On this page is a map of Amsterdam Central Station, with details about where to find taxis, ferries, lockers etcetera.

If you arrive in Amsterdam by train, this station will probably be your arrival station. From here, lots of trains depart to cities nearby, to Schiphol Airport, and also to many international destinations.

Information and tickets
There's a GVB information building in front of the station, where you can buy tickets for city buses/trams/metros. At the back of the Central Station is the OV Service Shop. Here you can get tickets for all modes of public transport: not only local buses/trams/metros, but also regional buses, domestic and international trains.

Trains
This is one of the busiest train stations in NL. Here are trains leaving to all parts of the country, and here is also your train to Schiphol Airport. You can also find trains here to France (Thalys trains), Belgium, Germany and beyond.

Municipal buses (city buses)
City buses are run by the GVB. The city bus stops are grouped together in front of the Central Station. You can find them in front of the white, majestic 19th century Victoria Hotel, on a square at the corner of Damrak and Prins Hendrikkade. Leaving the train station, you go to the beginning of Damrak, just before that slightly to the right.
There are no regional buses on this location.

Regional buses
All regional bus stops are at the back side of the Central Station. Here you can find buses to Marken, Edam, Volendam, Zaandam and other places not far from Amsterdam. There are no city buses here.

Trams
Trams (aka street cars) are to be found at the front of the Central Station. Leaving Central Station, on the right side you find the lines 1,2,5,13 and 17 and on the left side lines 4, 9, 16, 24 and 26.

Metro (Underground
Currently, Central Station is the beginning of all metro lines. There are 3 lines. Two of them (line 53 and 54) to to Amsterdam South East, and one to Amstelveen (line 51). The metro stop is in front of the Central Station.

Ferries
At the back of the station you find 3 ferry terminals, from West to East:

- NDSM-veer (to NDSM-werf, Amsterdam Marina, urban beach Pllek)
- Buiksloterweg-veer (to EYE Filminstituut, Tolhuistuin, Overhoeks area)
- (a bit further to the East side of the Central Station) IJplein-veer (probably the least important for you as a tourist, goes to a mainly residential part of Amsterdam North).

All 3 ferry lines are free, and accessible for pedestrians, cyclists, and mopeds.
NOTE: the Buiksloterweg ferry is the only one that operates after midnight.

Taxis
The taxi stand is to be found at the fare North-West (= back) side of the station.

The building
The station building was designed (in the 1880's) by the famous architect Pierre Cuypers, who also created the Rijksmuseum. The station stands on an artificial island. Before the Central Station was placed, Amsterdam had an open connection with the river IJ, which is now at the rear side of the station.

In the central hall of the station is a piano, which can be played by whoever thinks he/she can play the piano. The results are often very good.

In the train station are many shops that sell (fast) food, there are a few small supermarkets, a money exchange office, some ATM's.

More shops are to come, as the giant Noord/Zuidlijn operation nears its completion. The Noord/Zuidlijn is a new metro line, that goes from Amsterdam North to Amsterdam South, and Central Station is one of the stops.
The first metro lines are scheduled to run in 2017, and until that time a lot of construction work is going on. This construction work can mean certain parts of the station are temporarily blocked off.
NOTE:
Because of the works going on for the new metro line, certain parts of the station can be blocked. If you travel through Central Station, it is advisable to take some extra time to find your way. It's a large station, and sign-posting just isn't a very strong point of the Dutch.