Most international visitors fly into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which has direct trains to Amsterdam and the other major cities. Four smaller airports, Eindhoven, Rotterdam The Hague, Groningen Eelde and Maastricht Aachen, mainly serve European holiday and low-cost routes. There are no practical domestic flights: the country is small enough that the train is faster.
The airports at a glance
| Airport | Code | Main use | Getting to the city |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Schiphol | AMS | KLM hub, worldwide routes | Train to Amsterdam Centraal and most major cities |
| Eindhoven | EIN | Low-cost and leisure routes | Bus to Eindhoven station |
| Rotterdam The Hague | RTM | Holiday and some city routes | Bus 33 to Rotterdam Centraal; bus and metro to The Hague |
| Groningen Eelde | GRQ | Mainly seasonal holiday flights | Qbuzz bus line 9 to Groningen station |
| Maastricht Aachen | MST | Limited holiday routes | Arriva bus line 30 to Maastricht and Sittard |
Amsterdam Schiphol
Schiphol is about 9 km south-west of Amsterdam city centre and handled close to 69 million passengers in 2025. It is the home base of KLM and also a major base for Transavia, easyJet and many other airlines.
The airport has a single terminal with three connected departure halls, and its railway station is directly underneath Schiphol Plaza, the arrivals and shopping hall. Direct trains run to Amsterdam Centraal in about 15 minutes, and also to Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and beyond, with some international trains stopping as well. Pay by tapping a contactless bank card or phone on the gates using OVpay, or buy a ticket from the machines.
Practical points:
- Security queues can be long at peak times, in school holidays and on early-morning departures. Follow the airport's advice on arrival times.
- Non-Schengen flights (for example to the UK, the US or Asia) pass through passport control, which adds time on departure.
- Taxis wait outside the arrivals hall; use the official rank rather than accepting offers inside the terminal.
Eindhoven
Eindhoven Airport is the second-largest in the country, with almost 7 million passengers in 2025. It shares its runway with a military air base. Ryanair, Wizz Air and Transavia fly a wide range of European city and holiday routes. Buses connect the airport with Eindhoven railway station, from where trains run to the rest of the country.
The airport is due to close for about five months from February 2027 for runway renovation. Some Transavia and TUI flights will move temporarily to Maastricht during that period, so check your departure airport if you are booking for early 2027.
Rotterdam The Hague, Groningen and Maastricht
- Rotterdam The Hague Airport is on the northern edge of Rotterdam. Transavia and TUI fly mainly to holiday destinations in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and elsewhere, with some city routes including London. Bus 33 runs to Rotterdam Centraal; for The Hague, take the bus to Meijersplein and continue on metro line E.
- Groningen Airport Eelde is south of Groningen and has mostly seasonal charter and holiday flights. Qbuzz bus line 9 runs to Groningen station and the city centre.
- Maastricht Aachen Airport has few scheduled passenger routes since Ryanair left in October 2025. Arriva bus line 30 connects it to Maastricht and Sittard.
Lelystad Airport in Flevoland is not open for commercial passenger flights; plans to open it have been delayed for years and remain politically uncertain.
Arriving late at night
Schiphol is one of the few places in the country with trains all night. Night trains run roughly hourly between Utrecht, Amsterdam, Schiphol, Leiden, The Hague and Rotterdam, so a late arrival does not mean an expensive taxi. Buses from the regional airports stop much earlier in the evening, and connecting trains in other regions also stop around midnight, so check the last connection from Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Groningen or Maastricht before booking a late flight. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are available at all the main airports, but fares to cities far from the airport add up quickly.
Why there are no useful domestic flights
The Netherlands is roughly 300 km from north to south, and Intercity trains run frequently between all the main cities. Amsterdam to Rotterdam takes about 40 minutes on the Intercity Direct, Amsterdam to Groningen just over two hours, and Amsterdam to Maastricht about two and a half hours. There are no scheduled domestic passenger flights worth considering for travellers.
KLM runs a bus service linking Schiphol with Eindhoven and Maastricht for passengers who book it as part of a KLM ticket, which is the closest thing to a domestic connection.
To reach the Wadden Islands, travel by ferry rather than plane: Texel from Den Helder, Vlieland and Terschelling from Harlingen, and Ameland and Schiermonnikoog from Holwerd and Lauwersoog.
Booking flights to the Netherlands
- Compare airports. Low-cost fares into Eindhoven or Rotterdam can be cheaper than Schiphol, but add the cost and time of reaching your final destination.
- Consider neighbouring airports. Brussels and Düsseldorf are within reach by direct train from parts of the Netherlands and can be cheaper for some routes.
- Consider the train. From London, Paris, Brussels and western Germany, high-speed trains to Amsterdam and Rotterdam are a realistic alternative to flying, arriving in the city centre.
- Air passenger tax. The Netherlands levies a tax on departing passengers, which is included in the ticket price.
Arriving and departing tips
- Have a contactless card or phone ready for the train gates; it is the simplest way to pay for the onward journey.
- Check the train timetable for engineering work, especially at weekends, using the NS or 9292 apps.
- Allow extra time on departure from Schiphol in summer and around Dutch school holidays.
- Keep your passport handy for non-Schengen departures, including flights to the UK.
