Schiphol International Airport (AMS)
Tel: (020) 794 0800.
Website: www.schiphol.nl

Schiphol, located 15km (9 miles) southwest of Amsterdam, is the fourth largest airport in Europe, with over 100 airlines flying to over 200 destinations. Schiphol ranks fourth behind London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle, and has repeatedly been voted ‘Best Airport in Europe' in numerous magazines and newspapers. The Privium programme offers frequent flyers speedy transit through passport control and security (website: www.schiphol.nl/privium) using iris recognition technology.

Approximate flight times to Amsterdam: From London is 50 minutes; from New York is 7 hours; from Los Angeles is 10 hours 25 minutes; from Toronto is 7 hours; and from Sydney is 21 hours 20 minutes.

Airport facilities: Facilities at Schiphol are first rate, with bureaux de change, currency exchange machines, restaurants, duty-free shops, left-luggage, tour operators, a hotel reservation service and prayer rooms. Departure lounges also have funky chairs and plenty of space in which to relax before flying. Shower facilities and day rooms are available at the airport hotels. Wi-Fi hotspots are also available. Car hire companies include Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Sixt.

Business facilities: The Schiphol Business Centre (tel: (020) 653 2480) is open to all passengers. Facilities include fax, personal computer, telephone and secretarial services. The centre is open Monday to Friday 0830-1900. There is one conference room in the terminal, which can cater for groups of up to 55 delegates and must be booked in advance through the business centre. Coin-operated fax machines are located throughout the airport terminal. Computers, printers and mobile telephones (for making and receiving both local and international calls) can be hired from KPN Telecom Rentcentre (tel: (020) 653 0999). There is also a press centre. Several major airlines provide executive lounges, which offer some business facilities.

Transport to the city: Connexxions (tel: (020) 339 4741) operates a shuttle bus service to the city centre, every 20 minutes daily between 0600 and 2100 (journey time - 20-30 minutes, although due to numerous stops, journeys can sometimes take up to an hour). Over 100 hotels are serviced, including the Carlton, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Okura, NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, Novotel, Pulitzer, Renaissance, The Grand and Park.

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) (tel: 0900 202 1163; website: www.ns.nl) trains run between the airport and Amsterdam's Centraal Station, daily every 15 minutes from about 0600 to 2400 (journey time - 20 minutes) and every hour throughout the night. There is also a direct link between Schiphol and Amsterdam's RAI Congress Centre, with trains running every 15 minutes from about 0525 to 2410. Schiphol also has direct links to The Hague and Rotterdam and other destinations throughout Holland and on into Belgium and France.

Official airport taxis pick up passengers from outside the arrivals hall. The journey takes approximately 15-25 minutes, depending on which part of the city is required. Book in advance online (website: www.schipholtaxi.nl).