Advice for transit through Amsterdam Schiphol
In July we will fly Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Bergen for the Norwegian Fjords cruise. The internet is awash with Schiphol Airport horror stories, and the airport website cautions that lines are so long it is hard to know what the lines lead to! We're not too familiar with Schiphol, so we're hoping fellow Tauck travelers can help us prepare to get through the airport in our two hour, 15 minute layover time:
Coming from the U.S., continuing on to Bergen, what lines/checkpoints/bottlenecks will we have to pass through? Immigration? Security? Other?
We will be flying business class, Delta to AMS then KLM to BGO. Will business class hasten our progress through the airport, other than being first off the plane?
In the event that we miss our connecting fight, does anyone have experience calling the Tauck 24 hour line for help re-booking, or are we better off on our own?
We will load the Delta, KLM, and Schiphol apps to help us with real-time information, and we'll carry some extra clothes in case our checked bags with AirTags end up late or missing. Any other tips for getting though Schiphol?
Comments
We've made connections thru Schiphol a few times and never had trouble figuring out which way to go. Business Class will speed you off the plane but not after that. Years ago flying in there from Basel to go home there was very long customs/passport control lines and they did go down the line and move people up if their flights were leaving sooner. Once we cleared that Delta had another security line before you could get down the wing of the airport where their gates are. There was a faster Sky Priority lane there.
Never had to call Tauck to make a change. Make sure you have all the 24 hour number and all the numbers to call the transfer service who is to pick you up in Bergen. Note there are different numbers depending on where you're calling from.
Only other tip, is if you have time once you've cleared passport control do visit the KLM lounge. Nicest one I've been in yet.
Flying business class will certainly help insofar as you will be exiting the plane before the other cabin classes. I frequently travel to Amsterdam (pre-COVID) and am familiar with the airport's layout. Contrary to feedback on other threads, it is an easy airport to navigate if you are familiar with it.
My suggestion would be to carefully review the airport's layout so you know in advance how to traverse from Delta to KLM. Research the internet to find the official layout. I do not know if Delta has onboard maps (you can usually find them in the seat pocket). Some flight attendants might be able to assist as well. With a two hour layover you should have plenty of time even if you experience some crowding at passport control. Again, do your homework upfront and you will breeze through like a pro!
Bergen is one of our favorite cities and is truly the gateway to the fjords. Enjoy!
Norway is in the Schengen zone so you will have to go through passport control to get to the Schengen gates. When we transited Schipol Airport June 10, Boston to Amsterdam to Warsaw, it took about 20 minutes to get through passport control. Other than that it was smooth sailing. The airport is large but well signed and generally easy to navigate. To find the KLM Shengen business lounge look for signs directing you to Lounge 25 after you clear passport control.
We transferred through Amsterdam on June 27. No problems at all. We had to wait 40-60 minutes in the passport control line. There were airport employees allowing people with tight connections to go through a short cut type of line. We had checked 2 bags which arrived in Budapest with no issues whatsoever.
Jenny, Glad to hear you managed Schiphol relatively painlessly; pre-covid it was one of my favorite airports. But your comments are a great example of varying tolerances and expectations, as some might not call an hour in a passport line "no problem" lol.