Taxi Amsterdam

Amsterdam Taxis for visitors

We love to say Amsterdam is a walking city, but there are times when you might just need an Amsterdam Taxi.

Contrary to most promotional pictures, Amsterdam does have roads, its just more often than not you see them flooded with cyclists, walkers and trams.

But, if you have a tonne of luggage, are out late at night and are staying outside the city centre then you may just need a Taxi Amsterdam.

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Amsterdam Airport Taxi

As a visitor to Amsterdam, the most likely time you will need a taxi is upon arrival at Schiphol Airport or leaving to go home.

If the thought of lugging multiple cases across the public transport system fills you with dread and if you have not pre-booked a transfer, then the call of the hotel room and that taxi outside may start to look very appealing.

For these times you’ll go in search of the Amsterdam taxis. Amsterdam airport taxi ranks are located just outside the arrival hall. There should be plenty of taxis waiting and available to take you into the city centre.

There is no one brand of taxi, they are all run by different companies, so to be sure you are using an official Amsterdam taxi, you need to pick one from the taxi rank.

This protects your own safety and avoids you being overcharged. The journey into central Amsterdam takes around 30-minutes by taxi depending on where your hotel/drop-off point is located.

Amsterdam Airport Taxi Prices

With an Amsterdam airport taxi there are fixed guide prices. These do vary across suppliers, but you can expect to pay between €45-€60 for the taxi trip to the centre of the city. This cost can rise dependent on things like where your hotel is located, how many cases you have, how many people are travelling etc. If you use the starting price, you can get an idea on what additional costs you are going to have to pay before you start the journey.

Amsterdam Taxis are metered, so should you arrive quicker than the price quoted and the metered price shown is actually lower, that is the price you pay.

Taxi Amsterdam

We are not kidding when we say getting around Amsterdam can actually be easier on foot, on bike, on tram or metro or basically any public transport method.

Doing this is also great for the environment too. However, you may look at the cyclists in Amsterdam and liken them to a huge flock of birds with no seeming pattern and think, I don’t fancy that (check our guide to cycling in Amsterdam and don’t be put off).

Another reason not to take a taxi is in rush hour, you may take a taxi and then find yourself sitting in the car watching the meter tick up as the whole of Amsterdam passses you by.

But there are always times when a Taxi in Amsterdam is going to be a great choice.

You may have heavy bags from a great shopping trip or come out of that lovely brown cafe a little later than you thought and realise public transport has slowed down for the night for instance.

What to look out for when getting a Taxi in Amsterdam

Amsterdam Taxis are easily spotted by their blue number plates and official roof lights. This roof light will have the offical logo and name of the operator. Don’t worry if you think they have spelt Taxi wrong, the TAXXI with a double X is the logo to look out for.  Anyone else posing as a taxi is not a licensed and approved Amsterdam Taxi.

The Taxi Amsterdam experience

As with most registered and approved taxi firms worldwide, you can expect a certain level of service across the board. In Amsterdam this includes:

1. A driver must accept any short route requested.
2. A taxi should select the shortest and quickest route possible with your safety paramount.
3. Your taxi will have a meter that will be turned on. You will receive a receipt for your journey, which you should keep as a reference of your trip and operator. Particularly useful in the unlikely event of a bad experience.

Taxi costs in Amsterdam

There are a set of official fees that all licensed taxi firms/drivers must adhere to.

These are broken up into the type of vehicle being used as a taxi and at what stage of the journey you are on.

Standard Taxi (4 passengers car)

Boarding Rate: €4.03

Mileage rate: €2.96

Time rate: €0.49 per minute

Minibus Taxi (5-8 persons)

Boarding Rate: €8.19

Mileage rate: €3.73

Time rate: €0.55 per minute

if you should ask your taxi to wait for you whilst you go somewhere/do something there is a waiting fee of €55.46 per hour.

Tipping is not required, you can round up the price to an even number which is always appreciated and tip if you really want to, but it is not expected.

How to get a taxi in Amsterdam

Everyone thinks of raising an arm and waving at a taxi to get them to pull over. In Amsterdam you may find they just drive straight passed you. They are not being rude, but rather in Amsterdam, it is not always possible to stop on the roads to pick up passengers.

Amsterdam is criss-crossed with multiple roads, paths, pavements, lanes and tram lines. What you consider a good place to pick up a taxi may not be good at all.

As you move around Amsterdam, you’ll notice that there are lots of fixed taxi stands. These are dotted throughout the city in safe places for cars to pull over. So, ideally you should look for one of these first when hunting down a taxi. It can also help them know exactly where to pick you up when you ring for a taxi. There are also plenty of Taxi ranks too.

You can view a map of the taxi stands here: Taxi stand locations in Amsterdam.

List of official taxi operators in Amsterdam

Your hotel will happily call a taxi on your behalf and you can book a taxi to the airport in advance. If you prefer you can book a private transfer from your hotel to the airport or in reverse.

When out and about in Amsterdam, you can call or go online using one of the official Amsterdam taxi company below (links included).

The country code is +31

TaxiCentrale Amsterdam (TCA) (0)20 7777777 (that’s seven sevens).

TaxiStad  (0)20 208 0000

Taxi Direct Amsterdam (0)20 633 3333

Staxxi (0)20 705 8888

Schipholtaxi (0)20 303 7200

Uber Amsterdam

There is a network of Uber drivers in Amsterdam. You can easily use your app and order an Uber driver for your ride.

The Uber taxi services, UberX, Comfort, Black, Green and Van are all available in Amsterdam. Fares will vary depending on the time you travel and your destination, but you can make some savings when compared to traditional taxi firms.