Aviation industry joins forces: Helpful tips for a smooth start from Schiphol Airport

Aviation industry joins forces: Helpful tips for a smooth start from Schiphol Airport

This Friday, the summer holiday begins for the first region in the Netherlands. During the holiday period, which lasts until 1 September, the airport is expecting a total of 12.3 million travellers. That's an average of 69.000 departing travellers per day, with 81.500 on peak days. The aviation sector is therefore advising travellers to prepare well with a jointly compiled top 10 travel tips. So that the summer holiday can get off to a smooth start for everyone.

This summer, travellers are mainly flying to sunny destinations such as Spain and Greece, but Great Britain is also in demand. To ensure that these travellers are well prepared for their trip, Schiphol has collaborated with various parties to put together the top 10 tips for travellers. Good preparation is half the work after all. And that begins at home, with planning the journey to the airport and knowing what to do once at Schiphol.

The top 10 tips for travellers

1. Pack your (hand) baggage smartly, remove old baggage labels and check what you are allowed to carry. Wear thin, fitted clothing and low shoes.

1. Check in for your flight in advance. Most airlines enable you to do this online. When you arrive at Schiphol you only need to drop off your baggage.

1. Arrive at the airport on time. We advise travellers to adhere to the time indicated by their airline. Generally, that's two hours in advance for European flights and 3 hours for intercontinental flights.

1. Travellers flying with KLM, Transavia or TUI can drop off their suitcases andcheck in at the P3 car park.

1. Passengers flying with easyJet can use the Twilight Bag Drop serviceif they are departing from Schiphol before 08:00 in the morning. With this service they can drop off their hold baggage an evening in advance. That saves time on the morning of travel.

1. Book a free time slotfor the security check. That can be done from three days before departure. It's also possible to book a time slot using the Schiphol app.

1. Go through the security check swiftly. At Schiphol we use 3D CT scanners and travellers therefore do not have to take electronics, like laptops and phones, out of their hand baggage.

1. Keep in mind the rules and checks of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee when travelling with underage children.

1. Check the validity of your passport. If you are 14 and older, make as much use as possible of the self-service passport control.

1. Check in advance the rules of Dutch Customs on what is and is not allowed into the Netherlandswhen flying back. This can also be done via the government's Travel app.

Busier periods
During a holiday period, more travellers fly at the same time and Schiphol is busier. As a result, travellers may have to wait longer at check-in, security and passport control. And when lots of travellers come back from their trip around the same time, we expect that they may have to wait longer at passport control too. Together with all the staff at the airport, we do our best to make sure that the journey through Schiphol goes as smoothly as possible.

For more information about travelling from Schiphol and other tips, check our websiteor consult the Schiphol app. The top 10 travel tips were created in collaboration with KLM, Transavia, TUI, easyJet, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and Dutch Customs.