Amsterdam taxis are among the most expensive in Europe, and for most journeys inside the city they are the wrong choice.
They earn their fare in exactly three situations: a Schiphol run outside train hours, luggage, and rain.
A short trip across the centre runs €13 to €20.
Schiphol to the centre on the meter is €45 to €60, against roughly €6 for the train.
How Taxis Here Actually Work
You do not hail a taxi in Amsterdam.
Stopping is prohibited on most central streets, so cabs work from ranks or from bookings.
The main ranks are at Centraal Station, Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein, Waterlooplein and Nieuwmarkt, plus the larger hotels.
Everywhere else, you call or use an app.
A licensed taxi carries a blue number plate, a roof light with the company’s name and taxi number, and a working meter.
No blue plate means it is not a registered taxi, whatever the driver tells you.
The meter combines a starting tariff, a per-kilometre rate and a per-minute rate, so a jam costs you money in a way a fixed-price booking does not.
Drivers hold a permit that must be displayed, and journeys are GPS-logged, which is what makes a complaint provable.
What You Will Pay
Fares are capped nationally, and the ceilings are reset every year.
For 2026 a standard car for up to four passengers starts at about €4.30, plus roughly €3 per kilometre and about €0.50 per minute.
A van for five to eight passengers starts higher, around €8.80, with correspondingly higher rates per kilometre and minute.
These are maximums rather than fixed prices, so a company may charge less and none may charge more.
Cards and contactless are accepted in official taxis, though it is worth confirming with a small operator before you set off.
Tipping is not expected; rounding up is normal.
Booking A Ride
TCA, Taxi Centrale Amsterdam, is the largest operator and the default for a reliable pickup.
Call +31 20 777 7777 or use their app, and look for the red and black roof light marked TCA TAXI 7X7.
Staxi, Taxi Direct Amsterdam, Taxistad and SchipholTaxi are the other established names.
Several sell fixed-price airport transfers booked in advance, which removes the meter risk during rush hour and is usually cheaper than a metered run.
Uber and Bolt both operate here and quote the fare before you accept.
Compare that quote against the metered range above rather than assuming either is cheaper - surge pricing at Schiphol on a wet Monday morning closes the gap fast.
At Schiphol, use the official taxi rank outside Arrivals 4.
Anyone approaching you inside the terminal with an offer of a ride is not licensed to make it.
When Something Goes Wrong
The recurring complaints are refusal of short trips, a route longer than it needed to be, and a fare that does not match the meter.
Ask for the ritbewijs, the printed journey receipt, at the end of every ride - it carries the driver and vehicle details you need to complain.
Photograph the number plate, then complain to the taxi company first and to the municipality’s taxi enforcement if that fails.
Because every journey is GPS-logged, a dispute about the route is one you can win.
Older high-emission vehicles are progressively barred from central areas as the zero-emission zones expand, so a booking may be refused for an address inside them.
The Cheaper Answer, Most Of The Time
Trams and the metro reach every neighbourhood, run frequently, and cost a fraction of a taxi - tap any contactless bank card at the reader and stop thinking about it.
For distances under about three kilometres, a bike is faster than a car that is queuing for a canal bridge.
The train from Schiphol to Centraal takes about fifteen minutes and runs through most of the night on the hour.
That is the single fact that removes the majority of taxi journeys visitors think they need.
Keep the taxi for the 05:30 flight, the suitcases, and the evening the weather makes the decision for you.
Checking a rain radar app before you leave decides it more reliably than the sky does.
