Schiphol from The Hague: travel time, distance and cost

The distance from The Hague Central Station to Schiphol is 43 kilometres, almost always via the A4 motorway. That distance doesn't change; the driving time does, and less dramatically than most people expect.

The times below come from the same Google traffic data that powers the price estimate on this site, measured for an ordinary Tuesday. They account for the expected congestion at each departure time.

In the table above, the busiest moment (07:30) and the quietest (04:30) are twelve minutes apart. That changes nothing about the price: to Schiphol a fixed price of €120.00 applies.

That is exactly the difference from a metered price. There, every minute standing still lands in the amount; here it does not. Spend twelve extra minutes in traffic and you pay the same as someone who left at half past four in the morning.

The practical conclusion: shifting your departure time to save money isn't worth it. Shifting it because you need those twelve minutes is. If you're leaving between 06:30 and 08:30, simply plan the extra time in and stop worrying about the fare.

Work backwards from the moment you want to be at Schiphol, in three steps.

Step one: decide how early you want to be at the departure hall. That depends on your airline and whether you're checking in baggage. Both Schiphol and your airline publish current guidance, and it varies by season and destination. Check it for your specific flight rather than relying on a rule of thumb.

Step two: add the driving time from the table for your departure slot. Step three: add ten minutes for loading luggage and getting in. Future Taxi arrives five minutes before the agreed time as standard, so part of that margin is already built in.

A worked example: to be at the departure hall at 07:00, count back roughly 36 minutes of driving (leaving around 06:30 falls into the building morning peak) plus ten minutes for loading. Your taxi would arrive at around 06:15.

The Hague is spread out, and the side of the city you live on makes a noticeable difference. Everything below was measured at the same moment: Tuesday 07:30, the busiest slot of the day.

To Schiphol a fixed price of €120.00 applies, from anywhere in The Hague and its surroundings and in both directions. From the city centre, from Scheveningen or from the southwest you pay the same amount. For every other ride the meter rate applies: a €4.31 base fare, €3.17 per kilometre and €0.52 per minute, including 9% VAT.

The difference from an ordinary taxi isn't the rate but when you know the amount: you see the calculated price before you book, based on your own address and the traffic forecast for your departure time. Nothing is added afterwards, not even if the traffic turns against us.

Travelling with more people means splitting that amount. With four passengers, a ride from the city centre works out at roughly €39 per person, door to departure hall, with no transfers and no limit on your luggage.

Bookings are possible between 06:00 and 23:00, with at least three hours' notice for a same-day ride. For an early morning flight that matters: the early slots for the next day are often already taken by late evening.

If you need to leave before 09:00, book during the day. That isn't a sales tactic. It's simply why a late booking for the next morning regularly can't be accommodated.

The return route is slightly longer (44 kilometres) and the pattern flatter: 38 minutes at 07:30, 36 in the middle of the day, and 31 minutes around 22:00. The fare is the same €120.00 as the outbound ride.

You can book the return leg together with your outbound ride, even if you don't yet know exactly when you'll land. Add your flight number in the notes field and we'll work from the actual landing time.