- Airport history
- Airport structure
- Airport entertainment and services
- Traveling with children
- How to get to the city from Schiphol
One of the largest and busiest airports in Europe is located in the Netherlands, near Amsterdam. This is the international airport Schiphol (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol) - the main air gate of the country. In terms of the number of passengers served, it ranks fifth in Europe and twentieth worldwide. Schiphol is also an important cargo airport. More than one and a half million tons of cargo passes through it annually.
The airport is located 3 meters below sea level, on the site of a former lake. Before the lake was drained, ships destined for transportation to other canals and lakes were assembled at the site of the current airport. Therefore, the name Schiphol is translated from Dutch as follows: “schip” is a ship, and “hol” is a hole, a pit, a cave.
The airport consists of one multi-level terminal and 6 runways, each with its own name, which is quite unusual. The construction of the seventh runway is planned. The lanes are located far from the terminal. For example, sometimes an aircraft has to cover 7 km on the ground before the start, which takes about 20 minutes.
Airport history
The foundation of Schiphol as a military air base took place in 1916. At that time, the barracks were located here, which were built near a field with runways. On December 17, 1920, civil aircraft began to use the airport. The aircraft manufacturer Fokker has opened a plant near Schiphol. At the end of the First World War, the airport was no longer used for military aviation. Schiphol became a fully civilian airport.
By 1940, Schiphol had 4 asphalt runways at an angle of 45 degrees. In the same year, the airport was captured by German troops and renamed Fligerhorst Schiphol. Air defense facilities were erected near the take-off field, but despite this, the allied air force in 1943 completely bombed Schiphol. After that, the airport could not be used, so it was turned into a backup landing site. At the end of the war, Schiphol was quickly rebuilt.
In 1949, when the construction of the new terminal was completed, the Dutch government recognized Schiphol as the country's main airport. The expansion of the airport complex became possible due to the destruction of the village of Reik, in the place of which additional buildings began to be built. In 1967, the airport terminal took on its current appearance. In 1977, a new pier was built here, which is now designated the letter F. It was intended to serve large aircraft. The first railway station appeared in Schiphol in 1978.
Airport structure
The three-level terminal building is divided into three large halls, which are connected to the piers, from where disembarkation or boarding takes place. The last of the piers was completed in 1994 and expanded in 2007 with the construction of a new space called Terminal 4, although it is not a separate building. The next expansion of the entire airport complex is planned for 2023. There is also talk about the construction of a new terminal between the two runways Zvanenburgbaan and Polderbaan, which will adjoin the new structure.
All airport lounges are interconnected, which allows passengers to move freely around the airport. Only one pier, marked with the letter M, is isolated from the general space. Flights of low-cost carriers usually depart from there.
Piers B and C, located in Hall 1, are designated for routes connecting Amsterdam to the Schengen area. Piers D and E are located in the second hall. Pier D is the largest. It has two levels. Flights from both Schengen countries and non-Schengen countries are accepted here. Hall 3 includes three piers: F, G and H / M. They serve both Schengen and non-Schengen destinations.
Schiphol Airport has about 165 landing gates, including 18 double gates for large aircraft such as the Airbus A380. The first airline to fly an Airbus A380 to the city of Amsterdam was Emirates. Another carrier, China Southern Airlines, also operates an Airbus A380 on the Beijing-Amsterdam route.
Due to high airport charges from airlines, some low-cost airlines have decided to move from Schiphol to smaller airports such as Rotterdam The Hague or Eindhoven. But many companies (the same EasyJet and Transavia) remained in Schiphol and continue to use piers H and M. Currently, Lelystad airport, which is located 50 km from the city of Amsterdam, is under reconstruction. After its expansion, some of the low-cost carriers, which make 45 thousand flights a year, will move there.
Airport entertainment and services
It is a pleasure to fly with a transfer at Schiphol Airport, because here passengers will definitely not be bored. You can spend two to three hours exploring everything that the airport has to offer to its guests, which is a lot:
- the huge shopping complex "Schiphol Plaza" is located on the first level of the terminal to the customs and border control zones. This center is visited not only by passengers traveling or arriving in Amsterdam, but also by many locals;
- exhibition from the Amsterdam art museum "Rijksmuseum". Here are some of the canvases by old and modern authors. Entrance to the exhibition area is free;
- Schiphol Airport Library, which opened in summer 2010. It is located next to the exhibition and is exclusively for airport customers. It contains about 1200 volumes, written by local authors and dedicated to the history, culture and customs of the Dutch. Here you can also download electronic versions of books and music of the Netherlands to your laptop or any mobile device. This service is provided free of charge;
- observation deck "Panoramaterras" on the roof of the terminal. You don't need to buy a ticket to visit it. From the platform, you can observe the planes taking off and the daily life of the airport;
- other observation decks located near the new airstrip at Polderbaan and at the McDonald's fast food restaurant in the northern sector of the airport terminal;
- numerous cafes and restaurants where you can have a tasty and inexpensive snack before the flight.
For passengers who fly to their destination with a long connection or who have an early departure, there are several hotels at Schiphol Airport, which can be reached on foot or by free shuttle buses. Particularly noteworthy is the modern Hilton hotel, built in the shape of a cube with rounded corners and diamond-shaped windows. It offers customers 433 rooms. The spacious 41 meter high atrium has a glass ceiling. You can get to it via a covered walkway directly from the terminal.
Traveling with children
At Schiphol Airport, optimal conditions have been created for passengers with children of all ages. For kids and their parents, there is a Children's Room with 7 sleeping places. Here you can put a small child to bed and sit next to him in peace and quiet. The room also has a microwave and a bathtub for bathing small children. Admission for parents with babies under 3 years old is free.
For older children, there is a Kids Forest playground between piers E and F. Here you can find a whole town consisting of huts located at a height, where various ladders and passages lead. Teenagers who find it difficult to get interested in active games can settle at one of the computers in the next room. There are a number of interesting computer games for them. There are comfortable sofas for parents, from which you can watch the entertainment of your beloved offspring.
Children and adults will also love the unique aviation museum on board the Fokker 100. This is a real plane with access to all rooms. Children immediately go to the cockpit, adults rush to the walls, on which information signs are fixed with a story about the history of Schiphol Airport.
How to get to the city from Schiphol
In 1992, a railway station was built at Schiphol Airport on the underground level under the terminal. Now from Schiphol by train you can get not only to Amsterdam, but also to many Dutch cities. To Amsterdam, trains run in two directions: through the center (you need the Amsterdam Centraal stop) and through the southern districts (Amsterdam Zuid, Amsterdam Rai stations). The center can be reached in 15 minutes, to the southern stations - in 9 minutes.
The international high-speed train Thalys also stops at Schiphol, connecting the airport with Antwerp, Brussels, Lille and Paris. In winter, these trains run to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, and in summer to Marseille. The Intercity-Brussels train, called "beneluxtrein", to Antwerp and Brussels, stops at Schiphol Airport 16 times a day.
From the beginning of 2018, it will be possible to reach London from Schiphol by the Eurostar train.
Buses run to most cities in the Netherlands directly from the airport and leave from the bus station behind the terminal building. The Taiwanese carrier EVA Air provides bus services between Schiphol and Belgian cities.
You can also reach Amsterdam from Schiphol by car via the A9 and A4 motorways. A taxi ride from the airport will cost around 50 euros, depending on the location of the hotel.
