Amsterdam : Schiphol International Airport

16th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, The Netherlands
Ranked 6th in the world by Skytrax and first among all airports in Western Europe is the major transit hub, Schiphol International Airport. The airport is the 6th busiest in the world by international passenger traffic as well.

Located just above Schiphol Station and well connected to major cities of the Netherlands such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam and the European rail grid, Schiphol International Airport is often a common entry or departure point of Europe along with other major airports. (Compared to departure from London, Amsterdam Schiphol is cheaper and the airport infrastructure is better than Charles de Gaulle Airport)

The airport is huge with plenty of shops, restaurants and even a branch of Rijksmuseum showcasing classical and contemporary artworks before going through the gates.

In the peak season of July, the airport is filled with holidaymakers trying to catch a flight to the sunny South (or the Tropics). Sunhead of 1617 B&B owner told us that during this holiday period, the Dutch family would pack their bags and grab any tickets they could at the airport and head off for a holiday to anywhere.

Despite the holiday crowd, checking in was swift at the Transavia.com counters and the security checks was quick. As the Netherlands is part of the European Union, flying to another EU country is equivalent to domestic flight.

The dining and shopping options (the affordable ones) are limited at the departure gates. A keychain for 3 EUR in Amsterdam would cost about 7 EUR here. However there is an IKEA style food court upstairs and a cafe selling food meant for takeaways including sushi.

If you are willing to splurge, they have a wine/champagne bar and a chocolatier selling chunks of chocolate and pastries (1 slice cost around 5-8 EUR though).

To escape from all that holiday frenzy downstairs, he headed to the green sanctuary upstairs. Decorated with greenery and complete with wooden park benches, it reminded me of Changi airport’s rainforest décor.

You could head to the mini garden outside from there and watch planes making their descent on Schiphol Airport or taking off to the skies.