Need a practical way for my Keukenhof trip

Hello,

I need some suggestion.

Our flight will arrive at Amsterdam in the evening (around 7pm). In the next day, we plan to visit Keukenhof and will continue travel to Brussels at the end of the day. The question is at the night that we arrive, where should we stay so that it would be easy to travel to and back from Keukenhof, Schiphol? near Amsterdam Centraal Station? or anywhere else? Another point is where is the convenient place to leave our luggage in the morning before visiting Keukenhof.

Thanks.

Two options that spring to mind (forget about Amsterdam Centraal since it's in the opposite direction from the Keukenhof when you arrive at Schiphol, and you won't have time to see the city anyway):

1. Stay at Schiphol Airport
   - Book a hotel on or near Schiphol (Sheraton, Hilton and - much less expensive - CitizenM are within walking distance from the terminal, cheaper hotels with free shuttle bus to/from the airport are an option too)
   - Drop your bags in a locker or in the left-luggage room ([www.schiphol.nl] shows you where these are located) or leave them at your hotel, should you be staying in one of the hotels I mentioned above
   - Take a bus 58 to/from de Keukenhof
   - In the evening take a Thalys (reservation required, book in advance) or InterCity train to Brussels from Schiphol Airport

2. Stay at Leiden
   - Leiden is 15-20 minutes by train southwest of Schiphol
   - Leiden Centraal station has lockers where you can leave your bags
   - Bus 54 to Keukenhof leaves from the bus station, next to the railway station
   - In the evening, take a train from Leiden Centraal to Den Haag HS and InterCity to Brussels from there; or take a train to Schiphol and take the Thalys from there

See [http://www.keukenhof.nl/13/how-to-get-there/] for info about access to the Keukenhof, [www.nshispeed.nl] for international trains from the Netherlands and [www.ns.nl] for domestic trains.

Aribo, that is very helpful suggestion, thank you very much.

May I ask some further quesions:

1. The option 1 seems to much better choice for me. Comparing to option 1, I see no advantage of the option 2 except for one concern, I've never stayed close to any airport before, is there any noise issue from the landing/taking off planes?

2. The train station at Schiphol is located just under the airport hall, is that correct?

3. In the case that I buy connexxion combi tickets, Do their buses operate from the airport ( not sure if it's the same number 58 bus)

In conclusion, what I want to know exactly is whether the bus station, the airport's locker room and the train station are all located within a convenient walking distance?

Hi again,

1. I have stayed at various hotels at Schiphol Airport before, including the CitizenM which is located immediately next to the apron within spitting distance of parked and taxiing aircraft, but I never had trouble catching sleep because of noise.
   Should you decide to stay at an airport hotel, note that most (including two of the cheaper options, Ibis Schiphol/Badhoevedorp and Etap) are located pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and eating options are limited and/or expensive. Schiphol airport has several bars serving expensive but not-so-bad meals, and there are several kiosks and a supermarket selling food inside the airport.

2. Correct, follow the signs to the railway station after you've gone through customs. It won't take more than 2 minutes to get to the station. The ticket windows are on the same floor, the platforms one floor down.

3. Yes, buses from Schiphol leave from Schiphol Plaza, the square in front of the train station. Check the number of the bus stop when you arrive (likely to be clearly indicated)

See [http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/AtSchiphol/Maps.htm] for maps of the airport and the location of left luggage facilities; walking distance from customs to the left-luggage room is 1-5 minutes depending on which part of the airport your flight arrives at, from there it's 2 minutes or so to the train station, and the bus stops are across the square in front of the train station.

You're welcome, enjoy your trip!

Aribo, thank you very much again. Very helpful and very detailed information, I think I have to save your reply for further reference.