Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA is an area located in the south-east of Amsterdam. It is the city’s main entertainment hub with the Johan Cruijff ArenA stadium, AFAS Live and Ziggo Dome music venues. It also home to a number of large stores, the Arena Poort shopping centre and is a major business district.
Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA is very well connected to both the city and the airport, having a modern combined train and metro station. The bus station has local/regional buses as well as a number of Flixbus international coach services.
Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA has a number of surrounding hotels and is used as a base for some tourists and business travellers visiting the city.
In this article we will see how visitors can get to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA from various points around the city.
Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA
TRAIN: The train is the quickest way to get to Bijlmer ArenA from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport taking only 13-14 minutes. Intercity trains run up to 4x hourly with final destination Nijmegen or Venlo.
The cost of a one-way train ticket (2024 prices) from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA is €4.50 (2nd class) or €7.65 (1st class) plus a €1 surcharge if purchasing a disposable train ticket.
Consider these good value multi-day tickets if you wish to use public transport during your stay in Amsterdam:
| Best Value & Validity | Best for AMS airport | Best for Excursions |
  |   |   |
| GVB Day/Multi-Day tickets | Amsterdam Travel Ticket | Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket |
| 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 days | 1/2/3 days | 1/2/3 days |
| €9-€41 | €18/€24/€30 | €21/€31.50/€40.50 |
| Valid on all GVB transport (trams/metro/buses) in Amsterdam | Valid on all GVB transport (trams/metro/buses) in Amsterdam | Valid on all GVB transport (trams/metro/buses) in Amsterdam |
| – | Valid on Schiphol airport train + 397 airport bus | Valid on Schiphol airport train + 397 airport bus |
| – | – | Valid on regional NS trains + EBS/Connexxion/Arriva buses in region |
| 24 hours basis | Calendar day basis | Calendar day basis |
| Digital + Card versions | Card only | Card only |
| Order here | Order here | Order here |
| more info | more info | more info |
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket is an excellent choice if you are arriving/departing from Schiphol aiport and are staying in the Bijlmer-ArenA area. It is valid on the Intercity train between Schiphol-Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA and can get you in and around Amsterdam.
BUS: Connexxion bus 300 runs from Schiphol Plaza to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA station up to 10x per hour. However the journey time is 33 minutes, so we would recommend sticking to the much faster train. A 90 minute Bus Tram Metro (BTM) ticket costs €6.50.
TAXI: A taxi from Schiphol Airport to the Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA area will cost about €50. Book a taxi at a fixed rate with Sneleentaxi
Uber is also present in the city and an UberBlack trip would be around €58.
Amsterdam Central to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA
Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA lies about 8km south-east of Amsterdam Central station. The fastest way to travel from Amsterdam Central to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA is to take either the train or metro.
TRAIN: The trip from Amsterdam Central to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA by rail takes 15-16 minutes. There are up to 4x Sprinter trains services per hour running with final destination either Rhenen or Rotterdam Central.
The cost of a one-way train ticket (2024 prices) from Amsterdam Central to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA is €3.10 (2nd class) or €5.27 (1st class) plus a €1 surcharge if purchasing a disposable train ticket. See how to buy train tickets in the Netherlands for more detailed info.
METRO: There is a direct metro service (line 54) from Amsterdam Central metro station to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA. The metro runs more frequently than the train and the trip also takes 16 minutes. A GVB 1 hour ticket costs €3.40 – this is cheaper than buying a disposable train ticket. See our Amsterdam Metro map.
Transport company GVB runs metro, bus and tram services around Amsterdam.
TAXI: A taxi between Amsterdam Central and Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA will cost about €40. An UberBlack ride would cost around €35.
Amsterdam Bijlmer-ArenA by Car
Amsterdam Bijlmer-ArenA is easily reached by road being close to the A2 and A9 motorways.
There is a Park and Ride (P+R) car park at ArenA with spaces for 500 cars. The address is Burg. Stramanweg 130, 1101 EP Amsterdam. Note, to get the P+R rate you must use public transport to go to central Amsterdam.
Facilities at Amsterdam-Bijlmer-ArenA
- Johan Cruijff ArenA stadium
- Ziggo Dome – large indoor concert venue
- AFAS Live – indoor concert venue
- Pathé Arena multi-screen cinema complex
- Villa ArenA (homeware/furniture mall with 50 stores)
- ArenA-Poort outdoor shopping centre – 160 shops including supermarkets Albert Heijn, Aldi and Lidl.
- Johan Cruijff Boulevard with an Albert Heijn supermarket and superstores Decathlon (sport), Media Markt (electronics), Perry Sport (sport) and Prenatal (baby gear).
Hotels at Amsterdam Bijlmer-ArenA
There are a number of hotel options in the Amsterdam Bijlmer-ArenA area:
Jaz in the City Amsterdam – well rated hotel near the Ziggo Dome
Hampton by Hilton – located on the eastern side of the station
Holiday Inn ArenA Towers
Holiday Inn Express ArenA Towers – 2 IHG hotels a short walk away at ArenA Towers
Courtyard by Marriott – located in the Atlas ArenA complex near the bus station
EasyHotel Amsterdam Arena Boulevard – on the Bolulevard next to Media Markt
Last update 11 December 2023 (originally published in 2019).
Links on AmsterdamTips.com may pay us an affiliate commission.
