Amsterdam - early morning
 

I'll be arriving very early in the morning in Amsterdam on Wednesday, will be around the central train station c. 6 am but I won't be able to go to my hotel for a couple of hours at least. Any suggestions on somewhere for breakfast, coffee etc. at that time (areas or specific places)? I'll be by myself (female) so do point out if there are any particular security concerns, but I've travelled a lot so I'm not especially nervous (but obviously would like to be sensible). Thank you!

I'd stay in the station - not much to be open elsewhere - there is a cafetria on platform 1 and also a Burger King farther down on platform 1 - suspect they may be open.

You should be able to go to your hotel whenever you want. Any place that won't store luggage while a room is being made up isn't worth staying at. To make certain, you probably can e-mail and ask.

I agree with Southam - and you could ask if you could have breakfast at the hotel as well, even if your room isn't ready. They might make an extra charge for it, I suppose, but Dutch hotel breakfasts are pretty substantial buffet affairs anyway, so an unexpected extra person won't be any problem for them.

Since most places don't open until 10 am, though a few open at 8.30, I think it is worth contacting your hotel and asking if you can a) store your luggage there and b) buy breakfast there that morning.

Alternatively have breakfast at the airport before heading into the city. There are several places there which are open that early, both before you go through passport control, and land side in Schiphol Plaza, though by no means all of them are.

Starbucks at Schiphol and at CS just say normal shop hours, which would suggest they aren't open at that time for instance.

It's probably not a place worth staying at, but you get what you pay for :) The info I have says not before 8 am. I'm not coming from the airport. Thanks for the suggestions, looks like lurking around the train station is the best bet.

no I think you should lurk around the airport rather than the train station - lots of places will be open at airport, like the Burger King, etc. A lot more pleasant IMO than Central Station.

Pal, the person isn't coming from the airport and I certainly would not go all the way out there just for coffee and breakfast.

Go to your hotel; store luggage. Have breakfast there or ask them about somewhere else to have it.

An early breakfast in Amsterdam? That's gonna'be hard - most breakfast carrying restaurants / shops don't open before 8, but some do (see below). Perhaps something may be open in the station itself. Otherwise:
"Kofi-T", Ferdinand Bolstraat 149, opens at 7.
"Village Bagels", located at the Vijzelstraat opens at 7:30.
"De Bakkerswinkel" ("the bakeryshop") at the Zeedijk 37 opens at 8.

Albert Heijn at Central Station is open from 6.30. Possibly Broodzaak is open for coffee then too. Actually AH has rather nice coffee and a range of sandwiches, salad, yoghurt and muesli and such. But it will be picknick breakfast.

Pal, the person isn't coming from the airport and I certainly would not go all the way out there just for coffee and breakfast>

I did not think so until I read in another post that they were - my mistake - of course not - question is how does one arrive at Central Station at 6am - I do not think night trains arrive that early?

There are benches at least on platforms to sit on though it could be cool at anytime in the non-enclosed station up top - I would think the station cafeteria and Burger King on platorm 1 would be better than standing in Albert Heijn?

@PalenQ: there are trains arriving at 6. There's a train from Utrecht CS leaving Utrecht at 05:17 for example. Or one from Rotterdam, night train every hour. From Amersfoort leaving at 5.

And Burger King isn't open at 6am, nor is the station cafetaria. Believe me, I know...

@PalenQ: there are trains arriving at 6. There's a train from Utrecht CS leaving Utrecht at 05:17 for example. Or one from Rotterdam, night train every hour. From Amersfoort leaving at 5.>

Of course there are local trains arriving but why would OP hop on an obscenely early train and then have time to kill in Amsterdam Centraal - they would just take a later train.

q is still why OP will be there at 6am? Long distance night trains I think do not arrive them? Or perhaps they do but there is only one night train I can think of - CNL trains from Germany.

gwan - why are you arriving at 6am - some night train or why?


???

Perhaps being dropped off there by car for some reason at that ungodly hour?

Perhaps the Ibis hotel on platform 1 has a restaurant that would be open at that hour - suspect so or at least a place to sit?

May be Starbucks at Oosterdokseiland?

gwan--

I remember from your comments on my trip report that you'd never been to the Netherlands before, so I guess this is your first time! I wish you a great trip!

Daniel

Gosh, you have all been in a fever of speculation over my movements. ;) SNCF (France) have just launched a night bus service from Paris, which I booked on a whim since it cost the grand sum of 5€ and instantly regretted it. It was fairly awful, as expected. Now I have the return journey to look forward to tomorrow evening :(

Luckily on arrival to Amsterdam it wasn't cold or raining (unlike this morning), so I waited on the platform till Starbucks opened at 7.

Daniel - thanks a lot! I had no thoughts of coming here when I commented on your post, just a happy coincidence :)

McDonalds in the Damrak.

thanks for the info about the new SNCF bus service!