I have a 5-hour layover in Amsterdam, a city I've never visited. I understand that there is a good rail connection to the city center. I'd like to have lunch and maybe see a little of the city. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where we should go?

You have a direct train connection to the city. You can walk around the core and its canals--which is what we did just to stay awake during our layover--and I suspect that you might be able to take a boat tour on the canals.

Five hours between the time you land and the time you take off? Or five hours between the time you've cleared customs and exit the airport and the time you need to check-in at the airport again? Big difference.

In my experience, AMS is one of the easiest airports to get out of. So if your flight is on time, and if your bags are checked through, you can probably do it. You do want to be back in plenty of time to check in for your flight. Go with the airlines recommendedation there.

The train station to Amsterdam Centraal is right in the airport. It's pretty simple and takes about 20 minutes. I wouldn't really recommend you hang out in the area near the train station... it's pretty dingy and creepy. But take a tram right outside to the Leidesplein. From there you can find lots of great cafes for lunch, shops, Vondel park is close by, and you can walk a couple of blocks to the Museumplein. Or walk back the way the tram came until you hit the flower market and then from there hop a tram back to Centraal Station.

At the airport train tickets window buy both your roundtrip train tickets and a strippenkart. That will get stamped on the trams. The trams are very easy to take.

A 5 hour layover leaves you with an absolute maximum of 3 hours to get to town and back again. The major time issue is the extreeeeemly tight security procedure in getting on your next flight.

I would recomend the train and trams if you had about 8 hours. But navigating Amsterdam as a novice can be difficult. With your time frame, just damn the expense and take a cab to the Rijksmuseum or the Leidseplein depending on your preferences. Tell the cabbie to be back and out front 2-1/2 hours ahead of your flight time.

If you're on KLM/NW you should be able to take an unlimited layover in Amsterdam. Ask.

5 hours is very short, even though everything is convenient, as already mentioned. Say it takes 1/2 hr to get out of the airport, 1/2 hr each way in & out of town, and 1 hour to get checked back in for your next flight, that doesn't leave much.

I'd go with the suggestion of using a taxi if you really want to do it, have a specific destionation (like the Leidseplein district or Central around the Dam, maybe even a chosen restaurant for lunch).

You'll never get the feel for a city like Amsterdam, or any other city in the world with a paltry 5 hrs. Drink a few in the airport and call it good. Go back when you can spend a week or two and really appreciate what the city has to offer.

Honestly, by the time you clear customs and actually get into Amsterdam could be a couple of hours...All you really would have time for is a quick lunch and then back to Schipol..So I am with Operaman...The Airport is great..Have a few drinks, maybe visit the casino and check out all the airport has to offer...
Amsterdam can not be visited properly in that amount of time!!

Thank you to all who have replied. You have been very helpful.