The World Cup has slowly been eliminating countries over the past weeks with some surprises and unexpected results. I unfortunately haven’t been able to watch much of the competition as our cable has not been working. However, I have been keeping up with the scores and such. And the Netherlands has just won, so they’re into the quarter-finals. Since they are the only country so far in the quarter-finals that I have visited, today’s post is about the Netherlands, more specifically Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam!
I have been to more airports than I can count, but Schiphol Airport is one of my favorite airports of all time. I even go out of my way nowadays to try to go through Amsterdam instead of some other airports because I like it so much. While it may seem a little odd to feature an airport in a travel post, the reality is that airports are really cool places. Also, without airports, a lot of travel would be much more difficult, if not impossible. So why do I like Schiphol Airport so much? Here are a few reasons:
1. Big lounge chairs that you can sleep comfortably in. If you go up to the second floor, near the food court, there is a small area of long lounge chairs that you can stretch out in and sleep, if you have long layovers in Amsterdam. The area is also shaded a little bit from the sun, which helps with sleeping. While you may have to wait for a chair to open up, it is definitely worth it, if you want to try and sleep to adjust your body clock to your new time zone.
2. Stroopwafels. If you haven’t had these, you might possibly be missing out on one of the most delicious treats. Two waffle crisps with caramel sandwiched between them, this is a perfect companion to tea or coffee. Rest it on top of your hot mug for a few minutes to let the caramel melt a little bit. I have tried several imitations of these, but the real ones definitely taste a whole lot better! You can find them in the duty free stores~~
3. Wifi. While this is becoming more and more common in most airports, the free wifi here is such a great plus, especially if your travel plans have unexpectedly changed and the internet is the easiest way to contact your family or friends.
4. There’s a museum in the airport. And that just makes it so much more cool.
5. Easy to navigate. Directions are clear, customs/security lines are short, you can’t ask for much more. Also, Amsterdam is one of the few airports that I’ve been in that does personal interviews for all passengers traveling back to the US or other major countries. For some reason, it does make me feel more safe. They are also very thorough with their body and luggage scans.
6. Public transportation. If you are exiting the airport, public transportation is very easy to catch from the airport. In fact, the train station is directly under the airport. You can’t get much closer to the airport than that.
7. This may be more sentimental than anything, but as I grew up non-Western countries, the Schiphol airport was often the first stop on the way back to the States. We didn’t have McDonald’s or other fast food where we lived, so when we got to Amsterdam, that was always a treat and the first sign of making the way back “home.”
So yes, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is a great airport that I am looking forward to traveling through again very soon!
P.S. Also, we have yet to lose our luggage traveling through Amsterdam, which gives it an extra plus!
Delectable 