Practical information

Amsterdam Central Station is the central train station for visitors from within Europe to select as their destination. From Antwerp, Berlin, Bruxelles, London and Paris there is but a single (high-speed) train connecting our cities.

Curious about your options from other European cities?
IDFA is collaborating with Choo-Choo to create routes within Europe to travel sustainably to IDFA by train. Choo-Choo has mapped the best train connection from several cities within Europe to Amsterdam and makes it easier for guests wanting to travel more sustainably.

Find your best connections and rates from Barcelona, Budapest, Copenhagen, Ljubljana, Milan, Prague, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna, Warsaw & Zurich.

Curious about other cities and their connection to Amsterdam? They have many more connections, just send them a message on their website.
 

Visit the Choo-Choo website

The closest airport to Amsterdam is Schiphol Airport (airport code: AMS), which is an international hub with many destinations available. Other airport options are Eindhoven Airport (EIN) or Rotterdam/The Hague Airport (RTM), both about 1,5 hours from Amsterdam by public Transport.

Schiphol Airport has its own train station which can take you to the city centre in only 15 minutes. The trains go 8 times per hour, so it is the fastest, most sustainable and least expensive method of getting to your hotel.

In general public transportation is very reliable in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam trams, metros and busses run from early morning until midnight. There are several night busses to cover nighttime travel.

Pay for your trip just as easily as paying in a store. You can check in and out on all public transport with your contactless debit card, credit card or mobile phone. Pre-registration or downloading an app is not necessary.
 

Want to travel easily between IDFA's different locations? With the GVB Day Ticket, you can travel anywhere in the city for 24 hours.
 

Traveling by public transport? Then check the GVB app or the GVB website to plan your route.

Tickets for screenings and talks can be booked at idfa.nl. Log into your MyIDFA account and book the event of your choice. Once booked, you’ll receive a confirmation by email and the ticket will automatically be added to your pass. You can find all your tickets in your MyIDFA account. 

Note: There is no admission after the screening starts. 

Have you booked a ticket for IDFA? We look forward to seeing you!  Every visitor helps make IDFA special. Can't make it to a screening after all? Please cancel your reservation at least 24 hours in advance via your MyIDFA account, or the link in the service email you’ll receive the day before. This frees up your seat, so someone else can enjoy the film.

Don’t forget to have your ticket scanned on arrival, so we know you’re there. Please note that your account may be blocked after three no shows without having cancelled your tickets.

Location: Pathé City  
All films selected for the International and Envision Competitions, as well as all world premieres in the Luminous and Frontlight program sections, are available to all passholders (with exception of film students). 

Passholders must reserve a free ticket online. Tickets become available the day before the screening and will be added to your pass. If you can’t make your screening or event, please cancel your reservation. See Cancelling tickets and reservations above for details. 

Find the daily screening schedule in the Industry Schedule, starting on idfa.nl/pressscreenings  

Nov 14–18 

Location: Het Documentaire Paviljoen 

Market Screenings for award-season campaigning take place as part of the Press & Industry Screenings schedule and are accessible to all passholders (with exception of film students). 

Passholders must reserve a free ticket online for admission. For more information and the schedule visit idfa.nl/marketscreenings 

Nov 14–17 

The number of free tickets for regular screenings and events that accredited guests receive is determined by your accreditation.
Find all information regarding your accreditation on our Accreditations page.

Festival pass holders receive: 

• 15 free tickets for all regular IDFA screenings and events, including live cinema events. 
• Of the 15 free tickets 5 can be reserved from October 26 12:00 PM, the remaining 10 from November 13.
• Additional tickets can be purchased with a €3.50 discount on the regular price.
• Access to Press & Industry screenings: You must reserve your free ticket(s) to your pass to gain admission (first come, first served). Tickets are available the day before the screening starts and will be automatically uploaded onto your pass.

If a public screening is sold out, accredited guests* can join the accreditation queue outside the screening room. Admission is subject to availability after all ticket holders have entered, and the screening has started. Access by queueing is not guaranteed.

Please note: This does not apply to premiere screenings or other special events.

* excluding Film Student pass holders

Filmmaker Talks offer in-depth conversations with individual directors about their body of work, creative process, and artistic vision—providing a unique opportunity to gain insight into documentary filmmaking firsthand.

To attend a Filmmaker Talk, a ticket is required. Tickets can be booked at idfa.nl. Log into your MyIDFA account and book a ticket to the Filmmaker Talk of your choice. Once booked, the tickets will be sent to your inbox and will automatically be added to your pass. Find all your tickets in your MyIDFA account.

Industry Talks and Sessions: tickets or reservations are not required. You can attend these by showing your accreditation at the door.  We recommend arriving on time, as entry is first come, first served.

Looking for a quiet spot to work, or a place to meet and network with colleagues? There are a variety of spaces around Leidseplein and the city center: some designed for focused work, others ideal for meetings and networking. Accredited guests can also enjoy special discounts at selected locations.

Het Documentaire Paviljoen: De Huiskamer
Het Documentaire Paviljoen by IDFA is a year-round home for documentary art. It opens its doors to guests during the festival, offering its living room, ‘De Huiskamer’ as a space to work, meet, or recharge between screenings and events.

Café Vertigo
Discount: Accredited guests and festival visitors enjoy 20% off lunch or dinner—just show your festival pass or a valid IDFA film ticket from the same day.

Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam (SSBA): Café & Brasserie

Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam (SSBA): Gijsbrecht bordes 

De Balie: Café + Pleinzaal

De Balie: Filmzaal - Quiet Workspace
Nov 16-18 | 09:00-17:00

The Heineken Hoek
Discount: Accredited guests and festival visitors enjoy 10% off Food & Drinks—just show your festival pass or a valid IDFA film ticket from the same day.

Café Kuyl
Discount: Accredited guests and festival visitors enjoy 20% off lunch or dinner—just show your festival pass or a valid IDFA film ticket from the same day.
 

Amsterdam in November brings temperatures from between 3 to 10°C (37 to 50 °F), with a high chance of rain. We recommend bringing a warm coat, waterproof jackets, and an umbrella (flying: checked luggage only). Pack a warm sweater, as it's the kind of weather best spent indoors in the cinema.

Layers are strongly recommended, as indoor venues are well heated and you'll be comfortable inside even when it's cold outside. Extra socks can be useful, in case you get caught in the rain and your shoes get wet. If you tend to feel cold easily, a hot water bottle can also be useful to warm up your hotel bed at night.

IDFA does not have a dress code. Wear what makes you feel comfortable—whether you're attending premiere screenings, the Opening Night, or Awards Ceremony. Most attendees wear smart casual attire for these events—but it ranges from people in jeans to people in cocktail attire.

Amsterdam is generally safe and easy to navigate, including the city center at night.

Public transport operates until around midnight, with nighttime bus lines still operating throughout the night. As in any major city, we recommend staying aware of pickpockets and watch your belongings in busy areas. If you leave your coat or bag at a coatrack, please take your valuables with you.

Amsterdam is a cycling city, and trams and bicycles are part of daily traffic. Walking in central Amsterdam can feel quite busy if you are not used to this shared street space. Cyclists are everywhere, and not all of them strictly follow traffic rules. Please pay attention when crossing streets.

Be aware that cycle lanes can sometimes look like pedestrian paths, but are not. They are usually marked in red or green and/or feature a bicycle symbol on the ground. Please avoid walking on these lanes.

Also take care when crossing tram tracks, as trams often have the right of way and can approach quickly.

In the Netherlands, the standard plug types are C and F, with a voltage of 230V and frequency of 50Hz. Like almost all Continental European countries, the Netherlands has standardized on the German plug and socket system. More info can be found on worldstandards.eu.

Events in the Netherlands typically start on time. Dutch people tend to value punctuality, so when an event is scheduled for a specific time, that is usually the exact starting time.

If there is a reception or walk-in period before the start, this will always be clearly indicated in the schedule.

When meeting each other for the first time, the Dutch usually shake hands. When they are familiar with one another / friends, they give three kisses on alternating cheeks. Covid has changed these things over the past years and we do still see some elbow bumps, but mostly it is returning to pre-covid times.

In professional settings, people in the Netherlands usually greet each other with a handshake. Among friends, greetings may include three kisses on alternating cheeks, though this varies and has changed since Covid.

You can find these codes in the confirmation email after having filled in the Screening Participation Form. Subject line of mail is: "IDFA 2026: Confirmation Screening Participation form + Voucher codes".

These codes are for you to distribute freely to whomever you might want to invite to a screening of your film, whether it be a film team member, a sales agent, or family and friends. This is up to your film team to decide and distribute.

Go to our website and select the screening you want tickets for. Follow the regular process to purchase tickets, but when selecting your type of ticket click on the text above the type of tickets that reads "Do you want to insert an action code? Click here". Then enter your voucher code there, and a new ticket type called action code will appear for you to book. 

You can use these codes from start of the general ticket sale on 28 October 12pm, and we recommend you do this as early as possible to guarantee a seat in your film's screening. 

Is the screening marked as sold out online, please check in with your guest services contact and ask them to check whether they still have room for your guests to book with your voucher codes. Please send the voucher codes you want to use along in the email. If this is very last minute, we cannot guarantee seats for your guests, but all in all a sold out screening is great news!