What a taxi from Amsterdam Airport to city centre costs
Nobody can honestly give you one number, and any page that does is guessing. A metered taxi counts two things at once: the kilometres you travel and the minutes you are in the car. Two people going to the same street can pay a different amount because one of them sat in traffic.
What is fixed is the ceiling. The Dutch government sets a maximum for metered rides in the Regeling maximumtarief taxivervoer. Since 1 January 2026 a car for up to four passengers may charge at most €4.31 to start, €3.17 per kilometre and €0.52 per minute. A taxi van for five to eight passengers may charge €8.77, €4.00 and €0.59. A driver may always charge less, never more.
| Distance | Assumed speed | Driving time | Maximum, car | Maximum, van |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 km | 30 km/h | 20 min | €46.41 | €60.57 |
| 15 km | 35 km/h | 26 min | €65.38 | €84.11 |
| 20 km | 40 km/h | 30 min | €83.31 | €106.47 |
| 30 km | 50 km/h | 36 min | €118.13 | €150.01 |
Read those as ceilings for a ride of that length, not as a quote for your trip. The speed in the second column is an assumption, and it is in the table precisely because the meter charges for time as well: a short city trip crawls, a longer one spends most of its time on the motorway.
For your own trip, fill in the distance and the driving time. The buttons set both at once. What you get is the ceiling for a ride of that shape, which is the only number anyone can give you before you travel.
Fare calculator: what a taxi may cost
Enter the distance and the driving time. You get the highest fare a meter is allowed to show.
Quick fill
Sets the distance and the driving time in one go. The driving time is an assumption at an average speed that rises with the distance, from city traffic to motorway; if you know it better, change it.
kilometres along the route
minutes, including time spent waiting at lights or in traffic
- Starting fare
- €4.31
- Distance
- €47.55
- Time
- €10.40
- Highest metered fare
- €62.26
This is the ceiling set by the 2026 maximum fares. A driver may always charge less, and often does. If you agree a fixed price in advance, the total may differ from this calculation. These figures are indicative, not a quote.
Fixed price or the meter
A metered ride is capped but not predictable. A fixed price agreed in advance is predictable but not capped: once you agree it, that is the amount, and the legal maximum above no longer applies to the total.
For an airport run the fixed price is almost always the better deal, because that is the ride where the meter has the most room to surprise you. What matters is that you agree it before the ride starts, in writing or in the app, not at the kerb with the engine running. When you book through WellTransfers you see the amount for every vehicle type before you confirm, you pay it online, and it does not change afterwards.
Taxi, ride-hailing app or train
How to get from Amsterdam Airport to the city centre comes down to three options, and the honest comparison between them is not about which one is cheapest on paper.
- The train is the cheapest way per person, and the station is directly under the terminal. It wins when you travel light, alone or in a pair, and your destination is near a station. The train from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Central station is direct, so for most people arriving with a backpack this is where the comparison ends.
- A metered taxi costs more but is capped by law, takes you to the door and does not care how much luggage you have. Per group of four it closes the gap with four train tickets quickly.
- A ride-hailing app quotes a price up front, but that price moves with demand: the same trip can cost noticeably more when a lot of flights land at once. An Uber from Amsterdam Airport to the city centre is the same licensed transport as any other taxi in this country, with the same blue plate and the same licensed driver; only the way the price is set differs. There is no legal maximum on a price you agreed in advance, which is exactly what makes it cheaper at a quiet hour and dearer at a busy one.
So the useful question is not "which is cheaper" but "cheaper when". At 07:00 on a Tuesday with hand luggage, take the train. Landing at midnight with three suitcases and two children, do not.
The same reasoning runs the other way. Going from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol for an early flight, the train is the obvious choice right up to the point where it is not running, you are carrying more than you can lift in one go, or the clock is tight enough that a change makes you nervous. That is the whole trade: the train is cheaper per person and a car is cheaper per group, and neither of those facts changes by wishing.
Getting your taxi at the airport
Official taxis queue at the rank in front of Schiphol Plaza. Taxis ordered through an app leave from a separate app pick-up point, so if you booked ahead, agree the exact spot with your driver. Do not accept a ride from anyone who approaches you inside the terminal, whatever they quote you: that is the one situation where the fare is genuinely unpredictable.
More on booking, vehicle types, what an “official” airport taxi means and when to leave for a departing flight is on Amsterdam airport taxi, and the wider picture, from taxi ranks to licensed plates, is on taxi in Amsterdam. Everything we have in English is listed on the English home page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from Amsterdam Airport to central Amsterdam?
There is no single amount, because the meter charges for distance and for time, and the city centre is not one address. What is fixed is the legal maximum: since 1 January 2026 a car may charge at most €4.31 to start, €3.17 per kilometre and €0.52 per minute, and a taxi van €8.77, €4.00 and €0.59. Booking with the price shown before you confirm is the only way to know the amount in advance. That holds for the centre as a whole, and for Amsterdam Central station in particular: the distance from the terminal is the same for everyone, the traffic on the day is not.
Are Amsterdam taxi prices regulated?
Yes, for metered rides. The Dutch government sets a maximum starting fare, a maximum price per kilometre and a maximum price per minute, and indexes them each year; for 2026 they went up by 3.86 % compared with the year before. A taxi may charge less than the maximum but never more. A fixed price agreed in advance is a different arrangement: then the agreed total applies.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi in Amsterdam?
Sometimes, and that is the point. A metered taxi has a legal ceiling on what it may charge. A ride-hailing app quotes a price up front that moves with demand, so it can be cheaper at a quiet hour and more expensive when a lot of flights land at once. Neither is reliably cheaper than the other; what differs is that one has a cap and the other does not.
Is it better to take a taxi or Uber from Amsterdam Airport?
At the airport the difference is less about price than about where you end up standing. Licensed taxis wait at the official rank in front of Schiphol Plaza; cars booked through an app leave from a separate pick-up point, which is a walk away and easy to miss with a trolley. And the moment a lot of flights land at once is exactly the moment an app has the fewest cars and the highest price. A ride booked in advance sidesteps both: you agree the pick-up point and the amount before you land.
How much is a taxi from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central?
There is no one number, because the meter counts the traffic as well as the kilometres and Amsterdam Central is a different distance from every terminal exit. What is fixed is the legal maximum in the table above. Book ahead and you see the amount before you confirm; take one at the rank and you pay what the meter says when you arrive.
What is the cheapest way to get from Amsterdam Airport to the city?
The train, per person. The station is directly under the terminal. A taxi becomes competitive once you count a group rather than a person, and it wins outright when you have a lot of luggage, arrive late at night or go somewhere with a poor connection.
Can I pay by card at the Schiphol taxi rank?
Many taxis take cards, but not all, so ask before you get in if that matters to you. When you book through WellTransfers you pay online in advance, so there is nothing to settle in the car.
Does the fare change if I have a lot of luggage?
Luggage itself costs nothing extra. What can change is the vehicle: from five passengers, or more than four pieces of luggage, the booking automatically becomes a van, and a van has its own rates and its own minimum fare.
Sources
Amounts and rules change regularly. Always check the current information with the official bodies.