TamaraEden

I need some suggestions please. We will be coming from Brussels by train to Amsterdam, Centraal on our last night. Our flight leaves from Schipol at 1:00pm back to the states. Here are my questions:
A) Should I stay near the airport or near the center of town so we can enjoy our last night there?
B) If we stay near the airport, is there a simple way (without using airport shuttle) to get to the train station to get into town that night?
C) Do you have any specific hotel suggestions for the final night only? Perhaps we should stay near Centraal so we can catch a train to airport easily?

alanRow

It's about 20 minutes to the centre of Amsterdam so I can't see why would would even consider staying near the airport on your final night

suze

Absolutely no reason to stay at the airport. Ditto above.

suze

Check out the Connexxion hotel shuttle bus service. It's easier than the train and cheaper than a taxi.

TamaraEden

Ok, I decided I'm gonna try and find a room for ONE night somewhat close to Centraal Station so we can make it to the airport on time in the morning. Our flight leaves at 1. I'm thinking we need to leave Centraal Station at about 10? Does this sound right?

ivee

10 o clock is perfectand will leave more than anough time.
I agree with the other that there is no NEED to stay near the airport. However, what will you do the last night? If you do not intend to stroll about the city the whole night, why not just have a nice dinner and after that sleep INSIDE the airport. There is a very good not expensive hotel INSIDE the custom area in Schiphol (with a view on the check-in counters!)You can check in very late and the next morning you just have to check in. I am Dutch living in France and I very often use Amsterdam as a hub and then use this possibility It is just great . It is called the Hotel Mercure Schiphol. I only have the phone number here (0031 20 6041339);If you choose this possibility you must not carry any sharp items also in check-in luggage, as you are in the custom area (if you really need them you can put them in a locker)

ivee

Just an additional note. Do not confuse the hotel with the other Mercure hotel just near the airport!! The one I am talking about is really inside the airport. I just reread myself and saw I used twice check in , I mean: you can check in very late in the hotel and then the next morning you just have to check in (for the flight).

ivee

Here I am again!! I also forgot to tell you that in Amsterdam Centraal there are easy possibilities to store your luggage.
You then just have to take the train to Schiphol after your evening in town. There are very frequent trains from Centraal to Schiphol and vice versa and it takes only 15 - 20 minutes. The train arrives into the airport itself.
I hope my info is a bit useful.

TamaraEden

Ivee--Thanks for the info. I'm not really sure what it is we'll be doing that last night. We'll be travelling from Brussels, my guess is in the latter part of the afternoon. We will have already spent 4 nights and 4.5 days in Amsterdam at the beginning of our trip. It would be nice to maybe go for dinner our last night, walk a little (if my body will allow it ) , and then get a good rest for a long travel day home.

I'm finding it very hard to find a hotel near Centraal. They are either 5 star hotels that have vacancies on this day, or they are dumps. We can go from Brussels to Schipol, stay at a hotel there, then just take the train into the city for the evening too.

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE HOTELS AROUND THE AIRPORT ARE WALKING DISTANCE TO THE TRAIN INTO AMSTERDAM CENTRAL? I keep looking but can't find info.

Thanks again EVERYONE! You rock!

suze

Amsterdam isn't that large you don't need to stay right near Centraal. You can walk, or take a tram, or a taxi to get to the train station. A 1:00pm flight gives you plenty of time.

TamaraEden

Thanks suze, was just trying to avoid shlepping from hotel, to train, to airport. But, that might be the way to go. We were going to wait to book our last night but I'm finding so much stuff booked alraedy.

abbydog

Have you tried Hotel Estherea (http://www.hotels.nl/amsterdam/estherea)? I stayed there for one night during a layover between flights -- it was about 15 minutes' walk from the station and we carried only what we needed for the evening (our large bags were checked). We headed back to the airport from the train station around 9:00 a.m. on our departure day and really enjoyed the walk in the early morning light among all the bike commuters!

suze

Well as I've suggested previously there's the *Connexxion* hotel shuttle bus service from the airport. Is there a reason you aren't interested in using that? It's incredibly easy and not expensive. No schlepping involved.

suze

Isn't the train station right at the airport?

So your question really is are those hotels walking distance to the airport.

TamaraEden

I know about the bus shuttle. Suze, thanks so much for ALL your suggestions. What I was trying to do was book a room, near the Centraal station, that wasn't a dump and wasn't more than $120US or so a night. I searched SO MANY hotels in the city, so many are already booked, including most I've seen suggested on here that are in my price range. And so, with a tad hesitation, I booked the Hotel Amstel Botel. Twin room with canal view. 94EU. This ends up being one of the more expensive rooms we booked actually. Anyway...it's done, it's across from Centraal Station and close enough that we can play a little in the city on our last night of vacation. I will have already spent 4 nights in Amsterdam at the beginning of the trip so it's all good

THANK YOU EVERYONE