsterdam,we had a dayroom(hotel Ibis?)I thought it would be a good idea to go to the Van Gough museum.The museum
was great but really exausting,walking through the snow jetlagged trying to find our way around.I avoid layovers now and am willing to pay much more for a better ticket.RR

Considering you'd have to be back at the airport by 11:15, and probably won't have gotten off the arriving plane and through immigration/customs until close to 8 AM, you'd be really tight on time to do much. There will be a tourist office desk prominent in the airport, and that's the place to head; people there will be able to tell you if there's any quick whirl of about two hours that they offer.

Short of that, I'd just take the train into downtown Amsterdam and walk for a few minutes. From the Airport website:

>>>There is a direct service from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Central station.
Trains run every 10 to 15 minutes with a journey time of between 15 and 20 minutes depending on the service.

The Airport Station is connected to the terminal building for a quick transfer. <<

At Central Station, just walk out and you'll be on a very major thoroughfare.

About the showers: >>Showers
Arranged at the reception desk in the Terminal Hotels. Towels and soap are available. Take the stairs to the upper floor Lounge West. Open 24 hours.>>

And in case anyone gets really bored...
<Between Pier E & F in the central lounge. Boarding passes needed for entry and passengers must be over 18. Open 06:00 to 22:00.>>


SALLY WATKINS, Certified Travel Counselor
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[This message was edited by Sally Watkins, CTC on 26 January 2004 at 08:27 AM.]

Ahh, finally found what I was looking for about touring from Schiphol:

>>>Sightseeing between flights
Just transferring at Schiphol? Now you can step out and visit Amsterdam while waiting for your connection. Holland Tours Schiphol will take you on a guided city tour and bring you back in time to catch your next flight. The 2 1/2 hour city tour is $50, the 3 1/2 hour one is just a little more. Tickets are available at the tour counter in the arrival lounge or in the lounge area in front of the casino. >>>

SALLY WATKINS, Certified Travel Counselor
sally@century-tvl.com
www.sallywatkins.com
Italy Specialist
Certified Swiss Specialist
Certified Aussie Specialist
My business depends on referrals - please tell someone today!

And about those showers:

>>You can freshen-up before, after, or between flights at Schiphol. There's a 24 hour a day sauna available in the Hotel Mercure (Terminal West) and a fitness center, pool and sauna at the Sheraton Hotel and World Trade Centre-- easily accessible by an indoor walkway>>

SALLY WATKINS, Certified Travel Counselor
sally@century-tvl.com
www.sallywatkins.com
Italy Specialist
Certified Swiss Specialist
Certified Aussie Specialist
My business depends on referrals - please tell someone today!

quote:

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Originally posted by Sally Watkins, CTC:
And about those showers:

>>You can freshen-up before, after, or between flights at Schiphol. There's a 24 hour a day sauna available in the Hotel Mercure (Terminal West) and a fitness center, pool and sauna at the Sheraton Hotel and World Trade Centre-- easily accessible by an indoor walkway>>

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Thanks! That's great news.

We had a similar layover returning from Venice. We arrived in Amsterdam at 8:30am and our flight for US left at 2:35 but we needed to be at the gate for check in by 1:00pm. We gave ourselves 4 hours. We easily were able to go out and visit. We had lived in Leiden which is a half hour away so we took the train to Leiden by 9:00am and walked to the botanical garden and around. We made it back by 11:30am and had lunch at the airport.

You should easily be able to make it into Amsterdam and walk around. The train will take about 20 minutes from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal. A train leaves every 10 minutes for Amsterdam. Once in Amsterdam, you can walk or take the tram. Most places will be closed still at 9:00am but you can get a feeling for Amsterdam. It might be a 15-20 minute walk to the main canal area. Also, breakfast is not a big item in Holland so I wouldn't expect to go in and eat breakfast.

I haven't used the showers. I think according to Mercure's web site that they are 12.50 euros. The airport has pretty good facilities. I get my euros from the ATMs in the airport when changing planes. You can usually get a Dutch sandwich at most of the restaurants. There is also a Casino to pass away the time. I've also stayed at the Sheraton.

Some useful web sites:
- Schiphol Airport
- Mercure hotel
- Dutch Rail

If you have any questions on what to see, please ask. I've got lots of experience living in Holland.

Thank you all--it sounds feasible to leave the airport if we're in a "get up and go" mode, and--being a water creature by nature--the alternative of a hot, reviving shower would be far from a poor second choice. I appreciate your suggestions so much--Pam

quote:

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Originally posted by pamela drexler:
Thank you all--it sounds feasible to leave the airport if we're in a "get up and go" mode, and--being a water creature by nature--the alternative of a hot, reviving shower would be far from a poor second choice. I appreciate your suggestions so much--Pam

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Don't forget about jet lag. There's something to be said for relaxing in an airport lounge after taking a shower before you catch your next flight.