Transit in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Schiphol is big. One of the busiest airports in Europe. Lots of people passing through. They generally require only 45 minutes check-in; I'm a pessimistic-sort-of-passenger so would recommend a bit more than that. Especially if you are transiting Schengen/Non-Schengen and have to go through passport control. When we went through the queue was very short, half an hour later there was a 20-minute wait or so.  As KLM generally like to board 30 minutes before departure and the taxi from the runway to the gate can take 10-15 minutes, I like to have a little extra time to get through the airport.

There are plenty of transfer desks, and the really handy thing they've put in since the last time I was there was "self-service transfer machines".  You enter your flight number, or scan your boarding pass, and whoop - up pops information about your gate, any info about delays, and sometimes you can even be rebooked on the machine. I didn't get to check out that particular bit as our trip was running like clockwork and we had plenty of time. But it is very neat, especially for savvy frequent travellers who can do the whole trip without ever speaking to a member of the ground staff...

Many people find Schiphol confusing, or so I've heard. But they have done a lot of work on their sign posting, and sometimes you just have to do a 90-degree turn and then you know just where to go:

Apart from that, Schiphol is all about the shopping.

Awww... 'tis the season to be jolly

And recycling - we like!

Although I was a little unsure about the bin on the right. Until I spotted the picture on the side, I suspected this was the place to dump unwanted puppies and other pets that you couldn't take with you on the flight...

And if you are tired, with 4 hours transit time and no lounge access, they've provided a nice quiet area. Which is actually rare in big airports.

It's on the first floor, follow the signs to the KLM Crown Lounge