We will be going over in the spring and will be stopping in Amsterdam, Nice then leaving from Rome. I am interested in any comments regarding transportation from the airport to city in Amsterdam and Nice. Any suggestions on reasonable accomodations, (clean & neat) for 1-2 nights in these two locations. We will depart from Rome, any good options for staying near the Rome airport. Thanks.

Hi PJ,

We stayed at the Holiday Inn EUR parc medici. They have a shuttle bus to the airport. We liked it.

Next time we will stay in the city and, if necessary, take an early shuttle or cab to the airport.

In A-dam (from Schiphol) you have three options:

Rail: trains to center-city run about four times and hour and take 15-20 minutes. Buy rail tickets at the windows in "Schiphol Plaza" and the platforms are one flight down.

Bus: there is a shuttle service to major hotels (run by KLM or other co....cannot remember for sure). You can catch it directly outside of Schiphol Plaza

Taxi: undoubtedly the most expensive option; again right outside the building

For further info see www.schiphol.nl and click on the English version.

For hotel lists and reviews in A-dam check www.channels.nl

In Nice there is a bus that goes from the airport through the center of town. Just follow the directions out to the bus stops, and make sure you have cash on you - i think it was 3.50 in Euros.
Have fun!

Taking the train from Schiphol into Amsterdam is quick, cheap and easy, even with a heavy rolling bag. There's a train every 7-8 minutes into the city.
A'dam isn't exactly the bargain hotel capital of the world, but the Eden hotel offers good, clean, comfortable rooms at relatively good rates.

If you fly into terminal 2 at the Nice airport there is a bus right outside that will take you to the train station (city center) for 3.50 (as mentioned above). You could also take the free shuttle to terminal 1 and hop on bus #23 (1.30 for a city bus) and that will take you to the train station also.

At Schiphol the train is quick, easy, and cheap as martytravels says. I have used it often. It might also be called the "pickpocket express" so watch your belongings and be careful of anyone who 'accidentally' bumps into you on the train, and in the stations.

As a follow-on to the train from Schiphol to Centraal Station which I have taken many times. Never had trouble with pickpockets (I usually use a moneybelt) but BEWARE of leaving any luggage unattended in the vestibules of the cars.

Thess short runs often make one, sometimes two stops enroute. A recent happening was that a thief would station themself on the platform of one of the intervening stops; the doors open and your luggage is there; they grab a bag and run for it.

From the airport in Amsterdam, the Connexxion hotel bus service is very convenient. It loops through a long list of hotels around the city, stopping only where the passengers on board that trip need to get off. This was 3 years ago but the cost was 10 Euro one-way, 18 round-trip.