Amsterdam Windmill ToursHow to Get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam: Every Route, With the Fares
Working out how to get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam takes about two minutes once you know the numbers: the train runs it in 17 minutes for roughly €9.40 return, bus 391 takes 45 and drops you at the gate, and a bicycle does it in under an hour along the river. We live a ferry ride from Centraal and have used all four routes, plus the one from Schiphol that most guides forget. Below is what each costs, how long it really takes door to door, and which one suits the day you have.
Quick answer
Take the train from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, 17 minutes, about €9.40 return, then walk 10 minutes over the Julianabrug into the village. Bus 391 is the alternative: 45 minutes, every 15 minutes, and it stops at the entrance itself, which suits anyone with a pushchair or limited mobility. Nothing needs booking, and the village is free to enter when you arrive.
Key takeaways
- Fastest: train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, 17 minutes, roughly €9.40 return, four departures an hour
- Easiest on arrival: bus 391 from behind Centraal, 45 minutes, every 15 minutes, stops at the gate
- From Schiphol: about 30 minutes with one change, usually at Amsterdam Sloterdijk
- By car: €15 a day at the Schansend car park, card payment only, no cash
- By bicycle: around 50 minutes each way, flat the whole route along the Zaan
- Prefer to be driven and guided? Guided windmill trips out of Amsterdam run from $34 with free cancellation
The Four Ways There, Compared
What Each Route Costs and How Long It Takes
Door to door means from the front of Amsterdam Centraal to the first windmill, which is the number that actually matters when you are deciding.
| Route | Time | Cost | Drops you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans | 17 min + 10 min walk | About €9.40 return | Across the river, over the Julianabrug |
| Bus 391 | 45 min | About €11.50 for a day ticket | At the village entrance |
| Car | 25 to 40 min | €15 a day to park | Schansend car park, 5 min walk |
| Bicycle | About 50 min | Bike hire, from about €12 a day | Straight into the village |
The Train, and the Walk at the End
Trains leave Amsterdam Centraal roughly four times an hour toward Alkmaar and Hoorn, and the stop you want is Zaandijk Zaanse Schans. Seventeen minutes later you are standing on a suburban platform with no ticket barrier drama and no shuttle to find.
The walk is the part nobody photographs. You come down onto Guisweg, turn toward the water, and cross the Julianabrug, a white steel bridge over the Zaan. The mills line up in front of you as you cross, which is the best free view of the day and the reason to take this route in the morning with the sun behind you.
Buy the ticket from the yellow machines or tap a contactless card at the gates. There is no advantage to booking ahead, and no seat reservation exists on this line.
- Board any train toward Alkmaar, Hoorn or Uitgeest and check the stop list for Zaandijk Zaanse Schans
- Tap in and out with a contactless card, or buy a single from the machine
- Leave the platform on the Guisweg side and follow the signs to the Julianabrug
- Ten minutes on foot, flat, with one road crossing
Bus 391, the One That Stops at the Gate
The 391 leaves from the bus station behind Amsterdam Centraal, on the IJ side, and takes about 45 minutes. It runs every 15 minutes through the day.
It is slower than the train and better than the train in one respect that matters to a lot of people: it stops at the entrance to the village. No bridge, no ten-minute walk, no stairs at either end. If you are pushing a stroller, travelling with someone who tires easily, or arriving in horizontal Dutch rain, take the bus and stop optimising.
A day ticket costs around €11.50 and covers the return. Contactless works here too.
From Schiphol Without Going Into the City
You do not need to pass through Amsterdam Centraal at all. Trains from Schiphol reach Zaandijk Zaanse Schans in about 30 minutes with one change, usually at Amsterdam Sloterdijk, running every 20 minutes or so.
That makes Zaanse Schans a genuine option on a long layover or on a departure day, since the village is 25 minutes from the airport by road. Left luggage at Schiphol solves the bag problem, and the coach tours that keep your luggage on board solve it differently.
Driving and Cycling
By car it is 25 to 40 minutes depending on the A8, and the only place to leave the car is the Schansend car park at €15 for the day. It takes cards and nothing else, so a wallet of coins will not help you.
The bicycle route is the one we would take on a clear day. Head north through the IJ tunnel or over on the ferry, pick up the Zaan and follow it. About 50 minutes, dead flat, and you arrive at the mills from the same direction the barges did.
Planning the Day Around the Journey
When to Set Off
The gates open at 9:00 and the first coaches arrive around 10:30. Catch the 8:40-ish train and you get the dike path, the reflections and the mill interiors before the crowds land.
That first hour and a half is the whole difference between the postcard and the crush, and it is the single most useful thing on this page. Zaanse Schans took 2.6 million visitors in 2024, and almost all of them arrive after ten.
- Before 10:30: quiet paths, empty mill interiors, clean photographs
- 10:30 to 15:30: coach hours, queues at the clog workshop and the cheese farm
- After 16:00: mills start closing, but the light on the Zaan is the best of the day
What the Day Costs, Route by Route
Two people going independently, with one windmill each, land at about €35 for the whole day. That is the number every tour on this site is measured against, and it is why we keep it on the page rather than buried in a footnote.
The coach trips start at $34 per person, so for a couple the gap is real but not enormous once you add what a tour includes: the guide, the cheese demonstration, and villages you would otherwise skip.
| Two people, one day | Train | Bus 391 | Car | Coach tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getting there | €18.80 | €23 | €15 parking + fuel | Included |
| One mill each | €15 | €15 | €15 | €15, or included on some tours |
| Time out of your day | 4 to 5 hours | 5 hours | 4 hours | 5.5 to 8 hours |
| Villages covered | Zaanse Schans | Zaanse Schans | Zaanse Schans | Up to four |
| Rough total | About €34 | About €38 | About €30 plus fuel | From $68 |
How Long to Stay Once You Are There
Two hours covers the path, one mill and the cheese farm, which is what the coach tours allow. Four hours lets you go inside three mills, take the audio tour and eat without hurrying.
The practical answer for anyone arriving by train is half a day. Leave the city at half past eight, be back for a late lunch, and the whole thing has cost you under €20 a head including one mill. What the village actually costs is broken down separately, since the ticket structure catches people out.
When the Tour Beats the Train
The train wins on price and on freedom. It loses on two things.
The first is the fishing villages. Volendam, Marken and Edam are awkward from Amsterdam by public transport, and the coach trips reach all three in a day for $40. The second is commentary: nobody on the train tells you what De Zoeker was pressing or why a thousand mills once stood on this river.
If either matters, the day tours to the Amsterdam windmills start at $34 and include the coach, the guide and the cheese demonstration. If neither does, take the 8:40 and keep the money.
Whichever way you arrive, the ticket structure at the gate is the thing that catches people out: there are two different combination tickets and they cover different buildings. We take that apart in the full cost breakdown, and the question of whether the village earns a morning at all is answered in is Zaanse Schans worth visiting.
Which Route Fits Your Day
If You want to be at the mills before the coaches
Train, the 8:40-ish departure. You are on the Julianabrug by nine and inside De Kat when it opens.
If You are pushing a stroller or travelling with someone who tires
Bus 391. It costs a few euros more and removes the bridge, the walk and the stairs.
If You are flying out later the same day
Train from Schiphol, about 30 minutes with one change, or a coach tour that keeps your luggage on board.
If You want Volendam and Marken as well
A coach trip. Reaching the fishing villages by public transport eats the day, and the windmill day trips from Amsterdam cover all three from $40.
If The forecast is clear and you like cycling
Hire a bike. Fifty flat minutes along the Zaan, and you arrive from the water side like the barges did.
Where Everything Is
The station, the footbridge, the car park and the village, plus the bus stop the 391 uses.
Common Questions About Getting There
How much is a train ticket from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans?
About €9.40 for a return to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, bought from the machines at Centraal or by tapping a contactless card at the gates. There is no advance fare and no reason to book ahead.
Can you visit Zaanse Schans without a tour?
Yes, and most independent visitors do. The village has no entrance gate, the train runs four times an hour, and you pay only for the mill interiors and museums once you are there. A tour buys you the coach, a guide and usually the fishing villages, not access.
How do you get to Zaanse Schans from Schiphol airport?
By train in about 30 minutes with one change, usually at Amsterdam Sloterdijk, running roughly every 20 minutes. You never need to enter central Amsterdam, which makes the village workable on a long layover.
Which is better, the train or bus 391?
The train is faster at 17 minutes but leaves you a 10-minute walk over the Julianabrug. Bus 391 takes 45 minutes and stops at the village entrance. Take the bus if you have a pushchair, limited mobility or bad weather, and the train otherwise.
How much time is needed at Zaanse Schans?
Two hours covers the dike path, one windmill and the cheese farm. Four hours lets you enter three mills and take the audio tour without rushing. Arriving by train, half a day is the natural shape of the visit.
Where do you park at Zaanse Schans?
At the Schansend car park beside the village, €15 for the day in 2026, card payment only. It fills by mid-morning in summer, which is another argument for an early start.
Is Zaanse Schans free to enter?
The village is. Walking the paths, the cheese farm and the clog workshop cost nothing; the mills charge €7.50 for adults at the door. A €17.50 entry fee for visitors from outside the region was approved for spring 2026 and, as of August 2026, is still not being charged.