Most hotels in Amsterdam require you to check out by noon. Hence, if you have a considerable amount of luggage with you, this situation might pose a challenge to you if your outbound flight is in the evening and you intend to do some last-minute shopping or sightseeing in the afternoon.
One way of dealing with the situation is to leave your luggage with the hotel. But this may not be feasible if the hotel is not exactly reputable and/or if it’s located in an area that is not so accessible.
The luggage locker at Amsterdam Central Station just might provide the solution to your quandary. After all, all buses, trams and trains converge there. From Central Station, you can also easily take a train to Schiphol Airport.
At Central Station, just follow the signs to the lockers (or ask one of the policemen loitering around).
Get your credit card ready because the machines don’t accept cash. Insert your card, select your preferred locker size, and how long you intend to keep your bags in the locker. The machine will then dispense a ticket.
Take the ticket and look for an empty locker, indicated by a green square beside it. Lockers with a red square are already occupied (see photo below, on the left).
Open the door, put in your bags and close the locker. The door will automatically be locked.
In case you’re wondering how big the ‘Large’ lockers are, they’re big enough to comfortably fit two bags, the type that can be carried onboard the aircraft without question (photo below, on the right).
Rates for the lockers are as below:-
- 0 to 24 hours: €4.50 (Small), €7.00 (Large)
- 25-72 hours: €6.50 per 24 hours (Small), €10.00 per 24 hours (Large)
- After 72 hours: €8.50 per 24 hours (Small), €13 per 24 hours (Large)
Hold on to your ticket because if you lose it, you’ll have to pay €10. And if your luggage has to be removed (e.g. when you exceed the time for which you paid for), be prepared to shell out €70.
Most important of all: your ticket can be used to open the locker once and only once. If you’ve already closed the locker and need to open it because you forgot to take out, say, your passport, you’ll have to pay again.
Operating hours are from 7 am to 11 pm (0700 hrs to 2300 hrs).
A similar luggage locker system is also available at Schiphol Airport. Rates are about the same, but if I remember correctly, Schiphol has lockers that are large enough for much bigger bags.
Tags: Amsterdam
February 24th, 2009 at 11:55
I hope the other countries would also have that. That became a little problem when we were in HK. It’s good that the hotel accommodated our things after the check out time to a safekeeping area, free of charge. Glad that there’s a a Filipina staff.
February 24th, 2009 at 14:48
Galing naman nito, i would love this in Philippine Airports as well.
February 25th, 2009 at 16:54
That’s one very informative post, Mimi. Like Ms.Jo, I sure wish there are similar utilities like this in other airports like HK. Yun bang tipong one day pasyal in the city before boarding your flight. Without the inconvenience of tagging all your luggage along.
February 25th, 2009 at 23:20
witsandnuts: you’re lucky you had ‘connections’!
sheng: yes, i’m sure tourists would really appreciate it.
blogusvox: i wasn’t sure about it when we went there. i only found out thru the owner of the houseboat where we stayed in. it was such a relief coz it freed us from our baggage for one whole day!
February 25th, 2009 at 23:59
Hey, Mimi! When were you in Amsterdam? Next time you’re that close to Norwich (30 to 45 minutes away by plane), do swing by for some crumpets and English tea :)
And yes, those lockers are pretty handy, especially when we have a 6-hour layover and would like to sink our teeth into those delish Belgian waffles in the city centre. :)
Thanks for visiting A Pinay In England. Come back soon!
joy
Norwich Daily Photo
Your Love Coach
I, Woman
February 26th, 2009 at 12:21
we have a lot of those in tokyo too. most of the larger stations are inundated with lockers of different sizes. i think the ones that have direct access to the airport have maleta-sized ones ;-) really conveninent no?
February 26th, 2009 at 13:35
joy: unfortunately, due to the curse of the philippine passport and bec of the UK’s insistence on not joining the Schengen states’ treaty, we’re required to apply for a separate visa to enter the UK and we didn’t have the time to do apply for both visas at that time.
caryn: lahat yata andiyan sa japan eh. i so love that place bec everything’s so high tech :)
February 26th, 2009 at 16:26
We did that too, Mimi when we were in Amsterdam 2005.
Very practical because we still have the afternoon to roam around, so we leave our luggages in Central Station.
The Dutch got brains to attract more tourists esp backpackers.
February 26th, 2009 at 16:37
it’s also safer. everywhere in amsterdam, there were warning signs about pickpockets! i was really feeling paranoid all the time.
February 26th, 2009 at 17:30
no, we don’t have that here. fortunately though, we live some 15-20 minutes from the airport. ^-^ be prepared when you come here, the dublin airport is one big construction site, and transportation and infrastructures are far far from amsterdam. you’ll love the country feel though, you’ll never feel like you’re in one big city.
February 26th, 2009 at 17:32
ahh…i can’t wait to see ireland for myself one of these days ;) i can’t wait to see the fields and cliffs and seas… (why is my brain suddenly filled with images of ‘westlife’ music videos? hrmm)
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:51
meron din nyan sa brussels train station! same mechanics. amazing ano?
lockers in stations are really life-saving! no need to go around with your luggage. :)
July 23rd, 2009 at 18:22
We are arriving to Amsterdam this Sunday, July 26th, to start a cruise, but as we might arrive early, we have to leave our luggage in the luggage lockers. We are bringing two big suitcases: aprox. 50×80.
Do you think we’ll need one or two lockers?
Thanks for this great review with photos and explanations, it’s great for us.
July 24th, 2009 at 12:55
i’m glad u found this info useful.
u might want to chk out the luggage lockers at schiphol airport. sorry i’m not good at estimating sizes but the luggage that you can normally hand-carry into aircraft can fit into the small lockers. the bigger ones into the big lockers.
enjoy yr trip to amsterdam but watch out for pickpockets!